New Features in Wisconsin's Digital Library (Overdrive)


Suspend a Hold
This feature allows users to temporarily suspend a hold.  The user's position will continue to advance in the queue while the hold is suspended, but the hold will not be filled.  After the suspension ends, the title will continue to advance until the hold becomes available.  If a user advances to the first position on the list while the hold is suspended, the system will skip ahead to fill the next hold.

Hold Auto-Checkout
Users can now set their preference to "auto-checkout" a hold when the title becomes available.  Users who select this option will receive a notification when their hold is available confirming that it has been checked out and can be found on their Account bookshelf.

If a user is unable to borrow the title at the time it becomes available (because they have already reached their maximum checkout limit, for example), they will be sent the hold notification email and will have the full hold pickup period to make their checkout.


 

Yahara Music Library celebrates Madison's dynamic music scene by creating an online library of local music to share with the community.

Created by Madison Public Library and Murfie, Inc., the Yahara Music Library offers a diverse collection of music that includes established musicians and up and coming artists who play everything from rock, hip hop, classical, and more. The Madison-based Murfie corporation is a modern take on the neighborhood record store. Murfie digitizes the CD collections of its customers and make those collections available for streaming, downloading, and selling in its online marketplace.

All South Central Library System library patrons can stream music from the Yahara Music Library using any web browser or download albums in multiple formats to a variety of devices. Patrons will need to enter their library card number to stream or download any of the music.

Patrons can discover Yahara content either in LINKcat or in the Yahara platform located at yaharamusic.org. An app for Android and Apple devices will be available in the future, but for now the website scales well for mobile devices. LINKcat provides a link that takes patrons directly to the item in the Yahara platform.

Digital formats available for download include:

• MP3
• AAC
• FLAC
• ALAC

MPL pays musicians a fee to license an album for 5 years, with the option to renew the license. Musicians can also sign a perpetual license with MPL, though most are not choosing to do so at this point.

Library cardholders have instant access to streaming video with a growing catalog of digital feature films, documentaries, educational, children’s favorites and more through Wisconsin's Digital Library.

Users may browse the video selection on the library’s website, borrow titles with a valid library card, and stream on most mobile and desktop devices.  All videos will automatically expire at the end of the lending period. There are no late fees!

New video, ebook, and audiobook titles are being purchased each month.  In addition to the statewide buying pool for Wisconsin’s Digital Library, libraries in South Central Library System (Adams, Columbia, Dane, Green, Portage, Sauk and Wood Counties) are purchasing additional titles through a program called OverDrive Advantage. These titles are only available to residents of these seven counties.

 

This new service, powered by OverDrive, is free for users with a library card.  The link for the new streaming video service is in the upper left-hand corner of the page under “Featured Collections.”  For information about using streaming video, go to http://tinyurl.com/pccktvy.

Sun Prairie Public Library patrons now have free access to Consumer Reports online, the website of Consumer Reports magazine. Smart shoppers can save money by checking consumer reviews, product rankings, and product comparisons for the best and most reliable products. The website provides searchable, full-text copies of the monthly Consumer Reports magazine. In addition, it also gives access to exclusive online-only reviews, videos, and other information for thousands of products. ConsumerReports.org can be accessed from the Databases tab at www.sunlib.org, both within the library and remotely by Sun Prairie cardholders.