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

[MartyTX]

I realize this is a "golden oldie" post, but I'd like to chime in.

The Amarillo library consortium has had Overdrive for at least 4 years. Last year, it added 3M Cloud to the digital offerings.

Couldn't access my Overdrive account in Amarillo last week. Tried several times to no avail. Called the library and was told they decided to drop Overdrive and just offer 3M. "Overdrive just wasn't working out in Amarillo". I agree that the waiting times were very long. However, to me "long lines" mean that something is very popular. My guess is that this was simply a cost cutting move for the city.

No real problem because Houston (10X the population of Amarillo) offers free Overdrive to all Texas residents.

The Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded for over a century. Literature is indeed a fine art. It's too bad that a skate board park can trump the library in the city budget.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by MartyTX

I realize this is a "golden oldie" post, but I'd like to chime in.

The Amarillo library consortium has had Overdrive for at least 4 years. Last year, it added 3M Cloud to the digital offerings.

Couldn't access my Overdrive account in Amarillo last week. Tried several times to no avail. Called the library and was told they decided to drop Overdrive and just offer 3M. "Overdrive just wasn't working out in Amarillo". I agree that the waiting times were very long. However, to me "long lines" mean that something is very popular. My guess is that this was simply a cost cutting move for the city.

No real problem because Houston (10X the population of Amarillo) offers free Overdrive to all Texas residents.

The Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded for over a century. Literature is indeed a fine art. It's too bad that a skate board park can trump the library in the city budget.

Do I have to apply in person at the Houston library? l looked into a long while back and I know I can do the reciprocal thing with my library here (Texshare) but I thought I had to to a branch to get the paperwork in order. For about a year, Houston looked into building its own ebook library (my books were in the program to be added, but it was cancelled after the beta). They probably have a large enough base not to drop overdrive. But I know from working at my own library is it incredibly expensive. INCREDIBLY and it's subscription so the cost never goes away.

Having worked at the library, I can tell you that just about EVERYTHING is funded before the library gets funding. And even when they get certain funding in the yearly budget, it can be taken away the next week. A lot of funding for books and computers actually comes in via grants (and if the city council finds out about the grant at the wrong time of year, they will cut the library budget...)

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

Do I have to apply in person at the Houston library? l looked into a long while back and I know I can do the reciprocal thing with my library here (Texshare) but I thought I had to to a branch to get the paperwork in order.

According to their website, you don't. You can do the mail/email thing.

HPL - Registration by Mail

If you are a Texas resident and unable to physically come to the library to register for a library card, you can register by mail. Please print the Library Card registration form and send it, along with a good quality photocopy of your photo I.D. with your current address, to:

Houston Public Library
System Circulation Department (Library Card)
500 McKinney
Houston, TX 77002

You can also email a scanned copy of the completed application form and photo I.D. to circinfo@hpl.lib.tx.us.

It takes about 24 hours to process applications received by mail or email and prepare the card to be mailed, if all necessary information was included with the application.

TexShare Card

2. USE YOUR TEXSHARE CARD
Each library also sets its own lending policies for visiting TexShare Card users. Before you visit another library, use Find-A-Library or the TexShare Card map to view its specific policies and restrictions. Many libraries restrict the type or number of materials that a visiting TexShare Card user may borrow. Others impose a minimum age requirement. Typically, libraries do not permit TexShare Card holders to download ebooks or eAudiobooks. Fines for late returns or lost materials apply to TexShare Card borrowers.

No downloads? - that sucks!

[Atunah]

I just send off an application to the Houston library be email, with copy of TDL.

I looked at the page and didn't see anything about not being able to get ebooks. I went to that tex share map and pulled up the libraries lending policies. It says nothing about excluding ebooks unless I am blind

https://www.tsl.texas.gov/texshare/l...ngPolicies=yes

I guess I find out once I get the card. I didn't even know I could get a card there without going in person. My local one is pretty dismal in selection here on ebooks, although they still do have overdrive.

What confuses me about the whole thing is that tex share thing. On the Houston site it says

Eligibility: Residents of the State of Texas are eligible for a free Houston Public Library card and do not need to register as TexShare borrowers. Preferred identification is a Texas Driver's License or Texas ID. Alternate identification confirming residency is acceptable. Out-of-state driver's license or alternate identification including name and address is acceptable.

So we don't have to be a Texshare, whatever that is. That seems to be the thing that is limited? I have no clue at this point. The application says nothing about tex share, just library card registration for houston public library.

And on the application page, where you print out the form on the HPL site it says this

What Can I Do with my MY Link Library Card?

Borrow books, DVDs, CDs, e-books, and other materials
Use our research databases
Place holds
Place your holds from home and get email notification for pick-up.There is a maximum of 30 holds per library card at any one time. Ask any HPL staff member if you need help with this service. Pick-up and check-out your items at the library location you choose. Holds will be held for 7 days. Check-out period is 3 weeks.
Place interlibrary loan requests for items Houston Public Library does not own.
Check your account: To renew your own items, view or cancel holds, view your checkout history.

So the application is for a MyLink library card, what they call it and it does list ebooks.

I think that TexShare is so if you have one and you travel for work or vacation to another place in Texas, you can use the card while there without having to do a separate application at that library. And with that card its pretty much just on site services I guess and paper books.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Atunah

So we don't have to be a Texshare, whatever that is. That seems to be the thing that is limited? I have no clue at this point. The application says nothing about tex share, just library card registration for houston public library.

They're two separate cards. TexShare allows you to check out material from participating libraries across the state. An HPL card allows you to check out material only from HPL.

As to ebooks and audiobooks, you may or may not be allowed to download these items from a TexShare library. It depends on the lending library's policy. With an HPL card, you are allowed to download them from HPL only.

