Category Archives: library

E-Books, library, News

Getting Library Books on Your Kindle

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UPDATE #2: Looks like the Kindle library lending options are live for the JCLC system!

UPDATE : OverDrive has released a statement saying that the library system will work with WhisperSync to push notes, bookmarks, etc. to the ebook if you buy it or check it out again. But you still can only download library ebooks via WiFi or the USB cable. /stop/

News broke today that Amazon officially started letting people, in select parts of Washington state, check out and read library books on their Kindles. This program is in partnership with OverDrive, which is a good move I think, but Amazon should have worked harder to integrate. For starters, they’re wrapping all of the ePubs in their proproetary .tpz format. Whatever. But the “ugh” part really kicks in during checkout.

Checking out JCLC books via the OverDrive app is a painless one, once you get the Adobe DRM straight. But Amazon has added a couple more clicks and a couple more steps to the process. So to read library books on your Kindle you:

  1. log in to your library
  2. check out book
  3. which take you to Amazon.com where you have to log in there
  4. check out book there which lets you download the file
  5. hook your Kindle up via USB, drag and drop the Kindle library book

 

Now I don’t live in Seattle and have yet to do this myself. I’m very thankful to the Seattle Times crew and their detailed photos and coverage.

I am not a software engineer and I’m sure it’s very hard to get the big independent systems to work together on something as complicated as checking out files that need to expire. But it’s Amazon! If anyone has the customer-centered focus, skills and dollars, to bring harmony to the library>>OverDrive>>Kindle>>library cycle, it’s them.

No word yet on when the rest of the country might get the service, but no doubt Kindle users will be very glad to have access to their library’s ebook collections, no matter how cumbersome the checkout process gets.

Birmingham, Events, library, News

Bham – Erase those library fines this month

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We are in the middle of this year’s Food for Fines month, in Jefferson County. Basically, you get $1 credit applied to your library fines for every canned good you bring in. All 39 JCLC branches are collecting the food for their annual food drive.

It caps out at $10. So if you have $11 in fines, you will need to bring 10 cans and $1. For that you’ll get your overdue library fines erased, help some people in need and get a warm smile from a friendly librarian.

Birmingham, Bookstores, library

Birmingham Central Library Bookstore Updated

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**This is an old post. The Library Bookstore has a new location. You can see and read about it here.**

The Friends Bookstore at the Central Library downtown has been re-vamped and re-opened. For the past couple of weeks, patrons have been able to come in a peruse the newly culled (and VERY well organized) stock of surplus library and donated books.

The Friends Bookstore is even entering into the service side of things, as you can now email them (bplfriendsbookstore [at] gmail.com) and ask to be added to the “new stock” distribution list. So every time the shop adds to their shelves, you’ll get an email. Pretty nifty.

They have even left shelf space for the new additions. So you can run in on a lunch break and see if there is anything new, without having to cruise through all the shelves.

The new set-up also sports new reading chairs and more shelf space for kids and teen books.

One of my favorite new tweaks is that now the overstock magazines are folded in with the books. So when you’re looking at the books on history or crafts, the magazines that fit in that category are on the shelf with the books. The shelves also have new bright green category labels and shelf-talkers, making it easier to navigate the sections.

The books still run from 50 cents (paperback) to $2 (hardback). So the prices are sure to keep you coming back.

The store is on the 2nd floor of the downtown brancj and will be open Monday-Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., and Sunday, 2:30-5:30 p.m. It is maintained by the Friends of the Birmingham Public Library.

Digital Publishing, E-Books, iPhone, library, Publishing Industry News

OverDrive Announces December App Release

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I’m a fan of the ebook lending program the JCLC has going. It’s great. But I also would like to have the ebooks to go and not have to lug the laptop everywhere. I’ve tried txtr and BlueFire Reader both of which say they work with Adobe Digital Editions, but have had no luck (apparently the snag lies with something called “transferred” loans). So I was very excited to see over on The Digital Reader (a blog you should follow) that Overdrive has announced their app lineup. Releases start in December.

This is going to be BIG!

Here’s the YouTube video that Nate dug up: