Books on Demand Update: Bookshelf Mode

 

Books on Demand Update

Contributed by Mary Ramos, Assistant Director

BOOKS ON DEMAND:  BOOKSHELF MODE

We have talked before about the easiest way to use the new Books on Demand (BOD) cartridges by simply playing the books in the order they appear on the cartridge. As you know, BOD cartridges are customized cartridges downloaded according to the preferences and requests of each individual patron, so the easy way to listen to your books is to play them in the same sequence that they were downloaded. This only requires patrons to tap one button, the PLAY/STOP button, to advance from book to book.

Some patrons, however, would prefer to hear the titles of the books on the cartridge before they begin to read and want the opportunity to jump to different books on the cartridge rather than necessarily playing them in order. This can be done by entering the player’s Bookshelf mode. Although using Bookshelf mode is not quite as simple as the easy method of listening to books, it is not at all difficult. In addition to the PLAY/STOP button, patrons will also use the REWIND and FAST FORWARD buttons. All the buttons mentioned in the following instructions to Bookshelf mode are located on the face of the book player.

1. If you wish to review all the titles on the cartridge before reading, you may opt to use the player’s Bookshelf mode. To move to a different book on the cartridge, press and hold the PLAY/STOP button until you hear “Bookshelf” and release the button. (The green, rectangular PLAY/STOP button is located in the front and middle of the player, closest to the cartridge slot. It is the largest and most conveniently placed button on the player.) Once you hear “Bookshelf,” you will have entered Bookshelf mode. You will hear how many books you have and your current position.
2. To move to the next book, tap the FAST FORWARD button once (this is the white arrow button to the right of the PLAY/STOP button). Do not hold the button down. To move to a previous book, tap the REWIND button once (this is the white arrow button to the left of the PLAY/STOP button). Again, do not hold the button down. Continue tapping forward or backward until you find the book you wish to read.
3. When you hear the title of the book you want to read, tap the PLAY/STOP button once to begin playing that book.
4. Once you reach the end of a book, you will hear: “End of book. Press PLAY/STOP to go to the next book.”
5. When you remove the cartridge to stop reading for a while, your player will remember your reading position. When you return, you may continue listening to the same book or enter the Bookshelf mode by following the steps above to choose a new book to read from your cartridge.

To recap, the easiest way to listen to your BOD multi-book cartridge is to simply play the books in the order they appear on the cartridge. At the end of each book, you will hear: “End of book. Press PLAY/STOP to go to the next book.” Again, the green, rectangular PLAY/STOP button is located in the front and middle of the player, closest to the cartridge slot. Tap the PLAY/STOP button once and the player will proceed to the next book on the cartridge. If you wish, you may also use the REWIND and FAST FORWARD buttons (white arrow buttons to the left and right of the PLAY/STOP button) to move to other books on the cartridge; however, you may miss out on some very good books!

And if you want to hear the book titles before you begin to read, then enter Bookshelf mode. Try using Bookshelf mode for yourself. It is not hard to do. Again, it is not necessary to use Bookshelf mode to read your books, but it is a nice option.

There is nothing more to it than that. We hope you enjoy your new customized multi-book cartridges through Books on Demand!

Books On Demand Update: Updating Your Player

 

Books on Demand Update

Books on Demand Update

Contributed by Mary Ramos, Assistant Director

UPDATING YOUR DIGITAL BOOK PLAYER

Many of our Maryland LBPD patrons are now beginning to see their audiobooks delivered through Books on Demand (BOD). Books on Demand, as you know, is LBPD’s new circulation system where we create customized, multi-book cartridges that are downloaded according to the preferences and requests of individual patrons. We will soon discontinue sending out cartridges that play only one book.

While patrons seem to be pleased with their BOD multi-book cartridges, there are some things you need to know to help you successfully use your first cartridge. The first time you insert a BOD cartridge into your book player, the player will most likely need to perform an update to its software. This will not occur for all of our patrons, but for the vast majority of our patrons, the software update will be necessary.

While updating your player’s software may sound intimidating, it really isn’t. Will you need any technical expertise to complete the update? No. Do you need to be familiar with any technical terms to complete the update? No. Will you need to press any buttons to complete the update? No. In essence, you do not need to have any special skills whatsoever to successfully complete the player’s software update. The update will simply begin when you insert a BOD cartridge for the first time and will continue to run until it is finished.

