Dallas Public Libraries Finally Getting Into the Digital Download Bidness This Month

So says a memo from Assistant City Manager Forest Tucker to the city council sent last night: On May 11, the Dallas Public Library will go into OverDrive, the Cleveland, Ohio-based company that builds Web sites for libraries and allows users 24/7 download access to, so far, about 100,000 audiobooks,...

By Robert Wilonsky

May 1, 2010

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So says a memo from Assistant City Manager Forest Tucker to the city council sent last night: On May 11, the Dallas Public Library will go into OverDrive, the Cleveland, Ohio-based company that builds Web sites for libraries and allows users 24/7 download access to, so far, about 100,000 audiobooks, e-books, albums and videos. And, from the looks of this list of North Texas municipalities using the service, Dallas is one of the last to jump onboard. Nothing too complicated about it: The library's Web site has just started sneak-peeking the move to digital, for which you'll need the OverDrive software, a valid library card and a compatible device (anything from iPad and iPhone, a new addition, to a Rio Carbon, which I'm pretty sure they haven't made since August 2005).

Media Launch Day's a week from Tuesday starting at 10 a.m. at the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library. Says the memo, one council member in particular will kick things off: "Ron Natinsky ... will participate in the launch event by downloading the first book from the OverDrive program to his personal Sony Reader." (Lucky! I'm still using a Discman.) Also forthcoming one week from Tuesday: Digital Book Mobile!

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