OverDrive App Comes to Nook

Borrowing eBooks and audiobooks from the library just got a whole lot easier for users of the NOOK HD, NOOK HD+, NOOK Tablet™ and NOOK Color™. Last week, Barnes & Noble added the OverDrive Media Console app to the NOOK Apps™ storefront. This NOOK app enables users to wirelessly borrow eBooks and MP3 audiobooks from the library.

All NOOK devices, including NOOK 1st Edition, NOOK Simple Touch and NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight, have always enabled users to read eBooks borrowed from libraries and schools, but the process required sideloading the files from a computer using Adobe Digital Editions and a USB cable. Now users of NOOK HD, NOOK HD+, NOOK Tablet and NOOK Color can borrow eBooks and audiobooks wirelessly using the OverDrive app.

Users can visit the NOOK Appsstorefront to install the free OverDrive Media Console (OMC) app. The app enables users to locate a library or school nearby, browse or search their eBook and MP3 audiobook collection and, after entering a valid library card or school ID,  check out and download the title for a lending period of one to three weeks (depending on the library or school’s policies). At the end of the lending period, the title simply expires.

The version of OMC available in the NOOK Apps storefront is OMC for Android v2.5, so any instructions found on library Help pages related to OMC for Android will apply to the NOOK app. While the app is free, users will need a valid NOOK account in order to download the app.

Adobe Releases Digital Editions 2.0

Adobe has officially released Digital Editions 2.0, which comes with several improvements and changes.

 What’s new

• The UI has been completely redesigned to be screen-reader friendly. It’s compatible with NVDA, JAWS andVoiceOver for low-vision and visually impaired users.
• The software now presents eBooks as a simple tile or list item. The hover-over context menus are gone. To bring up a context menu, right-click on a cover image. This helps with screen reader usability.
• Activating compatible eBook readers has improved significantly. Simply plug in an eBook reader, open Adobe Digital Editions (ADE), then drag a library title over to the device. The software automatically registers and authorizes your device with your computer’s Adobe ID.
• Adobe has updated the install page. When you click theDownload now link to the right, you’ll be taken to a page that offers two installers (Windows and Mac). The Flash-based installer is gone. Now, you download a DMG or EXE file and install the program. This is much more common behavior when installing applications from the Internet.

A quirk you should know about

This is brand-new software, so there may be a few bugs. If you find one, please let Adobe know so they can work on fixing it.

With that said, there’s one inconsistency that you should be aware of: Loanperiod banners are not always accurate. For example, a brand-new three-week loan may show up as a two-week loan. Loans still expire at the appropriate time. It’s just the banner that is off. We’ve already let Adobe know about the issue.

Help is here

Updated Help articles have been posted. Since support is ending for older versions of ADE, we encourage you to support ADE 2.0 as soon as possible. Most of our Help articles shift focus to ADE 2.0.