So how will you know that the update is running? The book player will beep throughout the update process. This process usually takes about ten minutes to complete. All you need to do is be patient to allow the software update to run its full course. It is very important that you do not remove the cartridge while the software is updating. It is also very important that you do not press any buttons while the software is updating. Just be patient. Once the software update is complete, the first book on your BOD cartridge will begin to play.

That’s all there is to it. We hope you enjoy your new customized multi-book cartridges through Books on Demand!

Books on Demand Update

Contributed by Mary Ramos, Assistant Director

CURRENT PATRONS NOW TRANSITIONING TO BOOKS ON DEMAND

March is here, and Spring is just around the corner. At the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Print Disabled (LBPD), we are excited about this time of renewal and change. LBPD’s most significant new endeavor is our switch to a new circulation system called Books on Demand (BOD). Many of our patrons are already enjoying customized BOD multi-book cartridges for their audiobooks and digital braille books.

This month, we will be transitioning many of our patrons to multi-book cartridges through Books on Demand. We will not be able to individually inform patrons beforehand, so you may be surprised to receive a new BOD multi-book cartridge instead of the singular book cartridges you currently use. If you receive a BOD cartridge this month, consider yourself lucky! You will now join the ranks of patrons who no longer have to wait for the books they want to become available or be resigned to reading series books out of order. Those problems will be a thing of the past.

You may have some questions about the Books on Demand circulation system. Here, we will try to answer some of the most frequently asked questions.

Why are we making this switch?

All network libraries of the National Library Service (NLS) are transitioning to this new model of service. Soon, NLS will discontinue distributing individual books for us to circulate to our patrons. All circulation will be performed through customized cartridges downloaded according to the preferences and requests of each individual patron.

What is the benefit to me?

Patrons will no longer have to wait for physical copies of books to become available at the Library. If the book has been recorded, we can download it for our patrons.
If they wish, patrons may receive all the books in a series on a single cartridge (unless it is a very long series).

Do I need any special equipment?

No. Patrons will use the same book player they currently have. It will probably need a software update, though. You do not need any special computer skills to complete the update. It only requires two things that patrons already know how to do:

1. Insert a BOD cartridge into the player. BOD multi-book cartridges look and feel exactly the same as the cartridges you usually play.
2. Be patient, as the update may take close to 10 minutes. The player will beep continuously while it is updating and will begin to play the first book once the update is complete. Patrons need to be patient and allow the update to run its course. You should not remove the cartridge or press any button on the player while the update is in progress. That is all you need to do to prepare your player to read BOD multi-book cartridges.

How will I read my books?

The easiest way to listen to your BOD multi-book cartridge is to simply play the books in the order they appear on the cartridge. At the end of each book, you will hear: “End of book. Press PLAY/STOP to go to the next book.” The green, rectangular PLAY/STOP button is located in the front and middle of the player, closest to the cartridge slot. It is the largest and most conveniently placed button on the player. Tap the PLAY/STOP button once and the player will proceed to the next book on the cartridge.

It really is that simple. We hope you enjoy your new customized multi-book cartridges through Books on Demand!

 

Books on Demand Update

Contributed by Mary Ramos, Assistant Director

CUSTOMIZED CARTRIDGES ARE COMING SOON!

So what are customized cartridges? A customized cartridge is a digital book cartridge containing multiple books made especially for a specific patron. Imagine not having to wait until a copy of a book you wish to read becomes available at the Library. And wouldn’t it be lovely to read a series of books … in order! Each customized cartridge is downloaded based on a patron’s individual book requests and preferences.

Over the next year and a half, the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Print Disabled (LBPD) will gradually be moving all patrons to a new circulation system called Books on Demand (BOD). With Books on Demand, all of our patrons will receive customized, multi-book cartridges. We are very excited about this upcoming change as it means that we will be better able to serve our patrons with the books they want to read.

As the National Library Service (NLS) continues to look for new and improved ways of providing library service, all network libraries across the country will be converting to this new circulation system. The Maryland LBPD is currently conducting a patron pilot with close to 50 patrons to test and fine-tune our processes for downloading and circulating books through Books on Demand. The good news is that our patrons seem to be delighted with their customized cartridges. We think you will be, too!

If you wish to be among the first of our patrons to change to Books on Demand after our pilot project has concluded, please send an email to reference.desk@maryland.gov.