Digital Editions and the public library

[Leep]

Originally Posted by VillageReader

I don't even think libraries own most of their popular fiction. Think about a Stephen King, DaSilva, Nora Roberts.... A small library may only want to own 2-3 copies of any popular fiction for the long term, but need 30 copies during the peak demand period when a book after the book is released. The solution is to rent 27 copies, not own them, and send them back when the peak demand begins to subside. If I'm not mistaken, I think there are some publishers that may even show a book as a library edition on the copyright page.

The libraries actually purchase a yearly subscription service from Overdrive. They prepay based on the number of books/copies they allow on checkout. I think that is why there are many different rules based on the size of the library budget. i.e. 5 items-2 weeks (Newport Beach abt 100 titles) versus 100 items-3 weeks, (NY more than 15,000 titles) and 20 items - 3 week (Seattle 4,000 titles).

In any case, it's a wonderful service.

[dynabook]

I thought I might as well show a link to the ebook collection of the NY Public Library:

http://ebooks.nypl.org/

Enjoy!

[VillageReader]

Originally Posted by Leep

The libraries actually purchase a yearly subscription service from Overdrive. They prepay based on the number of books/copies they allow on checkout. I think that is why there are many different rules based on the size of the library budget. i.e. 5 items-2 weeks (Newport Beach abt 100 titles) versus 100 items-3 weeks, (NY more than 15,000 titles) and 20 items - 3 week (Seattle 4,000 titles).

In any case, it's a wonderful service.

As usual I was clear as mud - I was talking about pbooks when I was talking about rental of popular fiction.

[Ordinaryuser]

My library in East Tennessee is Tennessee wide for e books and has several thousand books available to check out including 192 fantasy titles (which are my favorite). They allow 15 titles to be checked out at a time for 14 days. One can also place a hold and when an ebook becomes available they e-mail me. It is very handy. I suppose that anyone who checks out that many books would have to be an awfully fast reader. Ha. I've had been checking out and reading titles for a long time on my computer before the Sony Reader was bought but it hurt my eyes.

My transfer to the PRS 505 was also very painless and greatly enlarged my horizons. I have been checking out the NYC public library and if I remember correctly they had around 12,000 some odd books available? It does seem like a huge bargain for only $100. How many books do they check out and can they hold books for the next reader?

I've come to the conclusion that the supply of ebooks is mainly because of the publishers holding them back and using the ones they release as primarily teasers unless it is an "old" book or early writer like Andre Norton or C. J. Cherryh both of whom I enjoy greatly.

[Ordinaryuser]

I went to the NYC public library and tried to see what was available for Robin Hobb one of the more popular fantasy writer and it showed 4 ebooks available. I then went to the Tennessee ebook system and it showed 6 books available. Now I know that Tennessee could not possiblly compete with the NYC public library so it seems that all ebooks are not available there as I would have thought? Confusing? Maybe they have a budget like the rest of us!

[carld]

Originally Posted by VillageReader

Generally, though, if I want something I check the library first, and if it is available I'll wait. Even Cleveland's library though, at around 8,800 ebooks , has far fewer than fictionwise. And included in the Cleveland number are all categories, including many I have no interest in.

I've found Cleveland has an almost overwhelming number of ebook Romances, while their selection of Sci-fi and Fantasy titles is skimpy. I'm assuming they know their market and are providing what their readers want, but I'd really like to see them carry some current SF&F titles.

Edit: Just did a quick check of Clevenet, including all publishers and formats.
Romances: 2726
SF&F: 318
Horror:118
Western: 91

[DrMoze]

Originally Posted by Ordinaryuser

I have been checking out the NYC public library and if I remember correctly they had around 12,000 some odd books available? It does seem like a huge bargain for only $100. How many books do they check out and can they hold books for the next reader?

You can check out up to 12 ebooks at a time from the NYPL, for 21 days each. You can't renew, but you can check out again after 21 days if it's available. They usually have 1-2 copies of each e-book, from the ones I've seen.

You can put books on hold, up to 10 on your hold list. They notify you by email when a held ebook is available, and you have 3 days to check it out.

The NYPL ebook search functions aren't very good (inconsistent results) but they do have lots ofgood reading.

[PsyDocJoanne]

Hey jplumey....

Broward is my library, too....

Are you the one who has out Joanthan Kellerman's book, "Compulsion" in Adobe PDF format???

If you are, hurry up and finish it!! *lol* (just kidding!)....BTW, where do you live? I'm in Weston.

Joanne

[vivaldirules]

An increasing number of public libraries offer downloadable ebooks in Adobe Digital Editions or Mobipocket format for their patrons for free. If you own a Sony PRS-505 Reader and have the latest firmware and software loaded, you can read these Adobe DE format ebooks on your Reader for the specified check-out period. I do not know if you can similarly transfer and read the Mobipocket books on your Kindle, iLiad, or other mobile device. The Adobe DE books on the Reader aren't formatted particularly nicely but they are certainly readable and it's hard to complain much when the content is free and legal. The available ebook collections at present are pretty small but they are growing. Some have only a few hundred titles. The Greater Phoenix collection includes 15,894 ebooks in Adobe DE format and I noticed, for example, that this includes 38 titles by Terry Pratchett. In addition to ebooks, most of these libraries also offer downloadable audio books, videos, music, etc.

If your local library does not provide this service, you may be interested in seeking borrowing privileges that may be available to nonresidents of other libraries. Below is a list (I'm quite sure it's not complete) of public libraries in the U.S. (sorry) that offer dowloadable Adobe DE ebooks. I've included a link to the digital collections homepage for each library. On the second line of each entry, I've tried to include information and links regarding borrowing privileges for nonresidents. Note that many city and county libraries grant "resident" borrowing privileges to any resident within their state.

This list probably belongs in the Wiki but it will quite quickly, I'm sure, become obsolete and maintaining it would be quite a chore - one that I'm not willing to commit to. So take this as an incomplete snapshot of the status quo and use it as you wish. Enjoy!


Greater Phoenix, AZ: http://overdrive.phoenixpubliclibrary.org
Nonresident applications: This varies by the ten participating public libraries that utilize this Greater Phoenix digital library service. Here are nine of them:
The Phoenix library accepts applications from nonresident in person for $20 per year: http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/...jsp?lwbid=6988
The Apache Junction library accepts applications from nonresidents of Pinal County in person for $40 per year: http://www.ajpl.org/library/faq.htm
The City of Casa Grande library does not appear to accept applications from nonresidents of Pinal County: http://cglibrary.org/POLARIS/library...ef/ud_faq.aspx
The Chandler library accepts applications from nonresidents of Maricopa County in person for $40 per year: http://chandlerlibrary.org/policies/...er%20Residents...
The Glendale library accepts applications from nonresidents in person for $40 per year: http://www.glendaleaz.com/Library/GetaCard.cfm
The Mesa library accepts applications from nonresidents of Maricopa County in person for $40 per year: http://www.mesalibrary.org/about_us/...identification
The Peoria library does not appear to accept applications from nonresidents of Maricopa County: http://www.peoriaaz.gov/library/library_cardform.asp
The Scotsdale library does not appear to accept applications from nonresidents of Maricopa County: http://library.scottsdaleaz.gov/librarycard.cfm
The Tempe library accepts applications from nonresidents of Maricopa County in person for $30 per year: http://www.tempe.gov/library/circ/libcards.htm

Los Angeles County, CA: http://overdrive.colapublib.org
It's unclear if nonresidents of the state of California can apply: http://www.colapublib.org/aboutus/librarycard.html

Sacramento, CA: http://download.saclibrary.org
Applications from nonresidents of the state of California are not accepted: http://www.tempe.gov/library/circ/libcards.htm

San Jose, CA: http://ebooks.sjlibrary.org
Applications from nonresidents of the state of California are not accepted: http://www.sjlibrary.org/services/borrowing/cards.htm

Denver, CO: http://downloadmedia.denverlibrary.org
Applications from nonresidents of the state of Colorado are not accepted: http://denverlibrary.org/card/policies.html

Washington, DC: http://overdrive.dclibrary.org
Nonresidents of the District of Columbia can apply on-line for an unstated nonresident fee: http://dclibrary.org/dcpl/cwp/view.asp?a=1268&q=564469

HI (state): http://hawaii.lib.overdrive.com
Nonresidents of the state of Hawaii can apply by mail for $25 for five years or free with military ID: http://www.librarieshawaii.org/services/libcard.htm

Chicago, IL: http://overdrive.chipublib.org
Applications by nonresidents of Chicago, or at least of Illinois, appear to be discouraged: http://www.chipublib.org/howto/library_card.php

Hancock County, IN: http://www.hcplibrary.org/library/e-books.htm
It's unclear if nonresidents can apply: http://www.hcplibrary.org/library/yourcard.htm

New Orleans, LA: http://neworleans.lib.overdrive.com
Nonresidents of the metro area of New Orleans can apply by mail for $50 per year: http://neworleanspubliclibrary.org/~...eneralinfo.htm

Boston, MA: http://overdrive.bpl.org
Applications from nonresidents of the state of Massachusetts are not accepted: http://www.bpl.org/general/circulation/ecards.htm

MI (state) Library Consortium: http://ebooks.mlc.lib.mi.us
Nonresident applications: This varies by the many participating public libraries that utilize this statewide digital library service. Here are three of them:
The Dearborn library accepts applications from nonresidents in person for $80 per year: http://dearbornlibrary.org/
The Kalamazoo library accepts applications from nonresidents of Kalamazoo County in person for $185 per year: http://kpl.gov/account/card.aspx
The Grosse Point library accepts applications from nonresidents in person for $100 per year: http://www.gp.lib.mi.us/

