Digital Audiobooks Your Library

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Digital Audiobooks _at_ Your Library

• The NetLibrary/Recorded Books Model

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The Need

• Over the past several years, the audiobook has
  been one of the most asked-for library offerings.
• Unabridged audiobooks are expensive, which keeps
  collections relatively small.
• Because of expense, it is difficult to purchase
  multiple copies of audiobook titles.
• These facts result in excessive holds for popular
  audiobook titles.

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Electronic Audiobooks The Concept

• Although electronic books have been available for
  several years, they havent caught on in public
  libraries for several reasons.
• A major problem with e-books has been the absence
  of an effective portable device to read them.
• However, portable audio devices have been
  available for several years. These devices,
  usually called MP3 players, can provide
  high-quality playback of audiobooks.
• Widespread availability of broadband Internet
  connections in American homes has now made the
  downloading of large audio files feasible.

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Choosing a Vendor

• There are two major digital audiobook vendors
  available to libraries OverDrive and
  NetLibrary.
• These vendors approach digital audiobooks in
  different ways. To a large extent the choice of
  vendor depends on which model fits most closely
  the librarys needs.

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Differences Between the Models

• In general, OverDrive provides a hosting service
  for digital audiobooks to be purchased by a
  library. Thus, while hosting costs will be
  ongoing, the audiobooks themselves will become
  the property of the library. The library
  purchases as many audiobooks as it can afford.
• NetLibrary provides a subscription service, which
  is payable every year. The content, which is
  increasing monthly, is a part of the subscription.

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Why Did Gloucester County Library Choose
NetLibrary?

• NetLibrary featured Recorded Books titles. GCLS
  already subscribed to many Recorded Books
  Continuous Ordering Programs and the titles (and
  readers) were favorites of our customers.
• NetLibrarys costs were lower. We were able to
  offer more titles at a fixed cost. Initially,
  the collection consisted of 600 titles. This has
  increased in a year to over 1,400 titles.

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Other Reasons for Choosing NetLibrary

• NetLibrary offered unlimited simultaneous
  checkouts of the same title.
• The NetLibrary collection includes approximately
  150 titles in the Pimsleur language series. This
  series fits well with the digital model, since it
  never relies on printed materials.

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How it Works

• NetLibrary will work with the library to set up a
  link on the library webpage to the server.
• This page can be used to search the NetLibrary
  site for a specific audiobook title.

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Searching for an Audiobook

• The customer can search for a specific
  author, title, or narrator, using
  the NetLibrary interface.

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Searching (continued)

• Or they can browse a listing of available
  audiobooks by broad subject area.

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Using Your OPAC to Find Audiobooks

• NetLibrary provides MARC records for the
  audiobook collection.
• These records can be FTPd to your library and
  loaded into your bibliographic database.
• At Gloucester County Library, we add an item
  record for these titles, using our own format for
  the call numbers (E-AUD prefix).

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Record in OPAC

• While searching the OPAC, a customer may find a
  digital audiobook title.
• Clicking on the link will bring up the title in
  the NetLibrary interface.

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Downloading the Audiobook

• The first time a customer wishes to download an
  audiobook, NetLibrary will require the customer
  to create an account, with user-supplied screen
  name and password.

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Downloading

• Customers are encouraged to download from home
  computers. Library computers have security
  software which may interfere with the process.
  However, customers are allowed to use a library
  computer for the download at their own risk.
• There are two file sizes for the audiobooks, CD
  quality and radio quality. CD quality downloads
  take longer, but are necessary if the customer
  wishes to copy the file onto a portable device.

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Steps to Download

• Click on Checkout Download CD Quality.
• Enter user name and password.

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• Save file to a folder where you can find it
  later. The download will commence.

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Open the File

• Open the file in Windows Media Player. This will
  complete the process of acquiring the license to
  play the audiobook. You must open the file
  before you try to copy the file to a portable
  device.

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Copy to a Portable Device

• Audiobook files are in the Windows Media Audio
  format.
• Because of the need to incorporate a license to
  play the audiobook, these files cannot be played
  on an iPod.
• Most (but not all) portable MP3 devices (other
  than iPods) can be used. NetLibrary provides a
  link to the Plays for Sure list of suitable
  players. However, this list is not complete, nor
  is it always accurate.

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Helpful Hints

• Windows Media Player 9.0 or above is required for
  NetLibrary audiobooks.
• When you purchase an MP3 player, the software
  disk will often include the latest version of
  Windows Media Player. When you configure WMP, be
  sure to specify that you want to sync files one
  at a time (instead of all files at once).
• MP3 devices connect to your computer through the
  USB port. Older USB ports will usually work, but
  the newer high speed ports will work faster.

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With Windows Media Player open, click on Library
and Now Playing to display the current selection
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Click on the Sync tab and Edit Playlist to
display files. Click on the new file to add it
to your playlist.
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Click on Start Sync to copy the file to your
MP3 player.
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Usage

• In the first year of service, 282 GCLS customers
  created accounts with NetLibrary.
• During this period, circulation (downloads) of
  digital audiobooks totaled 1,093. By comparison,
  circulation of non-digital audiobooks at GCLS
  during this period was 23,569.

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Usage

• This level of usage of digital audiobooks
  represented a per-circulation cost of 9.15.
• Circulation of digital audiobooks is increasing,
  however, with new accounts being added daily.
  Several nonresident customers have paid our 60
  annual fee in order to download audiobooks,
  including one customer who lives in Sydney,
  Australia.

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Costs

• Digital audiobooks will require a significant
  outlay of money. However, both vendors are now
  offering consortium pricing, so it is possible
  you can join with other libraries in a shared
  collection. For example, a group of libraries in
  South Jersey are cooperating in a digital
  audiobook consortium, based on the OverDrive
  product, through the SJRLC.

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Pros

• Digital audiobooks can provide a larger
  collection of this popular format to your
  customers.
• Digital audiobooks will demonstrate your
  librarys commitment to new technology.
• Digital audiobooks will enhance your 24/7
  services. Todays library customer doesnt lead
  a 9-5, or even a 9-9 life.

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Pros (NetLibrary)

• Costs based on total library circulation. For a
  smaller library this can be an advantage.
• Popular titles can be checked out by several
  customers simultaneously.
• Many popular Recorded Books titles with popular
  narrators.
• Over 250 titles for children and young adults.
• All titles unabridged.
• Over 150 language instruction titles, including
  several English instruction titles designed for
  non-English-speaking customers.

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Cons

• Costs.
• Cannot copy to iPod.
• Customers must purchase an MP3 device for
  portable playback (and FM transmitter if playback
  in an automobile is desired). MP3 players (1 GB
  and larger is recommended) will cost between 100
  and 200. The FM transmitter is about 50.
• It will take some time for the service to catch
  on in most libraries. Per circulation costs
  will decrease with greater customer
  participation in the service.

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Cons (NetLibrary)

• Cannot burn to CD.
• Circulation is not through the OPAC, so separate
  statistics must be kept of checkouts.
• Titles limited to those in Recorded Books catalog.