Thursday, July 15, 2010

Free Young Adult Audiobook Downloads from Sync


Free Young Adult Audiobook Downloads from Sync

You don't have to be a teenager to love YA literature. The online community Sync is offering free weekly YA audiobook downloads for the rest of the summer—one popular title and one classic each week. Participate in online discussions around each book, or just enjoy the audiobooks on your own. (Here's the title list and info for librarians: http://www.audiobooksync.com/info.html)

The Sync audiobook downloads require OverDrive Media Console, but they are separate from our Digital Download Center Collection. There are no hold lists and no expiration dates for the Sync books—to get a link to download the current week's title you just have to enter a name and email address. The downloads are MP3 Audiobooks, so they are compatible with Mac, PC, and most MP3 players (iPods too!).
http://www.audiobookcommunity.com/group/sync

(Posted 01 Jul 2010 on the South Central Library System blog, TechBits (http://scls.typepad.com/techbits/)






OverDrive's Training Month - September 2010

OverDrive's Training Month September 2010


Free online courses for library staff, beginner to advanced.   Register now!

OverDrive's Training Month is an educational and fun program to increase staff knowledge and help maximize circulation of your OverDrive 'Virtual Branch'.

Registration is now open. To guarantee the best selection of available dates and times, sign up now: http://www.overdrive.com/products/dlr/training.

Sessions will be offered online throughout September with open enrollment for individuals and groups. Contests and prizes are included.

NEW for 2010: In response to participant feedback, audio for Training Month sessions will be provided via speakers/headphones on your computer. A phone connection is NOT required.

 The curriculum includes courses covering each aspect of your OverDrive service:
 1. Collection Checklist - With OverDrive's collection checklist, you'll be quickly up to speed with online ordering. Best of all, you'll learn how to attract users to your Virtual Branch website by creating an exciting and easy to maintain collection.

 2. Browse, Check Out, and Download! - Join us as we demonstrate how to browse, check out, and download titles from a library's Virtual Branch website. At the end of this course, staff should feel comfortable answering basic questions about your OverDrive service.

 3. Patron Assistance - We'll help take your understanding of your OverDrive service to the next level so you can share your knowledge through support and training. We'll review frequently asked questions, support tips, and online help resources. 

4. Community Outreach - In this session, we'll share creative, easy, and cost-effective ideas for introducing new patrons to your OverDrive service. We'll also feature prize winners from this year's 'Outreach Program' contest.

5. Real-Time Reports - We'll showcase reports which best track circulation, new patrons, site traffic, and popular titles. Your team can then evaluate how your Virtual Branch is doing, and chart a path to future success.

6. Mobile Update - In this session, you will be introduced to new mobile access options for users. Devices highlighted include iPhone®, BlackBerry®, Android™, and more. We'll also preview upcoming mobile features.

 More than 7,500 librarians participated in Training Month 2009 and four libraries were the lucky winners of OverDrive's Training Month award packages. Don't miss out in 2010!

(WPLC July 15, 2010)