Library dropped Overdrive for 3M. You could be next!

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by Bookworm_Girl

3M is the only choice for my city librarian to make digital ebook acquisitions. They dropped Overdrive. When they belonged to Overdrive, it was part of a 12-city consortium so book recommendations went to a consortium board for review. Makes sense to me that my city has more control now because it's their budget only and no more consortium compromises.

I suppose that would do it... but from the standpoint of a Kindle owner, perhaps they should have dropped out of the consortium and go their own way with OverDrive.

I believe it is also possible to use "OverDrive Advantage" to maintain a private collection only visible to a specific consortium member -- I doubt those are limited the same way?

Err, yeah -- not much of a fan of an ADE-only library system.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by Bookworm_Girl

My recommendations were mainstream choices and not that obscure. Most of them were missing books in a series or the library had other books by that same author. I thought that might mean a greater chance of them going through. I don't know how long it takes to go through the consortium review and approval process. Weeks? Months?

My librarian told me they can all "submit" the choices (electronically) and then there's voting. So it doesn't take that long. She said the main problem with my requests was they were usually books the publisher didn't make available to libraries. I actually had better luck with smaller publishers. But publishers like Carina Press don't make their books available for libraries and many of their authors are ebooks only.
My library also would not order overdrive books if the books were in stock in the library in paper. They didn't want overlap because of the costs. I understood that and got better about checking that sort of thing.

[SteveEisenberg]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

I have access to the Brooklyn 3M library. They haven't accepted a single one of my recommendations to date . . .

A few months ago, I put in a Brooklyn request for an obscure Overdrive title I was 100 percent sure I wanted to read, and they purchased it almost immediately.

Unfortunately, the same thing happened here that often happens when I buy a book with my own money -- despite great interest at time of purchase, I couldn't finish it. I felt a little guilty about that because of thinking that no one else would ever borrow it again. However, I'm glad to see, in my link above, that someone else did take it out, and another person is even on the wait list.

In case someone here thinks their taste is opposite of mine (very likely!) here is a much-loved book that I started today and found unreadable:

http://digitalbooks.brooklynpublicli...D-7CEB7EA5F5C3

[Bookworm_Girl]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

I suppose that would do it... but from the standpoint of a Kindle owner, perhaps they should have dropped out of the consortium and go their own way with OverDrive.

I believe it is also possible to use "OverDrive Advantage" to maintain a private collection only visible to a specific consortium member -- I doubt those are limited the same way?

Err, yeah -- not much of a fan of an ADE-only library system.

I think the Advantage program means that you have additional copies available to you beyond the consortium quantity.

My library cited another key reason for switching to 3M was that it is fully integrated with the Polaris catalog management system and Overdrive isn't. I can see the benefit to it after using it for a few months. I can log onto my library and see all book copies whether they are digital via 3M or paper at various branches. You also get more information about availability and hold times such the exact dates that items are going to be returned. You can check the items out and return them all within the library website without having to connect to 3M's website. The 3M apps & website doesn't have a wishlist feature, but my library website does allow me to create wishlists for paper and digital items.

[Bookworm_Girl]

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

A few months ago, I put in a Brooklyn request for an obscure Overdrive title I was 100 percent sure I wanted to read, and they purchased it almost immediately.

Unfortunately, the same thing happened here that often happens when I buy a book with my own money -- despite great interest at time of purchase, I couldn't finish it. I felt a little guilty about that because of thinking that no one else would ever borrow it again. However, I'm glad to see, in my link above, that someone else did take it out, and another person is even on the wait list.

In case someone here thinks their taste is opposite of mine (very likely!) here is a much-loved book that I started today and found unreadable:

http://digitalbooks.brooklynpublicli...D-7CEB7EA5F5C3

I know what you mean. I looked at some of the books that I requested for purchase, and I was happy to see that others have checked them out too!

[eschwartz]

Ah, well I know OverDrive is integrated with the Brooklyn library (BiblioCommons).

Dallas uses Polaris, and I can find books that the library owns but all they have is a link to the OverDrive page where you can check availability and checkout. Would be nice to have it a little better.

Oh, and 3M allows putting items on request, the search scope can be expanded:

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Bookworm_Girl

I think the Advantage program means that you have additional copies available to you beyond the consortium quantity.

My library cited another key reason for switching to 3M was that it is fully integrated with the Polaris catalog management system and Overdrive isn't. I can see the benefit to it after using it for a few months. I can log onto my library and see all book copies whether they are digital via 3M or paper at various branches. You also get more information about availability and hold times such the exact dates that items are going to be returned. You can check the items out and return them all within the library website without having to connect to 3M's website. The 3M apps & website doesn't have a wishlist feature, but my library website does allow me to create wishlists for paper and digital items.

BPL (Boston Public Library) has managed somehow to integrate their Overdrive selection with their main catalog. So I know it's possible to do this. So the excuse of going 3M because of the main library catalog integration is not a good excuse since Overdrive can be integrated into the main catalog.

[Bookworm_Girl]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

BPL (Boston Public Library) has managed somehow to integrate their Overdrive selection with their main catalog. So I know it's possible to do this. So the excuse of going 3M because of the main library catalog integration is not a good excuse since Overdrive can be integrated into the main catalog.

The Overdrive consortium is linked to the city library card for that too but not with the level of detail that I can see on the Polaris and 3M linkage.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

BPL (Boston Public Library) has managed somehow to integrate their Overdrive selection with their main catalog. So I know it's possible to do this. So the excuse of going 3M because of the main library catalog integration is not a good excuse since Overdrive can be integrated into the main catalog.

It looks like they use BiblioCommons, just like The Other BPL (Brooklyn) -- that is why they have OverDrive integration. So, sure, if every library on the planet wants to pay good money just to switch from Polaris and other systems to BiblioCommons just for OverDrive integration, they will be more than happy to do so... once you agree to donate the costs.

[Bookworm_Girl]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Ah, well I know OverDrive is integrated with the Brooklyn library (BiblioCommons).

Dallas uses Polaris, and I can find books that the library owns but all they have is a link to the OverDrive page where you can check availability and checkout. Would be nice to have it a little better.

Oh, and 3M allows putting items on request, the search scope can be expanded:
Attachment 134421

Exactly. That's how my cities are too. You have more control and actions available to you through Polaris & 3M rather than just a link. Kinda neat. I'd guess that the benefits are more tangible to the library than to the users.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

It looks like they use BiblioCommons, just like The Other BPL (Brooklyn) -- that is why they have OverDrive integration. So, sure, if every library on the planet wants to pay good money just to switch from Polaris and other systems to BiblioCommons just for OverDrive integration, they will be more than happy to do so... once you agree to donate the costs.

Give it up, BPL is Boston Public Library.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Give it up, BPL is Boston Public Library.

Tee hee.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

BPL (Boston Public Library) has managed somehow to integrate their Overdrive selection with their main catalog. So I know it's possible to do this. So the excuse of going 3M because of the main library catalog integration is not a good excuse since Overdrive can be integrated into the main catalog.

It costs money. There's another software program required. Adding the extra copies is also an additional cost. I would imagine they looked at 3M and decided it had more cost advantages. Overdrive (the software license) is hideously expensive and the books aren't cheap either.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

But publishers like Carina Press don't make their books available for libraries and many of their authors are ebooks only.

Carina Press books are available through OverDrive. My library currently has 380 titles from them.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Carina Press books are available through OverDrive. My library currently has 380 titles from them.

Correction then--at the time, I couldn't get Julie Moffett titles. It's been a while since I checked though. (that was probably a year or two ago). Thanks for letting me know that they are available!