Books
and More > Audio Books
Audiobooks
 About
OverDrive Audiobooks:
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Thousands of titles!
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No fines
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14 day loan period
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Windows Media Audio
(WMA) format
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Windows Media Player v9
and above is required for WMA
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Can be transferred to a handheld device.*
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Free OverDrive Media Console
software required
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Some titles may be burned to a CD
- Limited copies of each title, but a waiting
list is provided when no copies are available.
- Titles from Brilliance Audio, Blackstone, Books
in Motion, Penton, and more!
- How to download
Audio Books from OverDrive
*If you wish to
transfer OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks to your Apple® device, you will
need to have Apple® iTunes® version 7.6.2.9 (or newer) installed.
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Now playing – OverDrive MP3
Audiobooks!
Announcing the addition of
OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks to our Downloadable Media collection!
Audiobooks in this format can be transferred to a wide range of handheld
Apple devices, including the iPod. (Audiobooks cannot be
played on a MAC at this time.) |
How to download books through
OverDrive, Maryland's Digital eLibrary Consortium:
- After clicking on the link to access OverDrive, you
can search for books or browse the collection. Once you find the
title you want, click Add to "My Bookbag". Titles added to your bookbag
will remain for 30 minutes while you continue to browse the
collection. When you are finished browsing, click on the "My Bookbag"
link, and then choose "Proceed to Checkout".
- At checkout, you will be asked to log
in to your account. Here you must choose Baltimore County Public
Library for your library system, and then enter your library card
number. This will allow you to check out titles. Click on "Confirm
Checkout" at the next screen, and the titles are ready to download.
You may not download to BCPL public computers.
- You must have OverDrive Media Console installed to listen
to these audio books. The checkout confirmation screen offers you the
option of downloading the Media Console.
- If a title you want is not currently available,
you will have the option to place a hold on it. That puts you next
in the queue to be able to download that title. Proceed as
instructed in #2 to check out your other titles. You will be asked
for an email address during the Check Out process. This
information is required so that OverDrive can notify you via email
that the title is available.
- When the title becomes available,
you will receive an email with instructions on checking the book
out. The item will be held for you for 3 days (starting when you
are emailed notice that the title is available). Please note: Some
families with multiple cardholders use the same email address for
notification. If you receive an email stating that a book is ready
for download, but it does not appear on the list when you log in
to your account in OverDrive, check to be sure the book was not
inadvertently checked out using a family member's card instead of
your own.
- If you need more help, see the
OverDrive Audiobook help page.
Troubleshooting:
The answers to most questions can be found by following
the "Help" link, which is available from every page on the OverDrive
website. Be aware that
OverDrive also offers materials in other formats, so be sure you are looking at the
Audiobook Help page. If you are unable to find an answers to your
question online, please
contact support with a detailed description of your problem or question.
In order to facilitate troubleshooting, please include the following
information in your correspondence:
- Steps to reproduce the problem (in as much detail as
possible)
- Exact text of any error message (screen shots are
helpful)
- URL(s) of any error page(s) you encounter
- Library card number
- Title(s) of problem download(s)
- Applicable software version (this information can
typically be found under Help > About.)
- Operating system (Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 98
SE, etc.)
- Internet browser and version (Internet Explorer 7.0,
Firefox 2.0, etc. In most browsers, find this under Help > About.)
- If applicable, device type and operating system
Unfortunately, neither BCPL nor the audiobook vendors can troubleshoot
individual listening devices. There are many devices to which the
products can be downloaded, and the vendors are very clear that they do not
troubleshoot at the device level. The best method for dealing with device
problems is to refer to the manufacturer's website.
To find out which players will work,
go to http://www.playsforsure.com. This
site tells you which devices are Microsoft
Windows Media Player compatible. There are also links here to each of the
manufacturer websites which may be able to help with troubleshooting.
Questions & Answers:
|
Question: |
Answer: |
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Software needed to play |
OverDrive Media Console
(download this free software from the OverDrive website).
Windows Media Player
9 (or newer) OR
Apple® iTunes® version 7.6.2.9 (or newer).
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Do I need a library card? |
Yes. |
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Can I download a section
at a time, or do I need to get the whole book? |
You may download individual sections
as separate files. |
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How do I transfer to a
portable device? |
From withe OverDrive Media Console, select "Transfer/burn"
and follow the instructions. |
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Can I find records for these
items in the library catalog? |
Yes! We add audiobook titles to our catalog as quickly as possible. However,
the
OverDrive site will provide the most complete list of available titles. |
|
How many can I check out at a
time? |
Any combination of four (4)
titles total (any format). |
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What kinds of audio books are
included? |
There are a variety of vendors,
including Brilliance, Listen & Live, and more.
You can view the entire list from the link on the
OverDrive page that says "View All Audio books." |
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Can I renew them? |
No. The loan period is 14
days. You may check out the title again if no one is waiting. If no copies
are available, you can place a hold for the when the title becomes
accessible. You will receive an email notification when your hold is
available. |
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What happens after the loan period expires? |
The audio file stays on
your device but can no longer be played. You will need to delete the file
manually from your PC and device. |
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Can I burn to a CD? |
Yes. From the OverDrive Media Console, choose the "copy to CD or device" and
click on "burn to CD." These CDs can be played even
after the loan period expires. |
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Can I return my audio book early? |
No. The Windows Media Player
software does not allow this function. |
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Other questions? |
OverDrive provides an extensive Help
section on their website, broken down by format, which answers
questions about software, error messages, etc. |
Other sources for Audiobooks
BCPL New Books on Cassette and CD
Baltimore County Public Library Hot Titles List of
New Books on Cassette and CD.
Apple iTunes
Audio books
Audio books for the iPod from Apple.
Assistive
Media: Expanding the World of Reading
An audio-literary service for persons with
print reading/access barriers. To listen to the books you must have at least a 28.8K modem
and an installed version of RealPlayer (available on the web site.) Assistive Media
provides free-of-charge, copyright approved, high caliber audio literary works.
Audible.com
Buy audio books for MP3 players, including the iPod.
Subscribe monthly or pay per title.
Audio Online Book Club
Enjoy
a daily dose of spoken word with audio books from fiction, non-fiction, self-help,
business books and more, all delivered to your e-mail address.
Baltimore County Public Library, Towson Maryland USA
Last Revised: 18 September 2008
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