New Overdrive coming and it is awful

[JSWolf]

There is a new Overdrive system coming and it is awful. If your library show you an option to try the new system, please do. You can also take a survey about the new system. Please take the survey.

We need to get as many people as possible to tell Overdrive that their new proposed system is awful and just leave things alone.

I just don't get who thinks these changes are any good. We lose the accounts section and searching/sorting has gone to pot. It is much harder to see new content. Filtering is shot to heck. Sorting is shot to heck. And it just works very poorly.

Scroll to the bottom of the main page and at the bottom is where you can get the ink to try the new system if you can. Not every library allows trying the new system.

We need to stand up to these really awful changes.

[Dazrin]

Can you provide some screen shots? My library doesn't have an option to see any new layout.

Actually, my library has improved their search features in the last two weeks without any fanfare. It used to be that when I searched for a book and they didn't have any results they just gave me an error page and said I should select "add additional titles to recommend" using the advanced search feature. Now when I get no results they give me a button to instantly check for additional titles to recommend. Much improved.

[AnemicOak]

Obviously you can't do the account related stuff unless you have a card there, but it looks like this library is one that has the preview of the new site....

https://selco.overdrive.com/


Here's an OD posting on the changes (with pics)...
http://help.overdrive.com/customer/e...p%40selco.info


According to the blog for the above library the changes go live November 10th. I don't know if that's just for them or if that's an OverDrive system wide date.
http://www.selco.info/news/user-prev...new-overdrive/

[Terisa de morgan]

What I find awful is to deploy a new site with a lot of lacking core features as:

1. Advanced search
2. Modifying holds (like changing your email address or suspending a hold)
3. Changing your lending period preferences and maturity settings

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

What I find awful is to deploy a new site with a lot of lacking core features as:

1. Advanced search
2. Modifying holds (like changing your email address or suspending a hold)
3. Changing your lending period preferences and maturity settings

Yes, just stupid. They say many of those features are coming, but what's the rush that they need to get the new site out incomplete?

[Fbone]

It says that the missing features will be added later.

Edited: There doesn't seem to be a way to see all listings.

[Terisa de morgan]

Originally Posted by Fbone

It says that the missing features will be added later.

Edited: There doesn't seem to be a way to see all listings.

Later is not a timeline but an intention.

[Fbone]

My library doesn't show a preview or even mention it. Although, they did add 4500 open epub titles this week. They seem to be Samhain, Carina, Dreamspinner and many small presses. They also added the buy it (Library WIN) button.

Added: Looking further in the newly added titles I see many self-published including erotica.

[Dazrin]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Here's an OD posting on the changes (with pics)...
http://help.overdrive.com/customer/e...p%40selco.info

Thank you!

This does look like bad news. Why in the world would they offer require an update that removes so much of the key functionality? That just seems stupid. It might look better, that is hard to say since they don't have complete preview screenshots only snippets, but if they are removing core functions that is a step backward regardless of how nice it may look.

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

What I find awful is to deploy a new site with a lot of lacking core features as:

1. Advanced search
2. Modifying holds (like changing your email address or suspending a hold)
3. Changing your lending period preferences and maturity settings

What's more is that some of the features they are highlighting are really just old features in new skins with no apparent new value:

This redesign includes new availability statuses to show you at a glance whether a title can be placed on hold or borrowed right away:

Um, I can already see if the title is available or not at a glance.

Under My account, you'll find a new Checkouts page (instead of your old Bookshelf), where you can access all of the titles you currently have checked out.

Ok, so they renamed "bookshelf" to "checkouts". Woo hoo.

There is a "share feedback" button at the bottom of this page that appears to be general Overdrive, not a specific library. Of course the way you share feedback is through a short survey but there are a couple text boxes to add feedback (what would you change? and what do you like?) on the 5th page.

[pidgeon92]

I'm not seeing anything in the new design that bothers me. I don't use most of the features that won't be ready when it is released. I mostly search either for a specific title, or I browse newly added books. I am pleased about this:

When you sign in with OverDrive or Facebook, the site will remember you, so you won't have to sign in every time you visit.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by pidgeon92

I'm not seeing anything in the new design that bothers me. I don't use most of the features that won't be ready when it is released. I mostly search either for a specific title, or I browse newly added books. I am pleased about this:

If you have an eBook on hold that you won't be able to read because you'll be on vacation, now you can put books on hold so you can get back in line when you get home. Now you just get screwed. NO putting on hold and whatever comes due comes due when you do not have the time to read.

NO longer searching by time added. I do a lot of searching for newly added eBooks added within 7 days. Also I sort by added, release date, and author.

There are a lot of other features I use that are important to a smooth Overdrive experience. This new setup is worse in action then it the screen shots show.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Obviously you can't do the account related stuff unless you have a card there, but it looks like this library is one that has the preview of the new site....

https://selco.overdrive.com/

Have a look and than go to http://help.overdrive.com/customer/e...p%40selco.info to take the survey and tell OD how awful the new site is.

[4691mls]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

If you have an eBook on hold that you won't be able to read because you'll be on vacation, now you can put books on hold so you can get back in line when you get home. Now you just get screwed. NO putting on hold and whatever comes due comes due when you do not have the time to read.

NO longer searching by time added. I do a lot of searching for newly added eBooks added within 7 days. Also I sort by added, release date, and author.

There are a lot of other features I use that are important to a smooth Overdrive experience. This new setup is worse in action then it the screen shots show.

Aaack! I can't believe they're messing with Overdrive again. Seems like just yesterday we had that long thread after their last round of stupid changes.

The new site hasn't yet come to my library. I suppose I can hope they will be a late adopter after some of the bugs are worked out.

I occasionally use the hold modification feature, usually if several books on hold suddenly become available at the same time and I can't read them all at once.

I also use the "search books added within last 7 days" feature once a week to see what's new.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Dazrin

Thank you!

This does look like bad news. Why in the world would they offer require an update that removes so much of the key functionality? That just seems stupid. It might look better, that is hard to say since they don't have complete preview screenshots only snippets, but if they are removing core functions that is a step backward regardless of how nice it may look.

.

New management?
Rakuten has been looking for a way to be a bigger player in ebooks. Maybe they think making library ebook lending less desirable will lead to more sales?

[4691mls]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

New management?
Rakuten has been looking for a way to be a bigger player in ebooks. Maybe they think making library ebook lending less desirable will lead to more sales?

My theory is that the company's owners had a relative who was an unemployed programmer/website developer so they hired him/her to fix something that wasn't broken :