Requesting NCDigital (Overdrive) Titles

If a patron would like to request a title from NCDigital Library there is a choice for that on either the paper or online form. Paper forms should be forwarded to Edward at Tech Services. Online forms will be routed to the correct person.

Overdrive Changes

Browser-Based Experiences:

With greater frequency, we are hearing about preferences for browser-based functionalities.

In response, almost two years ago, we launched OverDrive Read. This format, of course, allows patrons to read an ebook in the browser – without having to download the title to a device. The benefits of this format are:

·         greater ease of use

·         fewer support burdens

·         higher circulation growth (125% nationwide in this format)

·         Optional to existing formats.

In keeping up with these new preferences, today, we launched OverDrive Listen, which allows patrons to listen to audiobooks in the browser – without having to download to a device.  This format offers the same benefits as does OverDrive Read; it is an additional format to MP3, and it should appeal to many patrons, based on conference feedback. Here is the screen shot from the OverDrive site:

Some of the features of OverDrive Listen:

·         Change playback speed, add bookmarks, make notes, and make highlights

·         Save listening position, bookmarks, notes, and highlights upon exiting a reading session.

·         Access listening progress, bookmarks, notes, and highlights upon re-checking out an audiobook (as long as it's the same edition)

Some Help Links:

·         Getting Started: http://help.overdrive.com/customer/portal/articles/1909467-getting-started-with-overdrive-listen

·         Features: http://help.overdrive.com/customer/portal/articles/1932987

Important Update from Overdrive

Important Update from Overdrive -- please be familiar with these changes

In our continuous effort to improve the ease of use of the service, provide the widest compatibility across devices, and reduce support requests for your library, OverDrive is sunsetting the WMA and WMV media formats. By simplifying the available formats to only MP3 for audiobook downloads and streaming for video, users can easily enjoy every audio and video title in your collection on the world’s most popular devices—the Apple® iPad™ and iPhone™.

OverDrive has been working diligently with the few remaining publishers and suppliers to provide the largest coverage of MP3 and streaming video equivalents for these titles, but there are still some publishers that have not provided permission.

All audiobook, music, and video titles that do not have an MP3 or streaming video equivalent, respectively, will be removed from your library’s digital collection on Tuesday, May 19. The process will begin at 8:00 AM US Eastern Time and may take up to 24 hours to fully propagate.

To learn more about the sunset of these formats, please read these frequently asked questions.

App. of the Week: Madefire

Image: Madefire Logo

Do you have little suspenders to keep your socks on? You might need them after you try this app. I truly love this app. and its capabilities. It's called Madefire. It's an amazing comic book reader, but it also allows you to read Motion Books allowing the user to delve into the comic book with motion, sound, and interactive pictures.

The app. itself is free, some of the comic books are free, but most do cost about the same amount as a regular comic book. Every Friday free comic books are released!

When you first open the app. it will present you with a preview of what the app.'s motion books pertain. Afterward it opens to the main page displaying the most popular comics at the time. In the top right corner you can filter your selection by different categories such as Store, which is the main page, Motion Books, Print Books, Free, All Ages, which is for the most part appropriate for all ages, My Books, and Settings.

When you select a comic you would like to know more about, the app. will provide you with a brief overview of the book/series. It will list the different books in the series and the prices. Be careful of the 'play' button in the large picture of the book on this list. Instead of playing a preview it continues to purchase the entire series.

Image: Madefire Comic Series List

There is a website for the motion books as well as a motion book developer if you would like to publish your book to Madefire.

Video: Madefire Commercial

App. of the Week: Google Translate

Photo: Google Translate Logo

Google Translate has always been a pretty amazing service offered by Google. The app hit phones in 2011. It was fairly nice and with time has gotten better. Google Translate will translate text, speech, drawing, and now signs and billboards after Google bought the app. World Lens in Spring of 2014 and interfaced it into Google Translate.

Although not perfect, Google Translate currently will translate 90 languages. It will define words for you as well. There are limitations to the translations the app. can accomplish using the camera function. Arabic and a few other languages will need to have individual words highlighted with your finger to translate.

Check out the Wall Street Journal video below highlighting a few of the app.'s features.

Video: Wall Street Journal Highlights Google Translate Features

Next week, I will be posting a really cool app. to go along with Free Comic Book Day on May 1st.

App. of the Week: ChatterKid

Photo: ChatterPix Kids Logo

ChatterPix Kids and ChatterPix, are fun and educational apps. They give you the ability to make an image talk. It's very user friendly. ChatterPix Kids is geared toward children while ChatterPix is geared toward adults. The major difference is linking to Facebook, YouTube, and email with ChatterPix and only having the ability to share to Camera Roll with ChatterPix Kids.

Opening the app for the first time it will ask for access to your photos, camera, and microphone. The app needs permission for all three of these to function properly. You can take a picture from within the app or use pictures from your Photos or Camera Roll. You can move the picture to crop and scale within ChatterPix. Next step is to give your photo a mouth simply by dragging a line across the photo where you would like the mouth placed. Afterward you can make a 30 second recording. Preview your recording and then place fun additions on your picture such as clip art, filters, and text. After you are satisfied with your creation share it to the Camera Roll, Facebook, YouTube, or Email.

Check out the short creation from YouTube below.

 

Video: Abe Lincoln ChatterPix Example

Here's a video from Duck Duck Moose showing you how to create a ChatterPic. This video will also appear the first time you use the app.

 Video: ChatterPix Kids Instruction

We use ChatterPix Kids at the school so children can self check their own fluency. They have also taken pictures of book characters and told who they were. As the example showed above riddle biographies would be fun too! Students also enjoy making silly creations.

Duck Duck Moose created these apps and many more which are geared toward children. Most of their apps are available on both Apple and Droid/Google Play products. Check out their page to see other fun apps and information about their company.

This is my first weekly app posting. I will try to post a new one each Wednesday.

resource spotlight: rasterbator

The Rasterbator

The scourge of university IT paper consumption worldwide, The Rasterbator, has existed in one form or another since 2004. It started at the now defunct artsy site of general weirdness homokaasu.org and there is also the standalone version.  The Rasterbator is provided for your pleasure and convinience by Matias Ärje, an Internet enthusiast and connoisseur.

This would be a great resource for art in the afternoon, bulletin boards, or patrons with art projects.  Check it out at http://rasterbator.net/.  Thanks to Jennifer for sharing this awesome free resource!