For Librarians: A Virtual Poster Session

Welcome!

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	So many colleagues have expressed interest in the Kendall Campus Library iPod Project that I decided to create this "virtual poster session," which I hope will prove helpful for librarians who wish to implement similar projects. To view the poster session, use the links on the right side of this page.
This virtual poster session is not intented to be a "how to" manual for using an iPod (since I'm hardly an expert), but rather an overview of what my library is doing with iPods, how we're doing it, and what our experience has been. I'll be updating this site as I learn new things, and I encourage readers to post questions and comments.

Jenny Saxton
Reference Librarian
Miami Dade College Kendall Campus
jsaxton@mdc.edu

The College and its Students

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		Miami Dade College has the largest undergraduate enrollment of any college or university in the United States, with the largest Hispanic student enrollment and the fourth largest enrollment of African American students. Its eight campuses enrolled 167,593 students during academic year 2008-2009. Our students represent 178 countries and speak 86 different languages. Approximately 61% come from low-income households, and 39% live below the federal poverty line. The average age of credit students is 27.2 years, and 72% of all students work while attending school.
Over half of our students (52%) are the first in their families to seek a college degree. Miami Dade confers more associate degrees than any other college in the country, and is ranked first in the nation for degrees awarded to Hispanics and African-Americans. Last updated: March 26, 2010 Source: Miami Dade College Office of Institutional Research.

The iPod Project's History

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Why iPods?
It all started back in 2006 when a professor in the Kendall Campus English Department spearheaded a project to study the effects of iPods on student learning and retention. The idea was to try to find out whether enabling students to carry around their course materials (syllabi, class notes, lectures, etc.) on such an easily portable multimedia device would improve academic performance.
Several professors in the various academic departments created podcasts and other materials to which students had access through iTunesU. Students enrolled in classes that were part of the study checked out iPods from the library at the beginning of the semester, and returned them at the end (and yes, they did return them - well, most of them anyway.) Other than issuing iPods to students, however, the library had little to do with the study, and as of this writing I am not aware of any conclusive findings.

You could say, though, that the study sparked a bit of "iPod fever" around campus, particularly among the administration. It was decided that the library should have some iPods of its own, and before we knew it, we were the proud recipients of 28 iPod Shuffles, 30 Nanos, and 30 video iPods. But what to do with them?

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A Few False Starts
Audiobooks immediately came to mind, and we began by offering The Kite Runner on a number of iPod Shuffles in support of the Kendall Campus English Department's A Good Read program, which made The Kite Runner required reading for most of that semester's sections of ENC 1101 (English Composition 1). First, though, we made sure that the folks in the English Department were okay with the audiobook format for something they wanted students to "read." Since we already had a built-in clientele (the large number of students who needed The Kite Runner to complete their class assignments), we thought this would be a great way to get the word out about our new iPods. Not surprisingly, the Shuffles circulated like mad, but we didn't know if students actually liked using an iPod to listen to an audiobook. We tried distributing a brief survey to each borrower, but received very few responses. Then, as soon as a new title was chosen for the Good Read program, circulation of the Shuffles came to a dead stop. The next selection was The Exception by Christian Jungersen, which was not yet available as an audiobook. Next came the idea of videotaping a library instruction session and downloading it onto the iPods for students to check out. One of our other librarians was assigned this task, and worked with our campus Media Services Department to hash out the details.
She was quickly discouraged, since our library instruction relies so heavily on computer screen shots of the OPAC, databases, etc., and it was felt that the screen shots wouldn't show up very well on the iPod's small display.
There was also concern about the ever-changing OPAC and database interfaces, and it was feared that the video would become obsolete as soon as it was completed.

