[vicsireland] Re: Audio books from South Dublin Libraries
- From: "Gerry Ellis" <gerry.ellis@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <vicsireland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2007 18:52:43 -0000
Hi, Jim,
Are you saying that all public bodies should forthwith stop using MS WORD, MS
Excel and MS PowerPoint as well? How bout Outlook?
On that logic, should we insist that nobody uses Gnome as it only runs on Lynux?
I don't think so ...
I must say that I would rather have seen the library using the DAISY format,
but I do not think that there are any free DAISY readers that allow the kind of
copyright protection that might be required to allow books be shared digitally.
Also, the fact that DAISY is a proprietory product is causing some resistance
to its use by the Open Source community.
Now that I have raised these queries, I won't be around for a while to hear the
replies. I am going into hospital and won't get to read my emails for a few
days after tonight.
Take care,
Gerry Ellis
t/a Feel The BenefIT
Tel +353-(0)1 282-7791
Mob +353-(0)85 716-8665
Email gerry.ellis@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
If you don't know where you're going,
How will you know when you get there?
----- Original Message -----
From: Jim Dunleavy
To: vicsireland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Wednesday, December 05, 2007 5:17 PM
Subject: [vicsireland] Re: Audio books from South Dublin Libraries
Hi Robbie,
The service is discriminatory on the following grounds:
The use of OverDrive Media Console discriminates against those
who don't use the Windows platform.
The use of DRM discriminates against those who don't have media players
which support the right kind of DRM.
There's also the question of using tax-payers' money to promote
an agenda which is not vendor-neutral, i.e. the requirement of Windows
and the use of the WMA codec.
This is as if the government chose only to accept bids from
Paddy the Plasterer for the construction of public utilities.
The interoperability problems and uncontrollability of DRM by the
libraries make the service totally unsustainable.
--Jim
----- Original Message -----
From: Sandberg, Robert
To: vicsireland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, December 04, 2007 4:22 PM
Subject: [vicsireland] Re: Audio books from South Dublin Libraries
Hi Jim!
Could you elaborate on what triggered this response? They actually made these
digital audio books available in response to a blind client who asked them how
he could access their books.
Cheers,
Robbie Sandberg
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: vicsireland-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:vicsireland-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jim Dunleavy
Sent: 04 December 2007 16:12
To: vicsireland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [vicsireland] Re: Audio books from South Dublin Libraries
Thanks for nothing, South Dublin Library!
Is it appropriate to use tax-payers money for such a discriminatory service?
--J
----- Original Message -----
From: Sandberg, Robert
To: vicsireland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, December 04, 2007 11:40 AM
Subject: [vicsireland] Audio books from South Dublin Libraries
Hi folks!
I've downloaded several books from the South Dublin Libraries website since
it was introduced at the VICS Open Day. They have a good assortment of audio
books and, importantly, many new releases.
The process of downloading books is quite simple, once the OverDrive Media
Console has been downloaded and installed. This software is necessary to manage
the downloaded books. It looks a bit like the Windows explorer. In the tree
view you can select a title for instance and when you tab down to the list view
you will find the actual audio files.
The software uses Windows Media player to play the files and it requires you
to install a security update for the media player, without which you won't be
able to play them. This is done automatically after the OverDrive Media Console
is installed. You just need to confirm that you want this to happen.
It's possible to play the files in Winamp, but only on the same computer, due
to the copy right protection. And here we come to a wee crux. You can't copy
the audio files to another device using the Windows Explorer. That is, you can,
but they won't play. You need to do it in the OverDrive Media Console using
ctrl.t for Transfer. The software then searches for portable media players
plugged into the computer. Only it doesn't recognise Rockbox as a media player.
I reckon this is because Rockbox replaces the original firmwhere and
consequently the device is not identified as a portable media player by the
OverDrive Media Console. For Rockbox users this means you can't listen on the
move.
Apart from this little set-back I'm quite happy with the program and the
download process. The OverDrive Media Console is accessible and has easy to
remember key strokes for play and pause, transfer and burn ETC. Once it is
installed you just click on "Listen, Read, Digital Books" and use the
categories on the website to locate a book you want and click on "Add to my
basket". You can then either click on "proceed to check-out" or on "Continue
browsing". If you proceed to check-out the books are listed in individual
tables with a button for download underneath each book. When clicking on
"Download" you first need to confirm the target folder. Then the OverDrive
Media Console opens and you need to select which parts of the book you want to
download. The parts are simply the individual audio files. You can tab down to
the "Check All" button and press enter, then tab further to OK.
Note that if you have checked out a book, it appears in the "My Loans"
section and the 3 weeks count-down begins, even if you haven't yet downloaded
it.
You can find detailed installation instructions for the OverDrive Media
Console at the following URL.
www.overdrive.com/software/omc/download.asp
The URL for the library website is:
www.SouthDublinLibraries.ie
For those of you from the outer regions who weren't at the Open Day, you
don't have to be from Dublin to join. You just need to obtain a library
membership number and a PIN. The trouble is I couldn't find an email address
for either of the 2 ladies who attended the Open Day. Can the committee help
there?
Cheers,
Robbie Sandberg
--
I am using the free version of SPAMfighter for private users.
It has removed 12233 spam emails to date.
Paying users do not have this message in their emails.
Get the free SPAMfighter here: http://www.spamfighter.com/len
Other related posts:
