Disco Tech-Activity 3: 3M Cloud

Okay. I think it is easier to download 3M Cloud books, because you find a title and basically you click on it and it downloads. With Overdrive you have to select the format (now of course if you are a Kindle reader user than this is the one you are going to use since you can't use 3M Cloud so in that case it's okay that there is a choice of formats.). You also have to go from the library's webpage with the e-book catalog back to 3M Overdrive to download the books fully. I did discover from doing all of this that there is a way to avoid some of the frustration (minor though it may be ) I've had with Overdrive and getting settings to come up..I'd try tapping at the top or bottom of the page in the book and most of the time I'd ended up paging forwards or backwards and what I really wanted to do was be able to go to settings so, most of the time, I could get out of the book I was reading to return it (this seems easier in 3MCloud). This time I went to the help section of Overdrive in the app and I discovered that if I tap and hold down on the image of the book cover it does bring up 3 small icons with options like delete, return, and share..which is great!

I think it is nice to have both platforms because, although there is some overlap, you do end up with more selection. I think in some ways I like 3M better because it seems like often there are more books not checked out and it seems somewhat easier to use.

I wish our library catalog looked as appealing as the 3M Cloud Library kiosk that we have at Central and Arlington and Hayden Heights...but that's a side matter...

Activity 2:Overdrive

I looked at Overdrive in my browser which is something I haven't really done before.

I chose the book "Engaged to Murder" and found it used the word "library" 13 times. I had trouble with highlighting until I re-read the directions and saw that is says "click" and "hold down" to highlight. Once I tried holding down instead of just clicking..it worked much better.

1. Write about your experience with e-books. Are you an absolute beginner? Do you encounter customers confused by the various formats? Do you have any e-book success stories?

I am not an absolute beginner. I do have apps on our family ipad and I have had success downloading/reading books and mostly I can help people. Sometimes it is tricky to figure out why something isn't working for them, especially when talking over the phone and/or because customers don't always supply you with all the info that is needed, mostly because they don't remember and/or all the details don't seem important.

2. Follow the steps above to either check out a book and open using OverDrive Read or to download an e-book to a mobile device (if you don’t have your own, each library should have an iPad, a Kindle, and a Nook that you can borrow and/or work on with co-workers). Write about the process — what was easy? What was difficult?
I guess the higlighting part for me was tricky until I re-read the instructions. Sometimes one of the readers..I think maybe it is Overdrive, is hard to get the book to close and get back to the beginning..at least this is hard on the Ipad..but other than that I haven't had too many problems. Sometimes it is tricky to diagnose the problems that other are having and as I said, especially over the phone and especially if they aren't so tech savy too...but I am trying to keep learning.

Activity 1: DiscoTech 2.0:

What am I looking forward to: I think it would be to expand my knowledge and to feel and be competent and helpful when working with customers, staff, etc.