At around the same time, I was asked to coordinate an audiobook club for the library as a way of using the iPods to promote literacy (inasmuch as listening to an audiobook can be considered literacy). A meeting was held, during which there was some, shall we say, "lively" discussion about requirements for club membership, what incentives should be offered, and how (and for what purpose) we would keep track of members. The idea of "keeping track" was something that concerned me, since it brought up a whole host of privacy issues about which there was some difference of opinion. Suffice to say that a compromise was reached, a title was selected (Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner), and the audiobook club took the form of a blog that was accessible to everyone and would hopefully provide a forum for sharing thoughts (anonymously, if desired) about the audiobook.
	To get the ball rolling, we offered the chance to win an iPod Shuffle to anyone who provided a valid email address and could verify current enrollment at the College. The plan was to hold the drawing at an event that would serve as the official launch of the audiobook club and the library's iPod project. Perhaps it was lack of sufficient advertising (or just my lack of talent in event planning) that resulted in close to zero response.
When I mentioned the drawing to students at the reference desk, most were either totally unimpressed ("thanks, but I already have my own iPod") or were so unfamiliar with iPods (or perhaps intimidated by them) that they weren't the least bit interested. Plans for the launch and subsequent in-person book talks fizzled, and although a few people did post comments on the blog, it never quite caught on. I briefly considered enlisting the help of the English Department to try to find a way of offering extra credit to students who participated in the audiobook club, but I feared this would interfere with the English faculty's own activities related to the Good Read program. A few months later, a new library director came aboard and agreed with my recommendation to let the audiobook club die a natural death.

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Back to Basics
My involvement with the audiobook club eventually led to all of the iPods falling under my purview, so I decided to focus on what libraries and iPods do best. Academic libraries provide access to educational materials that support the curriculum. Primarily, iPods are meant to hold music, and lots of it. In my mind, the obvious way to make a fresh start after our previous missteps was to ask someone in the Music Department for help in selecting appropriate materials. I contacted Dave Brubeck (no, not that Dave Brubeck, but, I believe, a relative of his, and a talented musician in his own right). Dave teaches a course called "Jazz and Popular Music in America," and when I told him about our iPods, he became very enthusiastic and immediately began making great suggestions.
I started to envision a jazz-themed iPod that would contain not only music, but videos, audiobooks, ebooks, podcasts - anything I could find that was related to jazz. The end product was the JazzPod, which has circulated quite well and has paved the way for other themed iPods like the LitPod (literature), BachPod (classical music), PinkPod (women's history), and EZ-Pod (ESL).
I selected a variety of audiobooks for the Shuffles, and transformed the old audiobook club blog into the Kendall Campus Library iPod Project blog, which provides current information on all of the library's iPods. Last updated: March 8, 2011

Physical Processing

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The very first thing we needed to figure out was where to put the darn barcode on the tiny iPod Shuffle. Obviously, the only option was to place it on the container. We didn't want to use the clear plastic boxes the Shuffles are sold in because they don't close securely and are not really designed for everyday use.

Someone remembered we had a bunch of coin pouches with our library logo left over from some past promotional event, and suggested they'd be the perfect size to hold the Shuffle and earbuds. The Nanos fit, too.

Since the Shuffles and Nanos are used for individual audiobooks, a label with the title of the audiobook goes on the front of each zippered pouch. The barcode is on the back. Also on the pouch is a label with the URL of our iPod blog.

Each iPod is assigned an accession number (Shuffle1, Nano2, etc.) that is written on the iPod with a permanent marker. The library's initials are also written on the iPod. My theory is, the more the thing is marked up, the less tempting it is for the patron to "forget" to return it. This only works for the Shuffles and Nanos, though - you can't write on the video iPods. They get labels instead. Additionally, most of our iPods are engraved on the back with the name of the library (Apple did this for us).

A label with the last 9 digits of the barcode number is affixed to the back of the iPod. I do not write the barcode number on the iPod with permanent marker, because, in our case, the barcode number is usually associated with the iPod's contents, not with the device itself, so the barcode number changes if the iPod's contents are changed (see Cataloging Issues for more on this).

Each volume in our LitPod series consists of an iPod Nano containing the audiobook version of a classic literary work, accompanied by the print version of the same work. For this, we needed a container that would hold the iPod and earbuds, plus the book, accompanying handouts, and user survey. I found these pencil pouches for under a dollar each at the local discount store.

	We also throw in a fresh set of earbud covers, a bookmark, pencil, and any other promotional do-dads we might have lying around. There are two barcodes - one for the iPod, one for the book. Placing the barcodes on the container instead of on the items makes it easy for circulation staff to scan them at check-out.
The book is labeled to indicate that it goes with a LitPod, and its barcode number is written on the inside back cover. On the front of each pouch is the following label:

Different colored pouches are used for our BachPod (below left) and JazzPod (below right). The video iPods are placed in the pouches in their velvety black slipcases. We haven't lost one yet.

Wall chargers are circulated in clear plastic make-up cases (also from the discount store). A label and color coded dot sticker indicate whether it's a Shuffle charger or a video/Nano charger (shown here).

