Ohio Library Consortium Loans eBooks

[Ed Hansberry]

http://www.rimroad.com/articles/2004/5/2004-5-24-Ohio-Library-Consortium.html

"[The] southeastern Ohio Automation Consortium, a consortium of 67 Ohio public libraries, has launched a new online service for its library members and their patrons , enabling the browsing and check out of eBooks from homes, offices and schools. So even in the heart of rural Ohio, where horse-drawn carriages and tractors share the road with cars, library patrons are downloading eBooks directly to their PCs and PDAs using the Internet."

It appears they are using Adobe Reader and MobiPocket Reader formats. It requires either activation for Adobe, which doesn't work on the Pocket PC anyway, or registering MobiPocket's PID. You can have up to 10 ebooks out at once and they generally "expire" in 21 days, whereupon you can go back and check it out again unless someone else checks it out before you have a chance.

Oh yeah, you have to be a resident of Ohio with a valid library card. Sorry. The rest of Earth is excluded. :? Good to see Ohio taking this step though.

[Ed Hansberry]

http://www.rimroad.com/articles/2004/5/2004-5-24-Ohio-Library-Consortium.html

"[The] southeastern Ohio Automation Consortium, a consortium of 67 Ohio public libraries, has launched a new online service for its library members and their patrons , enabling the browsing and check out of eBooks from homes, offices and schools. So even in the heart of rural Ohio, where horse-drawn carriages and tractors share the road with cars, library patrons are downloading eBooks directly to their PCs and PDAs using the Internet."

It appears they are using Adobe Reader and MobiPocket Reader formats. It requires either activation for Adobe, which doesn't work on the Pocket PC anyway, or registering MobiPocket's PID. You can have up to 10 ebooks out at once and they generally "expire" in 21 days, whereupon you can go back and check it out again unless someone else checks it out before you have a chance.

Oh yeah, you have to be a resident of Ohio with a valid library card. Sorry. The rest of Earth is excluded. :? Good to see Ohio taking this step though.

[whydidnt]

This is a very cool idea. I hope more libraries start offering this service. I just wonder if the technology police will jump all over this and try to stop it, like every other new content delivery method.

For some reason, entertainment companies and publishers seem to think that we shouldn't have the same basic fair use of new tech as we have always had with older formats.

One other thought - noticably missing from the format is MS' reader format. I guess that's one set of DRM technology nobody wants to touch. :wink:

[drop]

:way to go: Very cool!

I would give it a try as soon as I finish reading all the paper books I always buy but have no time to read.

I have a sense of guilt if I borrow a book and don't read it right away, ebook or otherwhile.

Looks like being Ohio resident is not good enough. You need to be a resident of SE Ohio. My library card is no good. Oh well, it is still a great idea!

[arglebargle]

The King County Library System in the outlying Seattle WA area also has a very similar e-book service. Both Adobe and Mobipocket are supported. The adobe activation scheme for the Pocket PC worked for me but it was not terribly intuitive and I'm sure many people have had problems. Mobipocket seems to work much better for me. Just finished reading Neal Stephenson's Quicksilver.. Great book and it was much easier than lugging around a 900 page hardback. Disclaimer: I work for the King County Library System.

ArgleBargle

[OSUKid7]

Originally Posted by Ed Hansberry

Oh yeah, you have to be a resident of Ohio with a valid library card.

I suppose I should try this out. Then again, I don't like reading a whole lot. :| :lol:

[mscdex]

Southeastern huh? I'm the opposite end. Oh well. :?

[BevHoward]

I researched this with the Ohio folks several months ago with the hope of being able to do something with our local library.

Great concept, unfortunately, the cost was beyond our library's reach and they responded based on being previously burned by attempting the ebook path based on rocket ebooks.

=====from Ohio========

The development cost for Overdrive to set up the web site for eBooks lending was $25,000.
Our first collection of eBooks purchased consisted of about 400 titles and cost $3500, or $8.75
apiece.
Overdrive's annual fee for the eBooks service is $5000.
Toni said she found the people at Overdrive very accomodating and easy to work with.
Good luck with getting eBooks for your library.

====================

[simzz1]

ArgleBargle

Could you share how you were able to use the evil Adobe DRM?

[Ed Hansberry]

Originally Posted by BevHoward

Great concept, unfortunately, the cost was beyond our library's reach and they responded based on being previously burned by attempting the ebook path based on rocket ebooks.

Yet another reason to not be hooked into proprietary technology controlled by one company for this kind of thing, but that is really a whole 'nuther thread. :evil: