Audiobooks & portable listening devices

Audiobooks & portable listening devices ICE-TT Pierce County Library System

E-Books vs AudiobooksPierce County Library offers downloadable titles in both e-book and audiobook format E-Books Audiobooks • Digital versions of print books • Available through OverDrive • File types include PDF and ePUB • Required software is Adobe Digital Editions • Titles transfer to devices such as the Barnes & Noble Nook and Sony eReader • Books that you listen to instead of read off the page • Available through OverDrive and NetLibrary • File types include Mp3 and WMA • Required software is OverDrive Media Console • Titles transfer to devices such as the iPod and Zune

Essential Steps to Using Audiobooks • Get a Library Card! • Choose a portable listening device • Get set up • Search for audiobooks at OverDrive Digital Home • Checkout and Download Audiobooks • Transfer Audiobooks to your portable listening device

Step 1: Get a Library Card! • A library card is required to checkout and download audiobooks. • You can get a library card at any Pierce County Library branch.

Step 2: Choose a Compatible Portable Listening Device • MP3 and WMA (Windows Media Audio) are types of audio files. Audiobooks offered as library downloads come in both types. • Which kind of file you can use depends on what type of computer and portable listening device you have.

MP3 vs. WMA Universal format – can be played on any device or computer Can be copied and moved easily Fewer titles available for download WMA • Developed by Microsoft – can only be played on select players and devices • More titles available for download • Publishers often prefer releasing audiobooks in WMA because it gives them more control over use thanks to DRM (digital right management) technology that restricts usage Mp3

Compatible Listening Devices Laptops & Computers PC • WMA audiobook files • MP3 audiobook files Mac • MP3 audiobook files

Portable Listening Devices - iPods iPods will play MP3 audiobook files and iPod compatible WMA audiobook file Not all WMA audiobook files are compatible with iPods (you can search specifically for iPod compatible WMA audiobooks)

Other Portable Listening Devices MP3 and WMA audiobooks files can also be played on: • SanDisk Sansa • Samsung YP • Microsoft Zune • Creative Zen • Coby MP See OverDrive’s Device Resource Center for a complete list of compatible devices

Step 3: Get set up Download and install OverDrive Media Console on your home computer The Quick Start Guide on the OverDrive page covers: • Software download & installation • Systems requirements • Required systems upgrades

OverDrive Media Console • OverDrive Media Console is software that is used for downloading, transferring, and listening to audiobooks • Windows users may need to perform a security upgrade • OverDrive Media Console has already been installed on the Learning Kit laptop

Step 4: Find Books at Overdrive Digital Home • Accessing OverDrive Digital Home • Signing in to your Account • Finding Audiobooks • Adding items to your Cart or Wishlist

OverDrive Digital Home Your OverDrive account information is separate from your regular PCLS account information. Audiobooks are listed on the same page as e-books Try Advanced Search to refine your search

Try Advanced Search Limit your search to: MP3 or WMA titles Genre (Subject) Titles with copies available

Item record The item record will let you know: The file format of the audiobook What sorts of devices the audiobook will play on Whether the item has copies available or whether you will need to join the holds list

Step 5: Checkout and Download Audiobooks • The Checkout Process • Downloading Your Checkouts • Saving audioboooks to your computer

Your cart As you add items to your cart you have the option of continuing to search for more books or proceeding to check out

Downloading audiobooks When you download an audiobook OverDrive Media Console should automatically open

Downloading Audiobooks The Get Media box will ask you where you would like to save the audiobook to on your computer. It will usually place it in My Documents or a similar folder. Select “OK”.

Downloading Audiobooks Select the part(s) you want to download (audiobooks are divided up into parts to make them easier to download). Then select “OK”. The part(s) will start to download. From here, you can listen to the audiobook on your computer

Step 6: Transfer Audiobooks to Your Portable Listening Device • Connect your device to the computer (usually needs a cable). • Click “Transfer” on Console • The Console will look for your device and will ask which part(s) you would like to transfer. OverDrive Media Console will then transfer the part(s) to your device. Notes for iPod/iPhone users: Make sure you have the newest version of iTunes installed. Also, make sure the iPod is set to “Manually Manage Music and Videos” (on Summary Page of your iPod in iTunes) Also, for faster download time for audiobooks, you may have to adjust the preferences in iTunes. In iTunes, go to Edit, then Preferences. Select “Import Settings” in the General tab, and change “Setting” to Spoken Podcast

So…what’s the deal with the iPad/iPhone? • You can use your iPhone/iPad/Android phone as a portable listening device • Rather than the traditional OverDrive Medica Console software, these devices use OverDrive’s OverDrive Media Console app • Download the app through the App store or Android Marketplace directly to your mobile device (the app has already been installed on the Learning Kit iPod Touch).

Find books using the OverDrive Media Console app With the app you can search, check-out, and download audiobooks directly to your device • Open the OverDrive app on the iPod Touch • Select “Get Books+” • The first time you search for books you will need to add the PCLS website using a card number & PIN (the Learning Kit iPod has already added PCLS)

Find books using the OverDrive Media Console app • When you select Pierce County Library System you will be taken to the PCLS OverDrive catalog • You can browse or search for both audio books and eBooks • You can add available titles to your cart or place requests for unavailable items • Enter a library card & PIN to check-out • You can listen to your audiobook as soon as it is finished downloading to the OverDrive Media Console app

Audiobooks & portable listening devices