Circulation Issues

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The first thing to determine is which of the iPod's accoutrements you want to lend. Not long after we began circulating iPods, I was dismayed (though amused) to discover that someone had evidently checked out a number of our iPods and replaced the nice Apple earbuds with cheap knock-offs. I assume they have a tidy business selling the real ones on eBay. Eventually, I will probably recommend that we stop providing the earbuds altogether and instead require borrowers to supply their own. This would also be a more sanitary practice. Right now, we're providing each new borrower with a set of replacement earbud covers, which come in individual packets and cost about 50 cents a pair. Most borrowers don't use them. Someone recently gave me the idea of providing packets of anti-bacterial wipes instead, but I have a feeling that borrowers would use them as iPod screen cleaners rather than earbud disinfectants.

Since our iPods' contents are pre-loaded, we didn't feel it necessary to provide borrowers with the cable that connects the iPod to a computer. Without the cable, the borrower can't add more materials to the iPod or accidentally erase its contents (although both situations are easily fixable). Connecting the iPod to a computer is, however, the usual method for re-charging it, and I did receive a few complaints about the absence of the cable from students who had allowed the iPod to run out of juice. These complaints came primarily from JazzPod borrowers, since the JazzPod contains several battery-draining videos. I've since made a few travel chargers available for separate check-out. These chargers plug directly into a wall socket, which makes it possible to charge the iPod without connecting it to a computer. (Of course, if you're really stuck, there's always the onion and Gatorade method of re-charging an iPod, but you'll probably agree it's not the most suitable for library purposes!)

Some libraries that circulate iPods also lend devices that enable borrowers to use a car radio to listen to the iPod's contents. Some newer model cars have stereos to which an iPod can be directly connected with the proper cable. For other cars, transmitters are available through which the car radio picks up the sound from the iPod. My understanding is that transmitters can range from $10 to over $80, and the cheaper ones don't work very well. I've also heard that none of the transmitters work very well with iPod Shuffles. My library is not lending these devices at this time.

I read about a library that requires iPod borrowers to sign an agreement form to acknowledge their responsibility for the cost of the iPod if lost or damaged. The borrower must also agree to wait at the circulation desk for up to 10 minutes when returning the iPod so that a staff member can check it to make sure it still works before discharging it from the borrower's account. Since our iPod project started with the Shuffles, which don't cost that much more than the average hardcover these days, we decided to dispense with an agreement form. Even when we began circulating the more expensive Nanos and video iPods, we didn't feel a form was necessary, and, so far, the only borrowers who have proven to be a flight risk are members of our own faculty! :-)

If the iPod is visibly damaged when returned, we do hold the borrower responsible, but, in my opinion, it's difficult to blame a malfunctioning iPod on the borrower. The truth is, iPods were designed for individual ownership, not for multiple library borrowers. They are delicate and quirky (the iPods, not the borrowers!) and there's a lot that can go wrong through no fault of anyone. One problem I've observed is that if the battery charge is allowed to run all the way down, sometimes the iPod doesn't want to accept a new charge, and can't be re-booted or re-set. We've experienced this with several of our iPods, and judging from this Apple discussion thread, it's a problem that is not uncommon.

Our check-in procedure is as follows: When someone returns an iPod, the circulation staff member places it in a bin marked "returns" in a locked cabinet. I check the bin once a day, and if there are returns, I re-charge them and look at them to make sure they are ready for the next borrower. I have a check-list of what to look for to make sure all the content is still there, and nothing is there that shouldn't be. It's also important to check the settings. For example, some borrowers change the slideshow and video settings to "TV Out = On" so they can watch the slides or videos on a television screen (they would have to have the proper cable to connect the iPod to the TV). These settings must be changed back to "Off," otherwise the next borrower won't be able to look at the slides or videos on the iPod, and might not know to check the "TV Out" settings. Another example is the "Shuffle Songs" setting, which, if not set to "Off," can make it difficult, if not impossible, to listen to an audiobook. The "Shuffle Photos" setting also needs to be "Off" if you have a slideshow (such as a tutorial) that is supposed to be viewed sequentially. (Note: All iPods have shuffle settings - not just the iPod Shuffles.)

