by Jessamyn West
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Overdrive and audiobooks and the pervasive ipod
Posted in 'puters | Friday, August 17th, 2007 |
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New Orleans Public Library is offering audiobooks for
their patrons via Overdrive which I read on Shannon's
blog and also on the NOLA blog. New Hamp****re public
libraries also offer downloadable audiobooks via
Overdrive. Well, they're downloadable to anything but
an iPod, the most popular make and model of MP3 player.
This is because, generally speaking, iPods don't play
DRM-ed Windows Media files which are the types of files
Overdrive makes available. Overdrive makes audiobooks
available in this file format because you can program
things like "expiration date" into the digital rights
management of the file. This allows Overdrive to sell
"checkoutable" books to libraries. Some libraries in
Vermont are considering going with Overdrive also. I
personally think that this is great. However, I also
think that it's just part of what we should be doing to
bring digital content and digital content awareness to
patrons.
Every time a patron checks out a book via Overdrive,
you as the library have an educational op****tunity. You
can say "Here is this service we are providing you. Yes
it won't work on an/your iPod. Yes there are other ways
to get audiobooks for your iPod and some of them are
even free. We have provided links to other ways to get
audiobooks on our website right next to the Overdrive
link." What do we usually say? Well if my anecdotal
experience is any indication -- take with a grain of
salt of course -- we say "Yes you can check out an
audiobook via Overdrive. No it won't work on your iPod.
This is the fault of [insert suspected faultmaker --
whether it's Steve Jobs or Bill Gates or Overdrive]."
and then the story ends there. We can do better.
If you're using Overdrive -- and good on them for
getting to the market first with digital content that
provides library patrons with the Real Library
Experience -- why don't you also consider encouraging
and assisting patrons with finding free audiobooks as
well? It's sort of a weird thing to do since both types
of books are "free" as far as the patrons are
concerned, but one type is free for everyone and one
type is paid for, actually subscribed to, by the
library. There's another whole post sometime down the
road about whether it's our business as libraries to
help the patrons save us money, but for now, please
enjoy these providers of quality FREE audiobook
content. Librivox for public domain books, the classic
poetry podcast , podiobooks for serialized scifi, and
many more listed on this page at Openculture.
related
* my first audiobook - a day in the life
* audiobooks for visually imparied people, free and
online
* audiobooks OPACs and interface design
* on reading: books v audio books
* Jenny uses her librarian superpowers for good
13 Responses to "Overdrive and audiobooks and the pervasive
ipod"
1. Julie Bauer Says:
August 17th, 2007 at 9:02
Jessamyn, this is something I literally never
thought of, and I'm supposed to be the electronic
resources/popular culture/whatever librarian. We
have OverDrive and NetLibrary, and I'm working on
screencasts to show patrons how to download both
eBooks and eAudio (well, I will be working on it
when we jump all the bureaucracy hurdles to buy the
software), which of course are totally different on
the two platforms. I planned to have "sorry no
iPods" information, but now I think I'll add a link
to Openculture as well. Thanks so much!
2. Kim Leeder Says:
August 17th, 2007 at 9:25
I've been following the whole e-audiobooks movement
pretty closely, and most libraries pair their
NetLibrary/Overdrive subscription with circulating
non-iPod mp3 players. So not only can we say yes,
there are other free e-audiobook services out there
that work with iPods (as well as a terrific paid
service, Audible.com), but we can lend you an mp3
player that *will* work with our service. Now
there's a solid response. Oh, and to your links for
free sources, you can add: Project Gutenberg and
FreeAudio.org.
3. Leslie McDonough Says:
August 17th, 2007 at 9:31
Our library web site has a page of alternatives to
Overdrive (which is offered by our statewide public
library consortium), for the reasons you mention in
your post. I have had some upset ipod users, and am
hoping listing a bunch of alternative links will
help them out.
4. Dawn Loomis Says:
August 17th, 2007 at 9:36
Most of our patrons find our Overdrive collection
by searching our OPAC, and linking directly to the
Overdrive page for that material. I agree with
offering alternatives, but if we can't add those
books/digital audio to our OPAC, I don't see an
advantage to our patrons. Has anyone checked these
other sites for permission to do just that?
5. Edward Vielmetti Says:
August 17th, 2007 at 10:04
Jessamyn - one more source for free audio is
Assistive Media, which produces short format works
(fiction and non-fiction, mostly from magazines)
for the visually impaired. The collection includes
works from The New Yorker, Harpers, and a wide
range of others. Good stuff.
