What's a Digital Download?

Digital downloads come in different formats, but they're all basically online versions of the same kinds of things you would check out in a library -- books, audiobooks, videos, and/or music.

The difference is, the materials are online so you don't have to go into the library to get them; you just download them onto your computer. Built-in software automatically checks the files back in when the checkout period ends, so you never have to worry about overdue fines, or lost items, or anything like that.

Since you get the books from the Internet, digital downloads are a way to use the library 24/7, from pretty much anywhere.

Discovery Exercise

You have two choices. You can use either OverDrive or NetLibrary. If you have one or the other of these services at your library, then use the one you have. If you have both, use whichever one you want. If your library doesn't subscribe to either service, it's no problem. You can request a temporary card for OverDrive from the State Library. Please contact Sho Ikeda for your temporary card. (Sorry, no instant credit on this project!) The first step is to get to the OverDrive or NetLibrary homepage. In most cases there is a link right on your library's website; your first task is to find that link. Once you get in, you'll see some of the titles that are available. You can browse around, or use the search box if you're looking for something particular. Depending on your library's subscription, you might see videos, audiobooks and/or ebooks available to check out. Take a look around and see what's available. Now download an audiobook (see notes below). The process is different depending on whether you're using OverDrive or NetLibrary. You may need to create an account with a username and password, or you may have to enter your library card number and PIN. Open the book on your computer and play it for a while. BONUS step: If you have access to a compatible MP3 player, try transferring your book to it. To complete this exercise, go to the bottom of this page, where it says Threads. Click Post a new thread (underneath and over to the right). Tell us which digital download service you used and which book you downloaded. Please write at least one paragraph about your experience. Was it easy or hard? What did you think of the interface?

List of AZ Digital Download sites: Apache Junction Public Library Arizona State University Gateway Community College Greater Phoenix Digital Library (participating libraries are listed at top) Maricopa County Library District Phoenix Public Library Northern Arizona University Pima County Public Library Sedona Public Library Tempe Public Library Yavapai Library Network - (participating libraries) Yuma County Library If your library is not listed here, please let Virtual Library know. You can send us a message on this wiki.If you require an MP3 player to complete this discovery exercise, you'll be able to order a free player for your library. Send your request by using this request form. MP3 players are being provided by the Arizona State Library.

Notes:

• In OverDrive, you have to download the OverDrive Media Console before you can get any of the downloads to work. If you don't already have it on your computer, you'll need to download it from OverDrive's website. You'll get plenty of chances, but make sure you do so before you download a book.
  
  
• In NetLibrary, you need to create an account in order to download anything. This involves making up a username and password that you will log in with. Create an account using the link in the top right corner of the page.

Why Should You Know About Digital Downloads?

Online books might be the most obvious application of Web technology to libraries. Services like iTunes and others allow you to purchase and download digital books and music to your computer, and it was just a matter of time before libraries got in on the act by providing these services for free to our customers.

Digital downloads meet people's demand for instant access, and they're available any time. With more and more people online, downloading entertainment is becoming increasingly popular. Big-name companies like Amazon are releasing portable eBook readers to display digital book content, and their sales are brisk. People can use these readers to download books directly from Amazon. Downloadable music and audiobooks make sites like iTunes very popular. Downloadable video is also a growing trend.

Another important reason to know about these is that many libraries in Arizona already offer them, so it's very likely that someone may ask you about downloading a digital book or video. If it's a service your library offers, you definitely need to know how it works.

More information for the curious

DRM -- the "iPod issue"
For the most part, digital downloads won't work with Macs or iPods. -- Why? Because of copyright concerns. Since OverDrive and NetLibrary give you access to digital books without making you pay for the content first, publishers insist on having software to protects the material against unauthorized copying. This is called DRM (for digital rights management), and it's Windows-based. Because of this, it doesn't work on Apple products.

• OverDrive has announced that they will make "DRM-free" audiobooks available for libraries, but this has been slow in coming.
  Note: OverDrive has made Mac- and iPod-friendly titles available now!
  

eBooks:
There are thousands of eBooks available for free viewing online. For the most part, these are classic titles in the public domain, so copyright is no longer an issue. You can find eBook versions of Greek and Roman mythology, plus classics by authors like Nathaniel Hawthorn, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Henry James and William Shakespeare.
Find free ebooks online:

• Gutenberg Project
  
• World Public Library
  

Audiobooks:
Titles in this format are more closely guarded, and are mostly available for purchase or through a subscription. iTunes, which originally focused on music, is one of the biggest such sites. However, there are some free sites as well.

• If you're interested in a public domain title, you might want to check out Audiobooksforfree.com. Free registration is required to use the site. Because there's no copyright to protect on a public domain work, these audiobooks don't need DRM and can be loaded in MP3 format (which will work on Macs and iPods, too).

Music:
Again, iTunes is a big source for downloadable music, but Amazon and many others offer music downloads for sale as well.
While a series of lawsuits on the part of the music industry shut down many free peer-to-peer music download services, there are still many sites that offer free music. Most work in partnership with the recording companies, and have some kind of limitation -- such as required registration, download limits, etc.

• For some idea what's out there, check out MP3.com, music.download.com, or Spiralfrog.

Video:
Downloadable video is a fairly recent addition in the library market, and so far the major studios have been reluctant to make a lot of the most current content available. That's changing, however, as downloading movies becomes more and more popular. Meanwhile, there are lots of subscription services providing downloadable movies, TV & other video. Perhaps the best known among these is Netflix, though there are several others.

• There's even a site that helps you find movie download sites that offer free trials.
• And don't forget about YouTube. You'll learn more about that in #13 - Video Sharing.
  

Don't forget!

Threads
Feel free to post questions and concerns and respond to others comments in the threads at the bottom of this page as well. Remember, learning and collaboration are the reason we're here.

Play Pages
If you find interesting links, photos or videos you want to share, head on over to Play Pages to find out how to post them to this wiki.


Back to The 13 Things.