Cataloging Issues

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The main cataloging decision to make is whether you want to catalog the iPod, or its contents. If you have an iPod that contains an audiobook, for example, you could decide to catalog the iPod as a piece of equipment, or you could catalog the audiobook as a sound recording. If you decide to go with cataloging the audiobook, you then have to decide whether an iPod-compatible audiobook is truly a sound recording, or is it technically a computer file? It all depends on how you want it to show up in your OPAC, and what statistics you want to keep. Another thing to keep in mind is that the contents of an iPod may eventually change. You might not care how many times an iPod has circulated, but you probably will want to know how many times it circulated when it contained audiobook A, and how many times when it contained audiobook B.

For our purposes, it seemed to make more sense to catalog the contents rather than the device. I used to work as an audiovisual cataloger, so I decided to take a stab at cataloging our iPod materials. Some of our iPods contain single audiobooks (and were cataloged as such), while others, like our JazzPod, contain a variety of materials, including music, videos, podcasts, audiobooks, photographs, and text files. The JazzPod was cataloged as a music recording entitled the JazzPod collection. The LitPod was cataloged as a multivolume audiobook, since each iPod in the LitPod series contains a different work.

I can't guarantee that the cataloging I've done is entirely "kosher," but for what it's worth, you can click the links below to see some of the MARC records. I did not assign call numbers because the materials are kept on reserve and shelved alphabetically by title. Obviously, I haven't had the records for the LitPod, JazzPod, etc. added to OCLC, because they are materials that are unique to my library. I could probably have our cataloger add the records for the single audiobook titles to OCLC, though (if they're not already there). Hmmmm - let me think about that!

MARC records:

Copyright Issues

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Disclaimer: Please know that I am not a lawyer, and I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, a copyright expert. In fact, finding definitive answers about copyright as it relates to the use of iPods in libraries is the greatest challenge I've faced since this project began. The information presented here is not intended to be seen as legal advice of any kind, and neither I nor my employer are responsible if the copyright police comes after you.

Actually, it's not all that difficult to figure out what I, as the user of my own personal iPod, can and can't legally do. I can, for example, authorize up to five computers to store my iTunes purchases, and I can import my entire CD collection into my iTunes library. I can then copy the contents of my iTunes library to as many iPods as I like. (For an easy-to-understand explanation of why this is legal, see Steve Jobs' Thoughts on Music, which discusses Apple's use of DRM, or Digital Rights Management.) Update, 6/6/11: Apple Introduces iCloud.

As a librarian, however, I know that what you can do isn't always what you should do. If my library follows the same rules as those that apply to individual iTunes customers, then there's nothing stopping us from, say, buying one copy of a high-demand audiobook from iTunes and circulating it on multiple iPods. I doubt there's a librarian out there who doesn't see something wrong with this picture. After all, you wouldn't xerox a book and circulate the copies, would you?

Is it possible, though, that the xerox analogy doesn't really apply in this brave new world of DRM? Regardless of the number of iPods to which you transfer your iTunes purchases, the material is protected as long as your borrowers can't upload it to their own computers (which they can't, unless they know a thing or three about hacking). This means they can't download it to anyone else's iPod, and they can't burn it to a CD. This makes the copyright holders happy. The library is also happy, because we get to put our one iTunes purchase on more than one iPod. Apple is happy, because they get to sell us more iPods. So isn't it a win-win situation all around?

My other big question involves ripping content from CDs or DVDs. The word "ripping" alone makes it sound like a crime, but the reason it's such a tempting thing to do is because there's so much great material that is not available from iTunes or other legitimate sellers of iPod-compatible content. So, if my library wants to include the movie Lady Sings the Blues as part of our JazzPod, and it's not available from iTunes, can I rip the DVD? The responses I've received from the people with whom I've spoken range from an emphatic "no way," to "yes, you're allowed to make one copy as long as you're using it for educational purposes and you're not circulating the original DVD." Yet another opinion was, "yes, it's okay, as long as the material is required for a particular class, and you're only circulating it to students in that class." I was encouraged to read the Teach Act, but from what I can tell from ALA guidelines and other sources, the Teach Act focuses mainly on distance education, and doesn't have a whole lot to say about the library. As for seeking permission directly from the copyright holder, it's not always clear who that is.