6. Terry Says:
August 17th, 2007 at 12:18
I just attended an Overdrive presentation and the
CEO said that most of their audiobooks can be
burned to CD and then brought over to an iPod. He
showed us their interface which made burning CDs
really easy. Was he misrepresenting the product or
are there a few more steps involved?
7. jessamyn Says:
August 17th, 2007 at 12:42
Terry, that is a really good question. To the best
of my knowledge that's correct. In fact the fairly
standard way of getting around any DRM system is to
burn the music to CD and then reim****t it to your
computer. This works for iTunes Music Store files
since what you're technically doing is converting
the file from an AAC file to an AIFF file and back
again.
More in****tantly, however, is whether overdrive's
licensing agreement with the library allows this
sort of burning/im****ting. Since it would seem to
be a revenue loss for Overdrive, I'd be surprised
if it was allowed, but if you think that's what the
CEO is saying, I'd be curious to see libraries try
it. This is something we can already do for books
on CD, but I don't see a lot of libraries doing
that either. It becomes a tricky issue: when you
can no longer circulate an item but instead just
give it away what does that do to the library
lending model. Thanks everyone for your comments so
far.
8. Jake Says:
August 17th, 2007 at 1:01
Re: Terry - from the Overdrive website, burning to
CD requires that the publisher has allowed the
audiobook to be burned. I would've been VERY
surprised if it was otherwise.
Jessamyn, as a patron I think this is a very
constructive response to Overdrive. I'm very
anti-DRM and Overdrive bugs me, but if DRM has a
place it's in the library. I think the logic of
using DRM in this situation depends on how many
times patrons listen to audiobooks in a given time
period. If most folks only listen once, then
there's little risk in distributing them as mp3s
via a limited-access site (by domain or library
card #). This is the model used by many scientific
journals, though there are valid criticisms (cost)
there too. I wish that library systems would
negotiate with publishers to create services they
think are optimal, rather than snapping up the DRM
services.
If people listen more than once then it's in
publishers' interests to DRM library files to, as
you said, provide the library experience. Of
course, devoted buccaneers will either cir***vent
the DRM or dub through the analog hole, and OD does
nothing to stop CD ripping. Perhaps the publishers
hope that OD will reduce or replace physical media
- what do you think? Also, I wonder about the
cost/benefit of libraries providing music players,
and whether is might make more sense to just get
the CDs...
However, from a rhetorical perspective OD is great:
an in-your-face example of what DRM is and why it
sucks.
9. Greg Says:
August 17th, 2007 at 1:04
We set up a Google custom search to help patrons
find free audiobooks:
http://www.lfpl.org/Databases/downloadableaudiobook
s.htm
10. Terry Says:
August 17th, 2007 at 2:23
@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Jake - I checked my handouts and couldn't find
any numbers, but my notes mention that the CEO said
that many publishers were allowing burning. He also
said that he had much less success with Overdrive's
music and movie suppliers.
@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Jessamyn - We were impressed enough that we'll be
going with Overdrive next year. I can re****t more
then. I will say that the choice was made based on
price, selection, and ease of use and without DRM
consideration. It also helps that we can integrate
it with our catalog.
11. Kevin Says:
August 17th, 2007 at 2:25
I'm a very satisfied patron of the Capital Area
District Library in Lansing, Michigan. They provide
me access to audio books through OverDrive and
NetLibrary. They've also recently added eVideos
from OverDrive.
Regarding OverDrive allowing CD burning, the local
FAQ states:
"The publisher of each title decides whether or not
to allow the title to be burned to CD; this
decision is at the publisher's discretion. Many
publishers enable this functionality while others
choose not to permit this use of their content."
As I quickly browse the new audiobook selection I
would guess about 25% allow CD burning (the icon is
very visible for each record.)
I really like the service and bought my mp3 player
specifically to listen to these audio books.
12. dsaklad@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Says:
August 18th, 2007 at 4:52
Send a letter to the Boston Public Library
http://www.fsf.org/news/letter-to-the-bpl/view
* Send this page to somebody
* Print this page
"I therefore urge the Boston Public Library to
terminate its association with OverDrive Audio
Books, and adopt a policy of refusing to be agents
for the propagation of Digital Restrictions
Management."
