Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library 175 North Beacon Street Watertown, MA 02472 www.PerkinsLibrary.org Library@Perkins.org 617.972.7363 fax 617.972.7240 phone This guide contains information about the Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library's new digital audio book download program, “Unabridged,” offered in cooperation with the talking book libraries in northern California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Texas. We are working with the Overdrive Company on this project. The content website at: http://unabridged.lib.overdrive.com is currently live and in operation. You will need a Library card and PIN number to check books out, which will be provided to you via an e-mail message. You will be able to download and check out up to five books at a time. The loan period for books is two weeks. When the book's due date is reached, the file will disappear from your computer automatically. You can play the book on your computer with the free Windows Media Player; you can transfer it to a hand-held portable device that plays protected Windows Media audio (WMA) files; or you can burn many of the books to CD for portable listening. Please read through the following instructions before downloading a book. This document is also available in large print or braille from the Perkins Library. Detailed instructions are also available under help on the website. If you prefer reading instructions from the website, there are special links with even more detailed guidance there. Once you get the required software downloaded, you will not have to do it again; and you will be able to go directly to the site and download books. Overview Digital books are the digital versions of print books, and include downloadable audio books for listening and E-Books for on-screen reading. Digital audio books can be used on a variety of devices such as PCs, laptops, and supported PDA or portable devices. Unabridged offers digital audio books through its Overdrive Media Console. To access this and related sites, you will need a valid library card and PIN number, which will be assigned to you; access to the internet; and free software for the device on which you wish to use your digital book. Please note that digital books can be enjoyed at home, at work, or when you travel. The following are the minimum hardware & software requirements for the Overdrive Media Console: • Operating System: Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition (SE), Millennium Edition (ME), Windows 2000, or Windows XP, Windows Vista (Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, or Ultimate Edition). (Overdrive downloadable audio books do not run on the Macintosh platform • Processor: A 233 megahertz (MHz) processor; either an Intel Pentium II or an equivalent Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) processor. • RAM (Random Access Memory): 256 Megabytes (MB) ROM (Hard Drive Space): 100 MB minimum • Sound Card: 16-bit mono minimum • Video: Super VGA at 800 X 600 minimum • World Wide Web (WWW) Browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 or later or a Mozilla/Firefox equivalent • Media Software: Overdrive Media Console version 2.1; Microsoft Windows Media Player version 10 is highly recommended) or equivalent media software Overdrive Media Console Version 2.1 OverDrive Media Console v2.1 has been released and is much easier and more convenient than previous versions for downloading through Unabridged -- provided to you as a subscriber through the Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library. You can continue to use the older version, but it is highly encouraged to install the new Overdrive Media Console v2.1. With this upgrade, you can enjoy some exciting new features, most notably the OverDrive Media Console Transfer Wizard. Please read below to learn more about new features available with this release. What's New with OverDrive Media Console v2.1 The most exciting feature of Overdrive Media Console v2.1 is the introduction of the OverDrive Media Console Transfer Wizard. With the Transfer Wizard, users can transfer OverDrive Media files to supported portable devices in just a few keystrokes or mouse clicks! The transfer is completed through the OverDrive Media Console interface, which means that users no longer need to launch Windows Media Player to complete this previously cumbersome process! Enjoying digital media anytime, anywhere just became much easier. When the Transfer Wizard locates a supported portable device, it displays a name that accurately and fully describes the device. This is especially useful for users that may have multiple devices connected to their PCs. OverDrive Media Console v2.1 can be easily installed over previous versions of OverDrive Media Console (no uninstall required). Your existing checked out Media will be maintained; allowing users to easily access their previously downloaded titles after the upgrade is complete. The Overdrive Media Console now has auto-prompt functionality, to alert users when new versions of OverDrive Media Console are released. Upon download of a new media file, a prompt will be displayed to users of OverDrive Media Console v2.0 and newer, notifying them of the availability of an updated version of the application. (Note that some time may elapse between the release of an OverDrive Media Console update and the prompting of the user to download the upgrade.) In response to input from users, Media Explorer has been updated to retain 2 settings: play speed and volume. If a speed-listener has set his/her play speed to 'Fast (1.4x)' and exited Media Console, play speed will remain set to 'Fast (1.4x)'] until the user changes it. Along these lines, if a user has set the volume to a certain level, this setting will be maintained until the user chooses to change it. These updates apply to listening with your computer. Directions for Downloading the Overdrive Media Console Upgrade Overdrive Media has established the link below so that users can access the install file much more easily. Simply copy/paste this link into your web browser’s address line or click on the link. http://www.overdrive.com/files/ODMediaConsoleSetup.msi After you enter the address, press enter. A dialogue box will open asking if you want to run the setup file or save it. It is up to you which open you choose. It only takes a few seconds for the software to download. Then go to the Desktop and click or press Enter on Overdrive Media Console. It will open and prompt you to delete any expired books in your account – you can choose Yes or No to this prompt. Downloading a book You can browse or search this site for digital books http://unabridged.lib.overdrive.com. When you locate a title of interest, simply add it to your “book bag” and check out the title. • You still select a title(s) and then Proceed to Checkout. You select Download and go through the regular download process for the book you have selected. • After you have downloaded your title, you can press Control T to launch the Transfer Wizard. It will locate