I've begun to see my search for reliable information about copyright and the use of iPods in libraries as a bit like the quest for the Holy Grail. I can't help but wonder if I'm looking for something that doesn't really exist. So far, the people from whom I've sought advice seem to fall into three categories: those who are knowledgeable about copyright, but not iPods; those who are knowledgeable about iPods, but not copyright; and those who are knowledgeable about iPods and copyright, but not libraries. So what's an honest librarian to do?

Well, if you really want to be on the safe side, you can avoid comercially produced materials altogether. If you're creating your own podcasts or other home-grown content for your iPods, you probably don't have too much to worry about as long as you're not including any copyright protected images, sound clips, or videos. You can also download some pretty decent amateur recordings of audiobooks from public domain sources like Project Gutenberg or Librivox. I don't know, though. With all due respect to the wonderful Project Gutenberg, given the choice of listening to a volunteer reading a 200-year-old literary classic, or Jeremy Irons reading a recent bestseller, which do you think most of your patrons would prefer? This is why I hope my copyright questions (which probably have more to do with ethics than with law) can eventually be resolved.

Lastly, if you're creating promotional materials to advertise your library's iPods, you might have to consider copyright when it comes to the images you want to include. Apple has a nice public relations web site from which you can download press kit images of iPods if you agree to some simple usage guidelines.

Update 7/14/10: It seems we may have an even more fundamental problem. Regardless of what materials we download to our iPods/Kindles/iPads, etc., should we even be lending these devices at all? See this article from the LibraryLaw Blog.

Frequently Asked Questions

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This page contains the questions that are most frequently asked of me by other librarians. To see the questions that are most frequently asked by library borrowers, please visit the Kendall Campus Library iPod Project blog's FAQ page.

Q. How many iPods do you have?
A. 28 second generation 1G iPod Shuffles, 30 second generation 4G iPod Nanos, and 30 fifth generation 30G video iPods. Since I wasn't involved in the actual purchasing, I'm not sure why neither the size of our order nor our educational mission warranted a discount from Apple. We did, however, get free shipping, and free engraving of the College's name on each device.

Q. What materials are on the iPods?
A. Please see the Kendall Campus Library iPod Project blog for current information on all of our iPods.

Q. What is the circulation policy for your iPods? Do borrowers really return them?
A. The iPods circulate for 7 days, and may be checked out by any valid borrower. We do not require the borrower to sign an agreement form (as some libraries do with their higher-ticket items). We do not lend the iPods through intercampus or interlibrary loan. As with all of our library materials, no late fees are charged, but any item that is not returned, or returned in visibly damaged condition, must be paid for in full before the borrower can register for more classes or obtain transcripts. As of this writing, we've been circulating iPods for more than a year, and only one has not come back. Please see Circulation Issues for more information.

Q. What if a borrower erases what's on the iPod, or downloads other materials?
A. Not a problem. The materials you own reside on your computer hard drive, so if a borrower erases them from the iPod you can easily put them right back on. Any materials the borrower may have added can be just as easily erased.
       Keep in mind, though, that if you purchase materials from Apple's iTunes Store, you should back them up. Since they do live on your computer hard drive (not out there on the Internet), you lose everything if your computer crashes, and even though Apple keeps a record of what you've purchased, you can't get it back without paying for it again. There are a few different ways to back up your purchases. See this Apple support page for more information. My understanding is that Apple is working toward an online storage model, but as of this writing they are not there yet. Update, 6/6/11: Apple Introduces iCloud.

Q. Why did you decide on iPods and not MP3 players?
(Note: The most useful explanation I've found for the difference between iPods and MP3 players is that "MP3 player" is a generic term (like "car") whereas "iPod" is a brand name (like "Toyota"). An iPod is an MP3 player, but it seems like "MP3 player" has become the common term for anything that isn't an iPod.)
A. In 2006, a Kendall Campus English professor (who is also a self-proclaimed iPod fanatic) spearheaded a project to study the effects of iPods on student success. The study generated a lot of enthusiasm for iPods, and led the administration to encourage the library to jump on the iPod bandwagon.
       My guess is that the reason some libraries have gone with MP3 players instead of iPods is because, until recently, companies such as netLibrary and Overdrive (which provide e-content that patrons can download to their own portable devices via their library's OPAC) have not been able to offer iPod-compatible materials. (This is beginning to change, however, as this Library Journal article explains.) The incompatibility with iPods has been a problem because Apple enjoys a huge percentage of the market share for portable audio devices. This means that if your patron owns a portable audio device, it's most likely an iPod. Therefore, some libraries that have contracted with netLibrary and/or Overdrive are circulating MP3 players to allow patrons to take full advantage of non-iPod-compatible materials.

