New Overdrive Format - Overdrive READ

[seaneads]

Patrons searching for Overdrive books through the Overdrive link in the Download Center (as opposed to using the app) are finding a new format showing up for certain books.

The format is called Overdrive READ.

Overdrive READ, as indicated on the screen, works only on PCs. It is designed to let you download and read the book using just the computer's web browser. Books with the Overdrive READ option do not require either a Kindle App or Adobe Digital Editions to read.

I've experimented with the format on a laptop and it worked just fine. Usability is about the same. I do not believe anything in the Overdrive READ format can be transferred to a mobile device. I'm also not sure if books in the Overdrive READ format can be returned early. Gotta experiment some more, but I thought I'd give everyone a head's up since this new format just magically appeared.

[Stacy McKenzie]

I find it truely amazing that all of these changes and updates occur and we are not notified in anyway. Maybe I am missing something and someone in our organizaiton is indeed getting this info and it is just not being passed around;-( One the site there is a "news" tab and it says nothing about this "new" format;-( Oh well, thanks for posting this and continuing to post updates. I will see if there is anyway to get advanced notice about these types of things.......

[cmaher]

We had a patron at LK today with an iPad. He had requested, with our assistance, the Adobe ePub version of an eBook. When he was notified by email that it was ready to checkout, he was given only the Overdrive READ option. Any thoughts?

[seaneads]

I been working a bit with the Call Center with regards to this patron. Here's a better explanation of what Overdrive READ is:

read.overdrive.com/about/faq

I cannot verify at the moment, but people should be able to download and read these books on their mobile device IF they have Safari or Google Chrome on them. No other browser will work (for a mobile device). This is in spite of the notation from Overdrive saying "PC Only."

Because it can play on the iPad, the file format may be showing up even in the Overdrive App. To play it, though, the patron will need to go into Overdrive through Safari rather than the Overdrive app, go to the Download center, and click on their Overdrive e-account. From there they can click on Download and get the file loaded into the browser. But the book will NOT be showing in Overdrive's bookshelf the way epub formats do.

That's all I know for now. Of importance to know is there seems to be no way Overdrive READ files can be returned early.

[seaneads]

Here also is a link (from the FAQ) that shows the exact compatibility needed for PCs and mobile devices:

read.overdrive.com/about/compatibility

I think I would just advise our patrons to stay away from this format all together. But it's nice for people who like to read on their computer screens and don't want the hassle of downloading and registering Adobe Digital Editions. Patrons may have trouble finding the book again, though, as it seems to store the file in the browser cache. But if someone on an iPad, smart phone or other tablet PC (non-Nook, non Kindle Fire) accidentally checks it out, at least they can probably read it.

[seaneads]

I did end up trying an Overdrive READ download on an iPad Mini. The file downloaded and opened in the Safari browser.

My thought that this file format might show up when searching for books through the Overdrive app is apparently wrong. My app did not give that file extension as a possibility. It seems as long as the app takes patrons to the mobile version of the website, they'll not see the READ format at all.

I'm not clear about where the file is stored. After I closed the Safari tab that showed the book, I could not locate a file for it anywhere on the iPad. I went back to the download center, logged into my e-account, and downloaded the book again. The file opened to the page I was on when I closed the original tab. Maybe this is an example of cloud computing or maybe the download simply triggered the iPad to open the file already stored someplace on the device.

Not much info, I guess, but I thought I'd post the results of my attempt to use this format on a mobile device.

[Stacy McKenzie]

Mar 6, 2013 16:31:20 GMT -5 cmaher said:

We had a patron at LK today with an iPad. He had requested, with our assistance, the Adobe ePub version of an eBook. When he was notified by email that it was ready to checkout, he was given only the Overdrive READ option. Any thoughts?

The patron chose the wrong format to download. They probably wanted ePub but added the Overdrive Reads format to their cart. Only other explaination is a glitch but to date we have not had others with this same issue, so I would go with human error on the patron's part this time......

[Stacy McKenzie]

Okay, so on devices it is an internet based type of set up...so you will only be able to read the Overdrive Reads format on a Safar tab and when you close it, it is not stored on your bookshelf or anywhere else on your device. I was attempting to download the Overdrive Reads format to my computer, but I am using a work computer and it is telling me that, first, it will not work with my version of IE (which is 8) and only with IE10. It also is trying to direct me to another browser like chrome or firefox to use it with......so.....this format is coming with its own set of problems it seems......;-(

[Stacy McKenzie]

Ah, okay and more info....this format is a web browser format on devices and online and as it says in the FAQ if you want to access the book after you close the web page tab, you must either bookmark the site (on your computer) or put a shortcut via app on your device desktop. One alternative, if you have closed the tab before saving the favorite or making an app, is that you can go back to your eCheckout list and hitting the download button again, will open the web page back up......