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NetLibrary eAudiobooks : Support, training and documentation : Frequently asked questions for library staff

eAudiobooks frequently asked questions for library staff

General FAQ
Jump to: Account setup and billing | Promoting the service | Using the service | MARC records | Remote user authentication | Technical assistance

Subscription Program FAQ
Jump to: Account setup and billing | Using the service | New titles

Purchase Program FAQ
Jump to: Integration of the new titles | Downloading eAudiobooks | Checkout periods and renewing titles | Miscellaneous

General

Account setup and billing

  1. Do I need to provide additional information? Where do I send it?
  2. When will I have access to my new eAudiobooks?

Promoting the service

  1. How do I direct users to my library's eAudiobook collection?
  2. Where can I get promotional materials?

Using the service

  1. How do I get access to the service?
  2. Can users download eAudiobooks to public computers in my library?

MARC records

  1. How do I get MARC records?
  2. What are some unique MARC fields I'll find in a NetLibrary eContent bibliographic record?
  3. Will OCLC MARC records overlay existing bibliographic records in our local system for the same titles in CD or cassette version? How can we protect our local fields?

Remote user authentication

  1. How do I authenticate remote users?

Technical assistance

  1. Whom do I contact for answers to technical questions?

Do I need to provide additional information? Where do I send it?
If you haven't already, you'll need to complete the Account Setup Form or verify your current NetLibrary account information. We'll need information such as primary contact, MARC record contact, OCLC Symbol and Holdings Code (for MARC record delivery), logos for your library's custom-branded NetLibrary site, and authentication information. Your OCLC representative will provide these forms for you to complete. Once they're completed, simply return them to your representative at OCLC.

When will I have access to my new eAudiobooks?
Your eAudiobooks will be available within 48 hours of OCLC's receipt of your signed license agreement and verified account information.

How do I direct users to my library's eAudiobook collection?
Once your library's eAudiobooks service has been turned on, you can direct users to the NetLibrary site to begin using eAudiobooks. You may want to provide links from your library's Web site to the NetLibrary site.

Where can I get promotional materials?
Marketing materials to promote your NetLibrary eAudiobook collection are available for free. Visit the OCLC Web site for access to a variety of promotional materials including poster add-ons, bookmarks, ad slicks and Web banners.  You also may download a Quick Start Guide and a Going Portable Guide to print and distribute to your users.

You also can receive material in print by ordering a NetLibrary Marketing Kit from OCLC, which includes: a 2' × 3' poster, two (2) 11" × 17" posters, fifty (50) bookmarks and fifty (50) Quick Start Guides per library branch. To order, please go to the OCLC Online Service Center.

How do I get access to the service?
Go to your NetLibrary access page and you can search, checkout and download eAudiobooks.

Can users download eAudiobooks to public computers in my library?
Although the NetLibrary system won't prevent users from downloading eAudiobooks to public computers in your library, a message on the eAudiobooks download page advises users not to do so. To prevent eAudiobooks from being downloaded to a public computer in your library, you'll need to install third-party security software.

The eAudiobooks service is designed to be used outside the library; for example, from home, work, or school, partly because libraries do not want to perform maintenance tasks related to downloading. Also, if a user downloads and opens an eAudiobook file on a library computer, then the license to listen to that file is tied to that computer. The user would need to use that computer to transfer the file to a portable device and would not be able to download and listen to the eAudiobook on her home computer.

A library may choose to allow users to download eAudiobooks to USB drives (also known as jump or flash drives) in the library. In this scenario, a user downloads a file to her jump drive and does not open the file on the library's computer. The first time the user tries to open the file from her jump drive on her own Internet-connected computer, she would be prompted to log in to the NetLibrary site and acquire a license to listen to the file. After acquiring the license, she would be able to listen to the eAudiobook or transfer the file to a portable device.

How do I get MARC records?
At your request, OCLC will supply complete MARC records for all titles in your eAudiobook order. Within five to ten days of your order being processed, the person listed as your MARC record contact will receive information on how to retrieve your MARC records. Records contain the standard bibliographic information for eAudiobooks including narrator, duration, format and file size.

What are some unique MARC fields I'll find in a NetLibrary eContent bibliographic record?
For eAudiobooks, the fixed field displays the Type of Record as an "i" (Recording: Nonmusical sound recording).

The 001 field contains a unique control number OCLC assigns to each bibliographic record input into WorldCat.

The 020 field (ISBN field *International Standard Book Number) will display [electronic bk.] or [electronic audio bk.] after the ISBN.

