[CASL-L] Overdrive/BrainHive

[Cathy Andronik]

I'm trying out BrainHive--just initiated it, so there's not much I can say about how it works, etc.  My first impression is that they released it too quickly to jump on the ebook bandwagon and didn't get all the bugs out.  Setting up my account didn't work the first time, and customer support wasn't terribly supportive.  All email based.  The selections are heavily weighted towards elementary.  (I'm in a high school.)  However, there are quite a few health titles that I felt our classes could use for the annual "disease" projects, plus a few good social studies offerings.  Not much in the way of fiction (just the few Carolrhoda teen novels).  The nice thing is, I can set up a "limited" account to give it a try (I started with just $150--150 circulations).  I'm also working out how to advertise/promote it, which will probably involve my playing with how the titles show up in my catalog (Follett Destiny); right now, since they're "titles" but not
 "copies," I can't make "ebooks" a category.  (Destiny users will understand that terminology.)  For the time being, I may introduce it to the classes most likely to use it, and keep track of the usage, to make a decision for picking it up next year.

I'm familiar with OverDrive through my public library, but haven't considered it for school.  We're really looking for products that allow multiple simultaneous users (as in:  the whole 10th grade is doing a "great American" project and 20 kids have chosen MLK when we only have 5 books).

Cathy Andronik
Brien McMahon HS
Norwalk


________________________________
 From: Yvonne Robinson <yrobinson at renbrook.org>
To: casl-l at mylist.net 
Sent: Thursday, November 1, 2012 3:08 PM
Subject: [CASL-L] Overdrive/BrainHive
 

 
Hi all,

We're thinking about purchasing eBooks from Overdrive and would love to hear from people who are already doing this. Wondering if you're happy/unhappy with Overdrive? How do you handle the authentication process (LDAP? School Library Manager? SIP?) Do you have a separate Overdrive eBook link from your library catalog or are your records integrated into your existing catalog? We're an independent school, 400+ students, three-year-olds through ninth grade, using web-based Alexandria v5.5.9. 

Also wondering if anyone has any experience with Brain Hive eBook Service?

Any input would be greatly appreciated. 

Thanks in advance,
Yvonne
Renbrook School
2865 Albany Avenue
West Hartford, CT 06117
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