Richard Stallman sent a letter to the Boston Public
Library (BPL) asking them to abandon the system
they currently use to distribute audio books, since
this format requires the use of proprietary
software. It is illegal in the US to release free
software capable of reading these audio books
because of the Digital Restrictions Management
(DRM) measures that are being imposed.
You can help by sending your own letter to the BPL
(gref at bpl dot org) and by examining the policies
of your own local library. We would be glad to see
CCs of any letters you send at , and to hear about
any similar policies in place at libraries other
than the BPL.
Please keep an eye on our DRM campaign area for
future updates about this and other related issues.
http://www.fsf.org/news/letter-to-the-bpl/view
Letter to the Boston Public Library
http://www.fsf.org/campaigns/bpl.html
* Send this page to somebody
* Print this page
To the Management of the Boston Public Library,
Don Saklad forwarded me your message which re****ts
that OverDrive Audio Books use "copyright
protection technology" made by Microsoft.
The technology in question is an example of Digital
Restrictions Management (DRM)-technology designed
to restrict the public. Describing it as "copyright
protection" puts a favorable spin on a mechanism
intended to deny the public the exercise of those
rights which copyright law has not yet denied them.
The use of that format for distributing books is
not a fact of nature; it is a choice. When a choice
leads to bad consequences, it ought to be changed,
and that is the case here. I respectfully submit
that the Boston Public Library has a responsibility
to refuse to distribute anything in this format,
even if it seems "convenient" to some in the short
term.
By making the choice to use this format, the Boston
Public Library gives additional power to a
cor****ation already twice convicted of unfair
competition.
This choice excludes more than just Macintosh
users. The users of the GNU/Linux system, an
operating system made up of free/libre software,
are excluded as well. Since these audiobooks are
locked up with Digital Restrictions Management
(DRM), it is illegal in the US to release
free/libre software capable of reading these
audiobooks. Apple may make some sort of arrangement
to include capable software in MacOS (which is,
itself, non-free software for which users cannot
get source code). But we in the free software
community will never be allowed to provide software
to play them, unless laws are changed.
There is another, deeper issue at stake here. The
tendency of digitalization is to convert public
libraries into retail stores for vendors of digital
works. The choice to distribute information in a
secret format-information designed to eva****ate and
become unreadable-is the antithesis of the spirit
of the public library. Libraries which participate
in this have lost their hearts.
I therefore urge the Boston Public Library to
terminate its association with OverDrive Audio
Books, and adopt a policy of refusing to be agents
for the propagation of Digital Restrictions
Management.
Sincerely
Richard Stallman
President, Free Software Foundation
MacArthur Fellow
http://www.fsf.org/campaigns/bpl.html
13. dsaklad@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Says:
August 18th, 2007 at 4:57
We would be glad to see CCs of any letters you send
at campaigns@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
and to hear about any similar
policies in place at libraries other than the BPL.
Please keep an eye on our DRM campaign area for
future updates about this and other related issues.
Digital Restrictions Management and Treacherous
Computing
http://www.fsf.org/campaigns/drm.html
* Send this page to somebody
* Print this page
DRM is often written as "Digital Rights
Management", but this is misleading, since it
refers to systems that are designed to take away
and limit your rights. So, we suggest you use the
term "Digital Restrictions Management" instead. We
also suggest "Treacherous Computing" as a
replacement for the misleading "Trusted Computing".
* DefectiveByDesign.org, FSF campaign to eliminate
DRM
* Opposing Digital Rights Mismanagement, an
interview of Richard Stallman by BusinessWeek
Online about DRM
* Boycott Blu-Ray
* Reaction to the DRM clause in GPLv3, blog entry
by David "novalis" Turner
* Free software without the freedom?, blog entry by
John Sullivan about DRM
* A letter to the Boston Public Library from
Richard Stallman condemning their use of DRM for
public library audio books. You can help by sending
your own letter to gref at bpl dot org, and by
finding out if something similar is going on at
your own local library. Please let us know if there
is, and CC us on any letters you send at .
Other sites of interest
Trusted Computing: An Animated Short Story
by Benjamin Stephen and Lutz Vogel
www.no1984.org
An Italian community against Treacherous Computing
Recent history
* 4565 people signed this pledge to refuse music
CDs that use DRM. The pledge ended 2006 February
06.
http://www.fsf.org/campaigns/drm.html
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http://www.librarian.net/stax/2117/overdrive-and-audiobooks-and-the-pervasive-ipod/
by Jessamyn West
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