The 245 field (Title Statement) subfield h (Medium) will display [electronic resource].

The 655 field (Index Term-Genre/Form) will display Electronic books or Downloadable audio books.

The 856 field (Electronic Location and Access) will include the NetLibrary title's URL with the eContent's Product ID in it, and a subfield "z" (Public note): An electronic book accessible through the World Wide Web; click for information or A downloadable audio book accessible through the World Wide Web; click for information.

Will OCLC MARC records overlay existing bibliographic records in our local system for the same titles in CD or cassette version? How can we protect our local fields?
Overlaying depends on the match point defined in your local system. Some local systems use only the ISBN as the match point. OCLC recommends you use the OCLC Control Number as your match point, not the ISBN. OCLC assigns a unique number to each bibliographic record input into WorldCat. The OCLC Control Number can be found in the MARC field 001.

To determine how to protect your local fields, contact your local system vendor.

How do I authenticate remote users?
OCLC's NetLibrary platform can authenticate remote users in three ways: (1) secure Referring URL, (2) Proxy Server or (3) NetLibrary Remote Authentication Server.  Most libraries use a combination of methods to provide access from inside and outside the library. Please refer to our Authentication Options Web page for further information.

Whom do I contact for answers to technical questions?
For eAudiobook Subscription Program titles, you can get answers to many of your questions at Using the NetLibrary/Recorded Books Site. For eAudiobook Purchase Program titles, you can get answers to many of your questions at the Support page.

You can also e-mail support@oclc.org or call 1-800-848-5800. If you have an OCLC regional service provider, you may contact them as well.

Subscription Program

Account setup and billing

  1. When will I be billed for my subscription?

Using the service

  1. Are usage limits standard across all libraries?

New titles

  1. When will new titles be added to my library's collection?

When will I be billed for my subscription?
A bill will be generated on the first business day of the month following the month in which your order was processed. Your subscription will start from the first business day of that month, as well. For example, if you get access to your eAudiobooks on June 15th, your subscription and billing will both begin July 1st.

Are usage limits standard across all libraries?
Usage limits are standard across all libraries and users in the eAudiobooks subscription model. Libraries subscribing to eAudiobooks from NetLibrary and Recorded books all have the same checkout period (21 days), the same number of renewals (one per title), and the same user checkout limit (ten per user). These limits are standardized because this is a subscription service with no title ownership and defined pricing and access levels for all libraries.

When will new titles be added to my library's collection?
Approximately 30 new titles will be added to your subscription each month. These titles will be added to your collection throughout the month and will automatically be available to your new account. The MARC record contact at your library will be notified each month when the MARC records are available for these new titles.

Purchase Program

Integration of the new titles

  1. I currently subscribe to eAudiobook titles through the NetLibrary eAudiobook Subscription Program featuring Recorded Books. If I order titles from NetLibrary's eAudiobook Purchase Program, will the titles from both programs be viewable and accessible in my library's collection?  For example, if browsing eAudiobooks by subject, will I see all the titles?
  2. From a user's perspective, will there be any differences between how the two eAudiobook Programs are presented?
  3. Will all of the same features be available for both eAudiobook Programs? For example, will they both have the preview feature? Two download speeds?
  4. Will a "reservation" system be available to users who are interested in a title already in use?

Downloading eAudiobooks

  1. Is it possible for a user to determine if an eAudiobook title is available for download before starting the download process?
  2. Will we be able to recheck-in an eAudiobook title should a user have problems with a download?
  3. Can titles acquired through the eAudiobooks Purchase Program be transferred to additional devices?

Checkout periods and renewing titles

  1. How do checkout times work?
  2. Do the Purchase Program eAudiobooks expire on the desktop in the same way as Subscription Program eAudiobooks? If so—and if a user's license needs to be renewed—is the user given preference to others waiting for the title?
  3. How many titles can a user check out at the same time?
  4. Does this limit apply to both eAudiobooks Subscription and Purchase Program titles or are the limits separate?
  5. Are renewals allowed?

Miscellaneous

  1. Will extra copies be available for automatic purchase on demand?
  2. Will these titles be integrated into the eAudiobook Center with my Recorded Books titles?
  3. What types of usage reports will be available?
  4. Can profiles be built in TitleDirect?
  5. Can existing TitleDirect profiles be updated to add or remove titles acquired through the eAudiobook Purchase Program?
  6. Can TitleSelect orders be submitted for both eBook and eAudiobook purchase titles?
  7. Will existing profiles in TitleDirect be updated automatically to include or exclude titles acquired through the eAudiobooks Purchase Program?
  8. Is there only one simultaneous user access per copy?
  9. If my library wants to purchase additional simultaneous users of a title, what is the cost?
  10. Will holdings automatically be set in WorldCat?

