BorrowBox - Sydney library no longer uses Overdrive

[Lynx-lynx]

My local Sydney public library no longer uses Overdrive for either ebooks or audiobooks, it's switched to BorrowBox, which describes itself as:
[a] 'download service that your library has subscribed to, designed and powered by Bolinda Digital. The service consists of a website and for most libraries also mobile apps for Apple and Android devices. '

Bolinda Publishing (bolinda.com) has library services and retail services in Aus, NZ. Only library services in Nth America, and only retail services in the UK.

There are only 526 ebook titles and 123 audiobook titles, covering every category, so it's a very small listing and unfortunately I can't recall how many titles there were when the library used Overdrive, but I suggest it may have been double that number.

I can no longer choose a length of borrowing period, or return early, nor is there an indicator as to whether the ebook has DRM or not.

Anyone else's library use BorrowBox?

[JSWolf]

BorrowBox uses ADE compatible eBooks. The loan is 14 days. You can borrow up to 5 eBooks and 5 audiobooks at one time.

[Lynx-lynx]

My library only permits 4 ebooks + 4 audiobooks to be borrowed at any one time. And the borrowing period is for an unchangeable 21 days. I've borrowed an ebook and I got the choice to use the ADE version, but there is no particular way of knowing whether it's DRMed or not.

Perhaps you've quoted the US deal?

[GeoffR]

My library (Auckland, NZ) has OverDrive and BorrowBox, the BorrowBox collection is smaller but it includes some publishers (such as Macmillan) which are were missing from OverDrive, so the collections complement each other somewhat. Edit: Actually now I check I see that Macmillan books are on OverDrive too, so perhaps the collections have more overlap now.

BorrowBox settings at my library are: 10 ebook + 10 audiobook loans, fixed 28 day loan period, but early returns permitted (but it doesn't seem to work with all books?) The Borrowbox collection is currently about 11,000 ebooks and 2,000 audiobooks.

[darryl]

I came across Borrowbox some time ago in a couple of libraries, which retain Overdrive as well. Reading is through their own Apps on Android and I presume IOS, and via ADE. Both use DRM. Which library are you using if you don't mind saying. I haven't previously come across one that actually dumped Overdrive for Borrowbox.

[eschwartz]

Well, how do you mess up early returns on library books?

So is this going to be another Axis360, where big bad OverDrive is replaced on insufficient reasoning for unexplained reasons by services whose catalog is much smaller (which is exactly what every public library aspires to)?
Because we've had that in the States too.

[JSWolf]

I would not say Axis360, but more like 3M.

[Lynx-lynx]

Hang about ..... I've just looked for some further known ebook authors at my library and found that Overdrive is still being used! Oooops sorry , but, my usual ebook lending testing authors appear to have gone BorrowBox.

Overdrive's 'new look website' is now operational, and I can't log in because it says I have to ring my library first (link to the info on the new look: http://help.overdrive.com/customer/e...edge=true&Key= which you've all probably had for yonks anyway!)

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I would not say Axis360, but more like 3M.

They're both incrediby annoying, but I have found Axis360 libraries to have fewer books than the other two.

OTOH, 3M requires a special app...
But Axis360 decided for no good reason to make an app and then allow the "old-fashioned" ADEPT checkouts to be disabled... then made the switch default to OFF...