Not too long ago, we talked about OverDrive, the database of downloadable content KCLS offers to all of its card-holders. We also talked about media players that do (and don't) work with OverDrive. At the time I wrote those posts, staff here at Bellevue were getting familiar with OverDrive through some informal training some of us techs were giving. Thus, as is the way of things with technology, OverDrive updated their database right in the middle of everything! Blog posts were re-written, training was updated, and everything worked out in the end. So it should come as no surprise that now, two months later, OverDrive and KCLS have redesigned the eBooks page. Welcome then, to the all new KCLS Downloads.
At this point you may be asking yourself, so what? A fresh coat of paint and a new front bumper doesn't make a car any better. What is so special about doing the same to your website? Well besides the obvious fact that our website doesn't have a bumper, this isn't just a fresh coat of paint... its a whole new car--er, site. Whatever.
The new design appears in two places: our Downloads portal, which links to OverDrive, NetLibrary, and Books 24x7, and the OverDrive itself. The Downloads portal has links to separate OverDrive collections, immediately making it easier to begin browsing what you want to browse.
The OverDrive site itself is also simplified. The sidebar has been condensed, and menus now appear when you hover over many of the "Browse..." links. Like the changes to our Download portal, this makes it much easier to look at the format and subject you want, and avoid all the ones you're not interested in. All of these changes add up to a much nicer browsing experience... which is good, considering how much OverDrive has expanded over the last several months.
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