Tech tips about using Blount County Public Library's Electronic Resources, including TEL (Tennessee Electronic Library) databases and eBooks will be listed on this page. If you need more information, please use the e-mail contact form. For help choosing the best library resources for your research or your next book to read, please contact the Blount County Library Reference Department at (865) 273-1436.
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iPod with MP3 or WMA audiobooks
There are two iPod-compatible audiobook formats available through the Library's OverDrive Media Console: WMA and MP3. Both Windows and Mac users may have iPods and iTunes, so exact procedures can get a little murky.
OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks
Windows users may transfer downloaded MP3 files directly from the OverDrive Media Console to an iPod. The online FAQ file says that:
- iTunes® v9.0.2 (or newer) is required.
- The Apple device must be formatted for use with Microsoft® Windows®.
- The iTunes setting 'Manually manage music…' must be enabled for the device before you can complete the transfer. This option is found in the Settings tab of your iTunes software. When it is checked, you must manually eject the iPod before detaching it from your PC.
Mac users may, alternatively, drag OverDrive MP3 audiobook files into the iTunes Library, or open the iTunes Library and import them.
OverDrive WMA Audiobooks
WMA files can be transferred directly to a Windows-formatted, attached iPod or other MP3 device, such as a Sansa MP3 player. If you have an iPod, the files have to be converted for use before they are transfered. Be patient, it takes a long time, even with a fast computer! You can monitor progress using the iTunes software on your computer.
The Sansa can play WMA files, so transfers are reasonably fast. There is no option to transfer WMA files directly to the iTunes library, even if you use iTunes software without an iPod. If you open your iTunes library in Windows and try to import the WMA folder, it will throw an error because of the format. You can play the WMA files within the OverDrive Media Console or with Windows Media Player.
You may also burn a WMA file to audio CD, a great option for automobile CD players and long commutes. A long book can use up many CDs, so using CD-RW for a few segments at a time is a money-saving option. I have not tested burning files to a DVD-RW data disk, which could easily hold all the segments of a long book, provided you have a compatible media drive.
Downloaded files in your designated folder are deleted when titles are automatically checked in by the OverDrive Console software. Be aware that OverDrive Media's license agreement requires destruction of all copied files after the checkout period has expired.
I'm still fairly new to OverDrive Media audiobooks, and will update this information as I try new things with the Console software to see what can go wrong.
Print a PDF (Adobe Reader) file
To avoid printing blank pages, click the print icon within the Adobe Reader window instead of the browser's print icon or File menu print options. If you have difficulty printing a particular PDF file, try saving it to your desktop or a flash drive first, and then print.
Save a PDF (Adobe Reader) file
Depending on your browser configuration, PDF files may appear in the browser window itself, or download automatically. The best way to save a PDF file that opens in your browser window is to click the save icon within Adobe Reader instead of using the browser's "Save as" menu. The save icon looks like a small square floppy disk.
TEL Me How to get to Consumer Reports
It's possible to go directly to Consumer Reports without first entering a search in the "Search for Articles" keyword box on the Tennessee Electronic Library (TEL) portal home page. It takes longer to explain than to do, but the basic procedure is to select View Databases by Subject, select Gale General OneFile under Business, click Browse Publications, and type Consumer Reports in the search box.
View TEL Me how to get to Consumer Reports (video, 3:20).
TEL Me How to get to HeritageQuest
HeritageQuest is not searched by default when you enter a search in the "Search for Articles" keyword box on the Tennessee Electronic Library (TEL) portal home page. There are several ways to get to it, but the fastest is to use the TEL Genealogy Shortcut.