Q. From whom do you purchase the materials for your iPods?
A. Primarily from the iTunes Store. We've also purchased a few audiobooks from Audible, which works in concert with iTunes. (In other words, when you purchase an audiobook from Audible, it automatically gets placed in your iTunes library.) One of the differences between the two sources is that Audible's materials are compatible not only with iPods, but with a variety of other MP3 players. (You can convert "iTunes Plus" materials to MP3 format, but why bother if you don't have to?)
       Another difference is that Apple allows you to download your iTunes Store purchases to an unlimited number of iPods, while Audible uses the honor system to limit you to three devices per Audible account. You're allowed to have multiple accounts so that you can use more devices, but each device can contain materials purchased from no more than two accounts. Confused? Yeah, me too. It all has to do with Digital Rights Management. (Please see Copyright Issues for more information.) The folks I spoke with at Audible several months ago said they are working on a way to accommodate the special needs of libraries, but were unable to say when we can expect this, so we'll just have to stay tuned.
       You can also find free materials from sites like Project Gutenberg or Librivox, and the iTunes Store has lots of free podcasts. YouTube is another free source, but here again, copyright can be an issue. Of course, if you're really feeling adventurous (and/or frustrated about copyright) you can create your own home-grown podcasts, videos, and other materials.

Q. Do I need an iPod if I want to start podcasting? Will my patrons need iPods to receive my library's podcasts?
A. No, an iPod is not required for creating or receiving podcasts. Podcasts are files (usually audio or video files) that can be downloaded to a computer. What distinguishes a podcast from just any old file is that a podcast provides a way of subscribing to the content, so that when new content is added, it automatically gets delivered to the subscriber's computer. If you do have an iPod or other MP3 player, then podcasts become portable, because you can download them from the computer to the device. For a very nice explanation of podcasting, take a look at this short video.

Q. Do I need a Mac to work with iPods?
A. No, iPods and iTunes work with PCs as well as Macs.

Q. Are your patrons able to have library materials loaded onto their own iPods?
A. We haven't yet had a demand for this. I've read about a couple of public libraries that are doing this successfully with audiobooks, and there is an interesting difference in the way they go about it. One of them has decided that, in order to be sure there is no danger of copyright violation, they will only allow one patron to have a particular audiobook at a time. At the end of the load period, the patron has to bring his or her iPod back to the library to have the audiobook erased, or show that they've erased it themselves. Only then will the library discharge the item from the patron's account and allow someone else to have that audiobook downloaded to their iPod. The other library I read about (and I'm not mentioning any names here because I don't want to be responsible for any raids by the copyright police) takes a different approach, which, in my mind, is perfectly legal, but again, I am not, by any means, a copyright expert. The library to which I'm referring downloads the requested audiobook to the patron's iPod, and that's that. There's no limit as to how many patrons can have the item simultaneously, and the patron never has to bring anything back to the library. I know this sounds like the library is just giving away audiobooks, but think about it: once the audiobook is on the patron's iPod, it can theoretically stay there forever, but it can't be transferred to another computer (unless the patron knows something about hacking) and, therefore, cannot be burned to a CD or downloaded to anyone else's iPod. Compare this to lending an audiobook on CD. Unless the CDs are somehow encrypted, there's nothing stopping the borrower from importing the CDs into his or her own computer, and/or burning a hundred copies and giving them away to friends. So, if I'm understanding this correctly, the iPod-compatible format is actually better at protecting the copyrighted work.

Q. What problems have you encountered so far?
A. By far the biggest problem I've encountered is the lack of authoritative advice regarding copyright as it relates to the use of iPods in libraries. Please see Copyright Issues for more information.
       Another major problem is that iPods are delicate, and are designed for individual ownership, not for multiple library borrowers. We've had several iPods bite the dust, and as with so many other electronic devices, death usually occurs within the first week or two after the warranty expires. Batteries eventually need to be replaced (not just recharged, but actually replaced) and if Apple does this for you it can get expensive. You can go to YouTube and easily find lots of videos of teenagers demonstrating how to open up iPods to replace batteries and make other repairs, but Apple will no longer provide support if you start messing around with the device's innards.
       iPods are quirky, and some things about the way they work are not terribly intuitive. Syncing, for example, can be a difficult concept to grasp, especially for those of us who are well over 30! :-) If you're new to iPods, expect a learning curve.

