Thing 11 of the 23 mobile things

hclib.org, Overdrive and Zinio

I know that there are many who have issues with the hclib.org app, and I will admit that there are elements that are less than graceful, but I swear by it. I can't explain how much easier it is to manage my account since I started using it.


My favorite things to use the app to do:

• renew on the go
• request on demand, my daughter wants a book, I see a movie preview
• see if that in transit item finally came
• find a location that has the item in while I'm out and can get to the building

What it doesn't do well:

• Suspend requests
• inter library loans
• link to overdrive

and the one thing that it is terrible at....

It will renew an item multiple times or remove an item from you request list if you hit the back button, stay away from the back button.


This is the second Kindle I have had and the first that I was able to install the Overdrive app on, I am really happy with what it is able to do. I can easily manage my account and quickly request, borrow and download content. I would like to be able to skip the step over to Amazon to get an item but I realize that is Amazon's decision and not Overdrive. The waiting lists are always shorter on Overdrive but most items still are out on patron accounts for the full three weeks and there are fewer copies in the collection which makes the wait time longer than that of a physical copy. I tend to save my Overdrive selections for less popular titles, on the spot selections or things I don't mind waiting a while for. This is clearly an area which will develop over the next several years and Overdrive seems quite able to respond to the changing market. Even in the time I have been using it I have seen improvements in both platform and ease of use. I expect that to continue.


I have had mixed results with Zinio. I really like the idea of reading magazines without them cluttering my house and the selection is very good, but getting them on my Kindle has been tricky and not always reliable. Initially there was no app for the Kindle and with no factory installed Flash it was impossible to read the titles I downloaded. I eventually found a way to work around both the lack of an app and by installing a new browser and then Flash I was able to read most of what I selected. There are a few titles that don't seem to be in a format that is compatible with the Kindle and I haven't figured out how to tell which file formats are which. I also would like to get rid of older issues once I've read them but that seems low on the list of complaints. It certainly serves the purpose and has helped to cut down on paper waste in my house. This would be a great way to get a title into patron hands when when that specific title is unavailable in a building.