improvements to Overdrive

Here are the highlights of some updates to Overdrive (used to access NCDigital Library):

Suspend a Hold
This feature will allow users to temporarily suspend a hold in the waiting list. The user’s position will continue to advance in the queue while their hold is suspended, but the hold will not be filled. After the suspension ends, the title will continue to advance until the hold becomes available. If a user advances to the first position in the waiting list while the hold is suspended, the system will skip ahead to fill the next available hold.

Hold Auto-Checkout
At the time a user places a hold, the option to ‘auto-checkout’ the title when it becomes available can be set. Users who elect this option will receive a notification when their title is available confirming that it has been checked out and can be found on their account bookshelf. Users who do not select this option will follow the current hold notification process.

Users who select this option but are unable to borrow the title at the time it becomes available (because they have already reached their maximum checkout limit, for example) will be sent the current hold notification email and will have the full hold pickup period to make their checkout.

Maturity Settings
Two options will be added to the Account Settings page that will allow users to customize their browsing and discovery experience based on content maturity level:

1.  The ability to exclude certain content based on the maturity level (Juvenile, YA, General, Adult). This will allow adult users to exclude titles for younger readers and young readers to exclude adult-only titles from their experience.

More information how to use this setting is available in this Help article: http://help.overdrive.com/customer/portal/articles/1492447.

2.  The option to “mask” all adult cover images with a basic cover image. This option will be set to “No” by default. Libraries who would like to mask adult cover images for all users by default can request to do so.

Example of basic cover:

“Recommended for you” collection
After a user signs in, a collection of recommended titles will appear on the homepage. Recommended titles will be available for checkout and suggested based on titles the user currently has checked out or on hold. If a user does not have any checkouts or holds, this collection will not appear.

“And” Boolean Searching
Based on partner feedback to improve search results, default search behavior will change from “OR” to “AND.” Following this change, the number of results returned for a search will likely be lower than with the current behavior, but this change will meaningfully improve the relevancy of the results. 

big changes from NCLIVE

Every three years, NC LIVE begins the process of reviewing and selecting the digital content that will make up the consortium's content offerings for its upcoming three-year period. The current three-year cycle will end on December 31, 2014, with new agreements in place beginning Jan. 1, 2015-Dec. 31, 2017.

New resources will be implemented no later than January 1, 2015. In many cases, vendors will make their content available to libraries earlier, in order to allow library staff time to prepare for the upcoming changes. 

2015-17 Resource Selection Information
To help libraries prepare for changes to their offerings, NC LIVE staff have compiled the following information. This page will be updated frequently as agreements are signed and as we receive new information from vendors.

To learn more about these changes, check out the current list of titles for 2015.

resource of the week: rccc's sbc

The Small Business Center at RCCC offers courses and seminars that are free and open to the public.  Topics include anything from the basics of starting your own business to creating your image and branding.  Seminars are offered at RCCC's North Campus (Salisbury), the Gateway Building (Salisbury), RCCC @ NC Research Campus (Kannapolis), and Cabarrus Business & Technology Center (Concord).  For more information about upcoming offerings, visit www.rccc.edu/sbc.  This is an EXCELLENT resource to share with patrons who are interested in starting a small business, or wanting to improve an existing one.

resource of the week: free Microsoft ebooks

Eric Ligman of Microsoft shares access to free Microsoft step-by-steps, resource guides and ebooks (almost 300 total) on his blog.  Ebooks are available in PDF, ePUB, and MOBI formats.

resource of the week: WebJunction eCourses

Introducing free access to library-specific courses through WebJunction

Beginning on July 1, access to WebJunction’s library-specific courses is available for free to all library workers (including volunteers) across the nation. Simply create an account at learn.webjunction.org, and then explore the catalog of library-focused self-paced courses and webinars. Certificates of completion will be available to you after you have completed any course or webinar that you enroll in from the catalog.  Many of these subjects will fit with your tech competency requirements, so let your supervisor know if you're interested in signing up for any of these courses.

If you haven't already, I would encourage you to sign up for Crossroads, WebJunction's free monthly e-newsletter.  It is full of new learning programs and professional development opportunities, most of which are free and all of which are high quality content!

resource of the week: ok google

The latest version of Chrome (web browser) includes Ok Google, a voice activated search.  Once you've downloaded the latest version of Chrome, simply enable the Ok Google feature and provide Chrome permission to use the computer's microphone.  After that, it's as simple as opening a new tab, navigating to Google.com, and saying "Ok Google..."  This would be an excellent free tool for anyone with dexterity issues.  Click here for instructions on how to enable Ok Google in Chrome.

resource of the week: home grown ebook collection

Beginning this summer, NC LIVE will pilot the Home Grown eBook Collection, a project that will provide member libraries access to a collection of more than 1,000 eBooks from a variety of North Carolina publishers. The collection will include an exciting range of content including readable and scholarly nonfiction, novels by popular NC authors, and award-winning short fiction and poetry.

During a pilot period from July through December 2014, the Home Grown eBook Collection will allow users to search or browse to discover the titles that interest them.  Patrons will be able to read an eBook instantly in a reader-friendly, in-browser window, or they can choose to download the eBook to their tablet through the BiblioBoard app for iOS, Android, or Kindle Fire.

Best of all, every eBook title will always be available, to every patron, anytime...that means no holds, no checkout limits, and no holds or wait lists!