I currently subscribe to eAudiobook titles through the NetLibrary eAudiobook Subscription Program featuring Recorded Books. If I order titles from NetLibrary's eAudiobook Purchase Program, will the titles from both programs be viewable and accessible in my library's collection?  For example, if browsing eAudiobooks by subject, will I see all the titles?
Yes, both Purchase and Subscription eAudiobook titles will be fully integrated. Therefore, a user browsing eAudiobook titles on NetLibrary's Web site will be able to view all of the titles together. However, in the Recorded Books co-branded site, the subscription titles and purchase titles are separated and will not be integrated into the site.

From a user's perspective, will there be any differences between how the two eAudiobook Programs are presented?
No, search and download functionality for all eAudiobook titles will be the same.

Will all of the same features be available for both eAudiobook Programs? For example, will they both have the preview feature? Two download speeds?
The titles that are available through the two different eAudiobook Programs (subscription and purchase) will have the same features and there will be no visible differences to the library user.

Will a "reservation" system be available to users who are interested in a title already in use?
We offer e-mail notification of availability for eAudiobooks that functions identically to that for eBooks. However, we do not offer a reservation system at this time.

Is it possible for a user to determine if an eAudiobook title is available for download before starting the download process?
The user will be notified before downloading whether or not the title is available.

Will we be able to recheck-in an eAudiobook title should a user have problems with a download?
Although check-in functionality is not available, if a user experiences problems during downloading he or she may download multiple times to ensure success.

Can titles acquired through the eAudiobooks Purchase Program be transferred to additional devices?
The download options for all NetLibrary eAudiobook titles work the same. Check the list of tested/compatible audio players for compatibility information on your available players. For more information on transferring eAudiobooks to a portable device, download the Going Portable quick-start guide.

How do checkout times work?
The default checkout period is 21 days and may be changed at the library's discretion.

Do the Purchase Program eAudiobooks expire on the desktop in the same way as Subscription Program eAudiobooks? If so—and if a user's license needs to be renewed—is the user given preference to others waiting for the title?
The expiration functionality is the same among all eAudiobook titles. Renewals of eAudiobook Purchase Program titles are not allowed. However, if the title is available it may be checked out again.

How many titles can a user check out at the same time?
The default is 10 titles, but a range of 1-10 may be defined at the library's discretion.

Does this limit apply to both eAudiobooks Subscription and Purchase Program titles or are the limits separate?
If a number less than 10 is selected for titles acquired through the eAudiobooks Purchase Program (Blackstone Audio and Books on Tape), it will override the default of 10 for titles acquired through the eAudiobooks Subscription Program (Recorded Books).

Are renewals allowed?
Yes, renewals are allowed for titles acquired through the eAudiobooks Purchase Program or the eAudiobooks Subscription Program.

Will extra copies be available for automatic purchase on demand?
No, extra copies will not be available for automatic purchase on demand. Libraries may order multiple copies of a single title through TitleSelect.

Will these titles be integrated into the eAudiobook Center with my Recorded Books titles?
Yes.

What types of usage reports will be available?
Usage reports will become available later in 2007; titles acquired through the eAudiobooks Purchase Program will appear in existing reports under a new column heading that specifies that they are eAudiobooks.

Can profiles be built in TitleDirect?
Yes.

Can existing TitleDirect profiles be updated to add or remove titles acquired through the eAudiobook Purchase Program?
Yes.

Can TitleSelect orders be submitted for both eBook and eAudiobook purchase titles?
Yes, however, an order for eBooks should be submitted separately from an order eAudiobooks.

Will existing profiles in TitleDirect be updated automatically to include or exclude titles acquired through the eAudiobooks Purchase Program?
TitleDirect does not filter based on content type; it is contingent upon how the profile was set up. Therefore, there is nothing precluding eAudiobook titles from being included. If it is set up to capture all titles in a certain Library of Congress Classification range and an eAudiobook is in that range, then TitleDirect will find it.

Is there only one simultaneous user access per copy?
Yes, there is only one access per owned copy with the eAudiobook Purchase Program.

If my library wants to purchase additional simultaneous users of a title, what is the cost?
The price is that of an additional copy of the eAudiobook.

Will holdings automatically be set in WorldCat?
Yes, holdings will automatically be set in WorldCat unless your library requests otherwise.