Tuesday, June 26, 2012

WPL chosen to be a trial site for Playaway View's New Titles

Exciting news: the Worcester Public Library is chosen to be a trial site by Playaway as one of a small number of innovative and progressive libraries across the country. Playaway give us 30 units with movies preloaded for our patrons to try for 60 days. At the end of 60 days, the library can keep all the units if we wish . Patrons who check those out are encouraged to take a quick online survey at www.playaway.com/viewsurvey about the product and could win $100 Visa Gift Card!



What’s Playaway View
Simple - Just press play! Seven-button design is simple to use regardless of age or ability.
Portable - Goes wherever you do. Equipped with a built-in speaker, and an optional headphone jack, so you can watch anywhere.
Convenient - No DVDs, downloads, or additional players are needed. Pre-loaded content is ready to watch whenever you are.
Chargeable-Can be charged anywhere with the included standard AC Adaptor.

How to check them out
Playaway View titles are located in the DVD area on a red book truck.  If they are all checked out,  you may place a hold on any title of your interest through the library's catalog https://bark.cwmars.org/eg/opac/home?loc=142. When you search, look for Digital View for call number. For example, here is Lucy Show record in the catalog.

What's on Playaway View

Classic Movies
A Farewell to Arms
Alfred Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes
Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much
John Wayne: Blue Steel
Sherlock Holmes: Murder at Baskervilles

Classic Television
Bonanza
The Dick Van Dyke Show
The Lone Ranger
The Lucy Arnez Show

DIY
Simple Solutions: DIY Tips for Around the House
Simple Solutions: DIY Tips for Around the Yard
Simple Solutions: DIY Tips for Home Maintenance

Documentaries
American Masters: Ernest Hemingway
The End of the Road: The Final Tour '95 (Grateful Dead)
Greenpeace: The Story
The Louvre
Nelson Mandela: One Man

Financial Advice/Instructional
Suze Orman's Money Class

Professional Development
21st Century Leadership
Doubling Your Productivity
Essence of Success
Remarkable Communication Skills

Television/Film
Ernest Goes to Camp
Masterpiece Contemporary: Page Eight

Travel
Treks in a Wild World: Diving, Biking, Climbing, Canoeing and Hiking, the best of the West and East
Treks in a Wild World: Ice Climbing, Kayaking, and Hiking in the Pacific Northwest
Treks in a Wild World: Trekking Coastlines of the World

If you have any questions, please email us.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Why Can't You Find That e-book You Want from the Library?

Although demand for eBooks is growing, the biggest book publishers are limiting library access to their eBooks.

Some publishers cite security concerns while others point out that eBooks, unlike print books, will never need replacing in a library's collection. They fear that library eBook lending cuts into income for both publishers and authors. As library users, it means limited access to some of the current, popular titles we want to read on our new e-readers.
Different publishers set limits in different ways.
  • MacMillan Publishing has never allowed e-books to be distributed to libraries via OverDrive.
  • Simon & Schuster has never allowed e-books to be distributed to libraries via OverDrive.
  • Hachette no longer offers e-book titles to libraries via OverDrive.
  • HaperCollins limits each eBook to 26 checkouts, then requires libraries to buy another copy.
  • Ramdom House recently raised its prices for libraries, as much as 300% more. For Eisenhower in War and Peace by Jean Edward Smith the ebook price went from $40 to $120.  For Blessings by Anna Quindlen the ebook price went from $15 to $45 
  • Penguin Group no longer offers e-book titles to libraries via OverDrive. Previously purchased Penguin Kindle titles in our OverDrive catalog will no longer be delivered through a WiFi connection from Amazon. These titles will need to be downloaded to your computer first and then transferred using a USB cord
As we continue to expand our eBook collection, we hope you understand some of the limitations that are placed on us. The eBook industry continues to evolve and we're optimistic that a workable solution between publishers and libraries will come about.

Please email us with any suggestions and questions.

This article is adapted from and used courtesy of the Daniel Boone Regional Library serving Boone and Callaway Counties and Columbia, Missouri.