West Bloomfield, MI: http://www.wblib.org/read/ebooksfaq.php
It's unclear if nonresidents can apply: http://www.wblib.org/index.php

Rochester, MN: http://digital.rochesterpubliclibrary.org
Nonresidents of the state of Minnesota can apply in person for $10 for two months: http://www.rochesterpubliclibrary.org/info/card.html

Starkville, MS: http://ebooks.starkville.lib.ms.us
It's unclear if nonresidents can apply: http://www.starkville.lib.ms.us/

Omaha, NE: http://ebooks.omahapubliclibrary.org
Nonresidents of Douglas County can apply by mail for $60 per year: http://www.omahapubliclibrary.org/ab...ardpolicy.html

Cherry Hill, NJ: http://cherryhill.lib.overdrive.com
Applications from nonresidents of nearby counties in the state of New Jersey are not accepted: http://www.cherryhill.lib.nj.us/room...age/Sirsi_HOME

NY (state): http://ebooks.nypl.org
Nonresidents of the state of New York can apply by mail for $100 per year: http://nypl.org/books/cards.html

Brooklyn, NY: http://digitalbooks.brooklynpubliclibrary.org
Applications from nonresidents of the state of New York are not accepted: http://www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org..._materials.jsp

White Plains, NY: http://digital.whiteplainslibrary.org
Nonresidents of the state of New York can apply in person for $75 per year: http://www.whiteplainslibrary.org/borrowing/cards.shtml

Clermont County, OH: http://www.clermontlibrary.org/ohioebookproj.shtml
Applications from nonresidents of Clermont County are accepted in person for free: http://www.clermontlibrary.org/servicesborrow.shtml

Cuyahoga County, OH: http://ebcd.cuyahogalibrary.org
It's unclear if nonresidents can apply: http://www.cuyahogalibrary.org/StdBa....aspx?id=11023

Dayton, OH: http://overdrive.daytonmetrolibrary.org
It's unclear if nonresidents can apply: http://www.daytonmetrolibrary.org/default/index.cfm

Stow-Munroe Falls, OH: http://www.smfpl.org/news.htm
It's unclear if nonresidents can apply: http://www.smfpl.org/polregistration.htm

Westerville County, OH: http://www.westervillelibrary.org/oep/
It's unclear if nonresidents can apply: http://www.westervillelibrary.org/

Harris County, TX: http://hcpl.lib.overdrive.com
It's unclear if nonresidents can apply: http://www.hcpl.net/about/libcards.htm

Fairfax County, VA: http://fairfax.lib.overdrive.com
Nonresidents of Fairfax County can apply by mail for $27 per year: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/cardelgb.htm

King County, WA: http://www.kcls.org/ecollection/
It's unclear if nonresidents of King and adjoining counties can apply: http://www.kcls.org/usingthelibrary/...wing_areas.cfm

[MidknytOwl]

Wow, that's an impressive list. I might have to harrass my dad for a Phoenix library card...

Las Vegas has ebooks as well: http://ebooks.lvccld.org/00887DE5-9A...4/en/index.htm

Anyone in the state of Nevada gets a free card with ID. You can get a guest card for three months that you can renew, but it says it reserves the right to charge a fee for it. (I've gotten month long guest passes for free).

I was really happy to learn I could check out library books now. Access to library books made me seriously debate a Cybook for a while, after I learned there were ebooks at libraries, but I figured the additional price to pay for it would buy more ebooks than I would probably ever use from a library.

I think this would be a big push over the Kindle for those debating between the two.

[nekokami]

I'm still hoping the iLiad will get DE support so I can start pressuring my local town library (or at least the local university library) to offer ebooks. My town library already offers audio books in digital form for checkout, so even though they just looked blank when I asked them about ebooks, I think there's hope....

Meanwhile, I'll have to consider that NY library membership. That's a good price, if they have the books I want to read.

[vivaldirules]

Curiously, the Washington, DC library did not charge me anything although I am clearly a nonresident and indicated that on my online application. I received a library card number in an email immediately and have just downloaded Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut to my Reader. I love libraries!

[JSWolf]

We live in Massachusetts. But my wife works for the Bank of New York. I am going to call and find out if we can get a library card without the $100 fee.

[vivaldirules]

Okay, I've decided to put all the info together on the Wiki page here. I have tried to format it so that it's easier to skim to find those libraries that grant nonresident borrowing privileges and I'll add the other libraries mentioned in this thread and few I found in Canada and Australia, too.

[JSWolf]

Because my wife works for the Bank of new York, if we go to New York and go into the library and she shows proof of her employment and proof of out address, the NYC library will issue her a library card without having to pay $100 a year,