[Atunah]

Yes, which is why I applied for HPL card. . A texshare wouldn't do me any good as I don't travel anyway.
Texas residents are eligible for a HPL card. Which I hadn't even known about. I looked at their selection and it is much better than my local.

So Maria needs to do the same application. For the MyLink Card.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by Atunah

Yes, which is why I applied for HPL card. . A texshare wouldn't do me any good as I don't travel anyway.
Texas residents are eligible for a HPL card. Which I hadn't even known about. I looked at their selection and it is much better than my local.

So Maria needs to do the same application. For the MyLink Card.

Yes, they are two separate cards. The Texshare card will allow residents with very small libraries to get cards at a number of libraries without paying an "out of resident area" fee. For example, I can get one for all the Austin libraries even though I am in Cedar Park. HOWEVER, some larger libraries, including Austin, now get some state funds so they will ALSO allow me to apply directly for their card. I'm guessing that must be true of Houston too.

I do not know about the ebook download thing with the Houston card, but I can't imagine why they wouldn't allow it. With Texshare, because of the overdrive expense, they are probably limiting downloads. One of those government odd rules that ended up in place and no one knows why...

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

I do not know about the ebook download thing with the Houston card, but I can't imagine why they wouldn't allow it. With Texshare, because of the overdrive expense, they are probably limiting downloads. One of those government odd rules that ended up in place and no one knows why...

A Houston card will get you OverDrive.

[Bookworm_Girl]

Originally Posted by MartyTX

I realize this is a "golden oldie" post, but I'd like to chime in.

The Amarillo library consortium has had Overdrive for at least 4 years. Last year, it added 3M Cloud to the digital offerings.

Couldn't access my Overdrive account in Amarillo last week. Tried several times to no avail. Called the library and was told they decided to drop Overdrive and just offer 3M. "Overdrive just wasn't working out in Amarillo". I agree that the waiting times were very long. However, to me "long lines" mean that something is very popular. My guess is that this was simply a cost cutting move for the city.

No real problem because Houston (10X the population of Amarillo) offers free Overdrive to all Texas residents.

The Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded for over a century. Literature is indeed a fine art. It's too bad that a skate board park can trump the library in the city budget.

Sorry to hear that! After a year, I find that most of my borrows are with the Overdrive consortium that my library dropped and I was able to rejoin for free as a county resident. I can sometimes get books faster through my 3M library, but I find they still have long waits too. That was one of the benefits they claimed for moving. Initially I found that they would honor requests for additions to the catalog within 2 days. However after a few months many of my requests now go ignored. That was another benefit they claimed for switching.

3M has significantly improved their reading apps for iOS since last year so at least reading via tablet is more enjoyable. However, I still prefer to download via ADE and transfer to one of my e-ink readers.

You might want to read this other thread about 3M. I'm wondering what the future will be like for libraries which use their system.
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=266081

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by Bookworm_Girl

You might want to read this other thread about 3M. I'm wondering what the future will be like for libraries which use their system.
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=266081

Probably hard to say at this point. The sale could be a good thing if the new owner is more book focused. People might have similar wonderings about OverDrive's future now that Rakuten owns them.

[Atunah]

I tried 3M. I got a couple of books checked out that weren't on Overdrive. But I literally could not read them. The app was just horrible. When you change to sephia it makes the font light gray. Its darker in white backround. So I was stuck with one font with a bright white backround. Turning down light as much as I can still looks weird. I think its the font.
I don't have ithingies so I don't know if the apps are different, but in android, it was just bad. There was also no way to put anything on a wishlist, only borrow and then it was difficult to figure out the wait time in line.
I like that they had some books from publishers I couldn't get otherwise, but what good is that if the reading app is unreadable to me.

Plus the fact that many of us prefer to read on e-ink. I can make it work in a pinch on my Fire6 or Nexus, but not if the app doesn't display the book the way I can read.

And I received my approval of application for the Houston library card and its on the way.

[MartyTX]

Originally Posted by Bookworm_Girl

You might want to read this other thread about 3M. I'm wondering what the future will be like for libraries which use their system.
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=266081

Thanks! Interesting reading ... especially some of the whimsical comments posted by our MR friends!

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by Atunah

Yes, which is why I applied for HPL card. . A texshare wouldn't do me any good as I don't travel anyway.
Texas residents are eligible for a HPL card. Which I hadn't even known about. I looked at their selection and it is much better than my local.

So Maria needs to do the same application. For the MyLink Card.

Yup, I have a Houston card I borrowed from a friend for ebook purposes and it has an excellent selection.
I've noticed recently the Dallas Library selection has gotten better too (they were still pretty decent even before, though).


My home library absolutely sucks. Fortunately I have mooched library cards from friends all over the place...

[Atunah]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Yup, I have a Houston card I borrowed from a friend for ebook purposes and it has an excellent selection.
I've noticed recently the Dallas Library selection has gotten better too (they were still pretty decent even before, though).


My home library absolutely sucks. Fortunately I have mooched library cards from friends all over the place...

There is no way I would let any friends mooch of my library cards. Nope. I'll share my wine, my beer, maybe my chocolate. But my library cards are off limits.
Don't want any paws on my kindles either.

My Houston card arrived yesterday, although I just got it today as our mail building was a bit under water here in Texas. . So I picked it up today.

I didn't get any notice or idea how long it will last but online it says its good for 3 years. So I am in business.

[eschwartz]

Maybe it helps that several of my friends don't really read books.
And one of my friends who DOES read books is positive that ebooks are an evil conspiracy.

Oh well, their loss my gain.
I did try... not much I can do to help people who don't listen.