Good news for eBook lovers! Starting tomorrow, Monday July 16, you will be able to check out up to ten eBooks from OverDrive, and place up to ten holds at a time. Previously the limits were five checkouts and three holds.
eBooks are great any time, but are especially convenient when you are traveling. An eBook reader takes up less space than one book yet can hold hundreds of titles. I once helped a woman who was going on an extended sailing trip with her eBook reader. In the past on such trips she had to choose between packing clothes or books, due to the extreme limited space on a sail boat. She was thrilled to be able to carry a library in her pocket, and re-stock it at each port.
You can access your Library’s eBook collection from anywhere in the world where you have an internet connection. Depending on your eBook reader you may also need access to a computer to check out and download Library eBooks. Newer eBook readers, as well as tablets (like iPads) and smart phones, use the OverDrive Media Console App to access our OverDrive eBooks. Find this app in the App Store or Android Market. eBooks are returned automatically, so you never have to worry about overdue books or late charges.
Once Library eBooks are downloaded to your eBook reader or other device you do not need an internet connection to read them. So, if you’re spending the summer at camp with no internet, you can load up with eBooks when you pop in to town to do laundry and then read on the dock or in the hammock all week!
Visit your Library’s Web site: www.tbpl.ca and click on “OverDrive” in the Quick Links for everything you need to know about Library eBooks. On this page on our Web site there are Tip Sheets which you can print off to get you started with a number of devices including the Kobo, KoboVox, Sony, Sony PRS-T1, iPad, iPod Touch or iPhone and BlackBerry Playbook.
While most eBook readers and portable devices are compatible with the Library’s OverDrive eBooks, some are not. Notably the Kindle is not compatible with OverDrive eBooks. This is due to licensing issues. OverDrive maintains a list of compatible and incompatible devices in their online “Device Resource Centre”. If you’re in the market for a new eBook reader, it’s a good idea to check the list first, if you’re interested in borrowing Library eBooks.
The OverDrive FAQ page on our Web site provides answers to the most common questions we receive about eBooks. One of these questions is: “Why are all the books I want to read out!” OverDrive works on a “one book, one reader” model, so that’s why the eBooks are not always available. You will see a “place a hold” link if the book is currently out. Use the “Only show available titles” option to limit your browsing to books you can check out immediately. The “Advanced search” option is another useful way to limit your search to available items, as well as by format and subject. If a book is out, you can place it on hold. You’ll receive an email notice when it becomes available, and have three days to check it out.
If you have an eBook reader, iPad, smart phone, or any other newfangled device you need help with, you are in luck this summer! Thanks to Ontario’s Summer Experience Program your Library has hired a Personal Technology Assistant for July and August. Jeff will be at Waverley on Mondays, Mary J.L. Black on Tuesdays, Brodie on Wednesdays, County Park Thursdays, and on Fridays will be at a different Library location each week. He’ll be happy to help you! Contact Joanna Aegard at 684-6819 or jaegard@tbpl.ca for more information, or to make an appointment with Jeff for a specific time.
Joanna Aegard
The "@ Your Library" Column appears in the Sunday edition of the Chronicle Journal newspaper. The Column is written by staff at the Thunder Bay Public Library. Library staff also write for other publications, and those columns will occasionally be posted here as well. This blog helps us share our writing with a broader audience, and provides our readers with a forum for feedback. We welcome your comments!
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