This is a very exciting idea on many levels. Libraries across the United States have begun a program that will allow members to access as many as 850 titles of audio books via the Internet. In a DRM solution that even a CD Freak can love, the system uses a time out feature so that when the due date comes up, the download ceases to work and opens a spot for another user. There are no late fees and if you have not finished the book, then you can even "renew" over the net for another period.
Not only is this economical for the libraries, it makes the works available to anyone with an Internet connection. This has to be a plus for anyone that simply can't make it to the library for one reason or another. Not only that, it is a great use of the net in order to save energy by not driving to pick up or return a book. The only snafu I can see is the same one we always see with so many different DRM solutions- someone gets left out. In this case it's the iPod which is a shame as they have the major portion of the market in the US. Oh, well.
| A patron with a valid library card visits a library Web site to borrow a title for, say, three weeks. When the audiobook is due, the patron must renew it or find it automatically "returned" in a virtual sense: The file still sits on the patron's computer, but encryption makes it unplayable beyond the borrowing period.
"The patron doesn't have to do anything after the lending period," said Steve Potash, chief executive of OverDrive. "The file expires. It checks itself back into the collection. There's no parts to lose. It's never damaged. It can never be late." Potash said about 1,000 libraries have signed up for OverDrive's audiobook service since its debut late last year. NetLibrary, teaming up with Recorded Books, launched a similar service in January and counts 200 library customers. Libraries offering audiobook downloads range from large institutions in New York and Los Angeles to smaller ones for Cleveland, Ohio, Maricopa County, Ariz., North Little Rock, Ark. and Omaha, Neb. The Hawaii State Public Library System signed up earlier this month. Guilderland pays NetLibrary about $6,000 a year for more than 850 titles. Randall considers that a good deal, noting that a single audiobook can cost the library up to $80 when bought on CD. |
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Source: AP News My Way