Q. What has been the patron response?
A. It's important not to overestimate the "cool factor" of the iPods. You may (or may not) be surprised by how many patrons (even young ones) prefer books over any other kind of material, including something as hip as an iPod. Many times, students will ask me for a popular book (like The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks) and all of our print copies are checked out. I offer them the audiobook version on the iPod, but they'll have none of it. On the other hand, students who have checked out the iPods seem to like them. See the following for some of the feedback we've received:

Q. What are some of the advantages/disadvantages of audiobooks on iPods over audiobooks on CDs?
A. An iPod is much easier to carry around than a bunch of CDs and and a CD player, and downloadable audiobooks tend to be less expensive than audiobooks on CD. There are, however, several issues with using iPods for audiobooks. The iPod Shuffle, for example, can be particularly troublesome because of its lack of a display screen to let you know where you are within the book. The device will remember your place in the book in case you want to turn it off and come back to it later, but if you press the wrong button and accidentally lose your place, it can be darn near impossible to find it again. With the other iPod models, it's a bit easier, because you can lock the controls to avoid pressing anything accidentally, and if you ever do lose your place, you can use the display screen's scrubber bar to get back to it fairly easily. The problem with losing your place is that the chapter markers in most downloadable audiobooks aren't particularly meaningful. You can press the iPod's back and forward buttons to jump to different places in the book, but you won't necessarily find yourself at the beginning of a chapter. The lack of meaningful chapter markers can be particularly frustrating if, for example, you're trying to listen to an audiobook of short stories. For our Edgar Allan Poe LitPod (which contains a selection of stories and poems), I ended up going through the entire audiobook to find the time marker for the beginning of each story and poem, and then created a handout to help the borrower use the scrubber bar to navigate to a particular work.

Q. What about Amazon's Kindle? Do you have any plan to circulate Kindles in addition to your iPods?
A. The Kindle (Amazon's hand-held ebook reader) is another example of a device that was not designed with libraries in mind. My understanding is that each Kindle is associated with a credit card or some other payment method, so that you, the individual Kindle owner, sitting in an airport waiting to board a flight, or sitting in a Starbucks sipping a latte, can connect wirelessly to Amazon and download a book or today's newspaper, and it automatically gets charged to your account. If you're a library, and you purchase materials for the Kindle and then allow a patron to check it out, I don't think there's anything stopping the patron from downloading more materials, and you're the one that gets stuck with the bill. There may be some kind of password protection (I'm not sure, because I don't own a Kindle), but if my thinking is correct, it would be kind of like buying your own cell phone and checking it out to patrons, who could potentially run up huge bills for which you'd ultimately be responsible. There could also be copyright issues involved. Perhaps Amazon is working on some sort of library model for using the Kindle, but I'm not aware of anything like that at this point in time. Update, 2/16/09: The Palm Beach Community College Libraries are circulating pre-loaded Kindles to students. Turns out there is a way to disable the borrower's ability to purchase additional materials, but, interestingly, the PBCC libraries have chosen not to take advantage of this function (at least as of this writing). Click here for more information on the PBCC Kindle Project.
Update, 7/14/10: See also this article from the LibraryLaw Blog.

Q. iPod Nanos have lots of memory and can hold lots of material. Why, then, are you using them for single audiobooks rather than loading them with multiple titles?
A. Two words: circulation statistics. At first, I too thought it would be great to put several audiobooks on one iPod to give borrowers a nice selection, but my director, whose job it is to think about things like circ stats, was concerned. She quickly convinced me that she had a point, and when I later brought up the idea of the LitPod, which bundles an iPod with a book (two checkouts for the price of one) she was all the more pleased.

Promotional and Accompanying Materials

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Web Sites

The Kendall Campus Library iPod Project Blog provides information on all of the library's iPods, and gives borrowers the opportunity to ask questions and share comments. A label with the blog's URL is affixed to all iPod containers, and the URL appears on all promotional materials.

The JazzPod and BachPod contain text files with lists of web sites related to jazz and classical music. To make it easier for borrowers to visit these web sites, I used the social bookmarking tool Delicious.com to compile the JazzPod Links and BachPod Links. Both Delicious lists are accessible from the iPod project blog.

Handouts

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