your portable device and start the transfer process automatically. • A next Button will appear; press Enter. It will then indicate to wait while the Overdrive Media Console searches for a portable player. It will then ask to select parts or you can tab to Select All (press space bar to select); then tab onto the Next Button and press Enter. • The Overdrive Media Console will then indicate for you to wait while the selected parts are transferred to your portable player. You will receive a countdown (in percentage transferred) to provide you with progress. When complete, Overdrive Media Console will indicate to you how many parts were transferred, and it then prompts you to disconnect your portable player. Tab to the Finish Button and press Enter. Enjoy your reading. Keyboard Shortcut Commands for Overdrive Media Console KeyStroke Alternatives in the OverDrive Media Console Download Parts: Ctrl+D Play/pause: Ctrl+P Transfer/Burn: Ctrl+T Delete: Del Properties: Alt+Enter Help: F1 Exit: Alt+F4 KeyStroke Alternatives in the OverDrive Media Explorer Play/pause: Ctrl+P Stop: Ctrl+S Previous Part: Ctrl+Shift+Left Next Part: Ctrl+Shift+Right Previous MediaMarker™: Ctrl+Left Next MediaMarker: Ctrl+Right Mute/sound: F8 Volume Down: F9 Volume Up: F10 Play Speed Slow, 0.6 times normal: Ctrl+1 Play Speed Normal: Ctrl+2 Play Speed Fast, 1.4 times normal: Ctrl+3 Play Speed Faster, 2 times normal: Ctrl+4 Play Speed Fast Forward, 5 times normal: Ctrl+5 Skip Back 15 Seconds: Ctrl+Shift+B Resume from Furthest Played Point: Ctrl+Shift+F Add Bookmark: Ctrl+B Launch Windows Media Player: Ctrl+W Help: F1 Close Window: Esc FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) What is “my book bag”? When you come across an available title that you may want to check out, you can click “my book bag” to place the title in your personal “book bag”. Placing a title in your “book bag” is like placing it on temporary reserve. As long as the digital book is in your “book bag”, it will remain available for you to check out. Please note that the system will automatically remove a digital book from your “my book bag” sixty minutes after you have placed it there, making the title available to other patrons at your library. How many titles can I have in my “my book bag” at the same time? You can have up to five digital books checked out at any given time. Our system allows you to put up to five books in your “my book bag” at once. This policy enables you to treat your “my book bag” as a place to collect a subset of titles to consider before making your final checkout decision. If you have decided against checking out a particular title, you can click the “remove” link to pull it from your “my book bag.” Again, please note that the system will automatically remove a title from your “my book bag” sixty minutes after you have placed it there. Once sixty minutes has elapsed, the title will be automatically returned to the collection of available digital books, making it available to other patrons at your library. When I check out a digital book, for how many days do I get to keep it? Typically, the lending period for digital books is fourteen days. Can I return a digital book early? Overdrive audio books cannot be returned early. Once the lending period is over, what happens to the digital book I checked out? You do not need to return borrowed digital books. Once the lending period has elapsed, the title is automatically “returned” to the library. Although the digital book file will remain on your machine, it will no longer be readable. To delete an expired Overdrive audio book file, open Overdrive Media Console, locate the audio book you wish to delete in the “media library.” Single-click on the title to select it, then click the “delete” button. Once I have checked out a digital audio book, how do I download it? After the book has been checked out, in your browser, click on the “download” button, next to the cover image of the book. Overdrive Media Console opens and prompts for the folder to which the file should be downloaded. From the Overdrive Media Console prompt screen, specify a download location, (or leave the default file path) and click “ok.” The download part(s) dialog box is displayed. In the download part(s) dialog box, choose which part(s) you would like to download by placing a checkmark next to the desired part(s), and then click the “ok” button. If you wish to download the whole book, click on the “ok” button, or just tab to the “ok” button and press enter. Download progress is displayed for each part. When the download is complete, the title is ready for listening. How do I listen to my audio book? When the book has finished downloading, click the “play” button in the Overdrive Media Console, the Overdrive Media Explorer, and the file begins playing. If desired, you can click the “stop” button and navigate directly to a desired section of the audio book, using media markers. Each Overdrive audio book is divided into parts, and parts are then divided into logical sections (such as chapters). The beginning points of these logical sections are media markers, which are displayed as hyperlinks. When you click on a “part,” the media markers associated with that part are displayed in the right-hand portion of the “Overdrive Media Explorer” window. Click on a media marker to jump directly to, and begin playing, the desired section of the audio book. I am only interested in one of the chapters of the audio book I downloaded. Can I just play that chapter? You can navigate directly to a desired portion of an audio book using Overdrive media markers. Each overdrive audio book is divided into parts, and parts are then divided into logical sections (such as chapters). The beginning points of these logical sections are media markers, which are displayed as hyperlinks. To display media markers in Overdrive Media Console, click the “play” button. The “Overdrive Media Explorer” window is displayed, and the file begins playing. Click the “stop” button, and then click on the “part” associated with the desired chapter. The list of media markers associated with the part you have selected is displayed. Click on the desired media marker, and the audio book will begin to play at the point you have indicated. To which device can I transfer Windows Media files? The Perkins Library has found the MuVo Mix to be quite accessible. To verify that a portable player will play Overdrive and Windows Media audio files and is accessible, you can check the following links: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/devices/topdevicepicks.mspx and http://www.playsforsure.com/FindPortableDevices.aspx Alternatively, check your device documentation to determine if your device supports protected Windows Media content. Note if you are using a pocket PC, you need to have a memory card with sufficient space installed in order to transfer audio book files from your pc to your PDA or portable player. To transfer audio books to a handheld device or burn to a CD, go to: http://unabridged.lib.overdrive.com and locate associated help and transfer links.