Step by step: How to borrow library books via Overdrive on the prs-600

[ebooker]

So for the first time I successfully borrowed an ebook from the New York Public Library for my prs-600. Thought I'd write up what I did in case anyone else is struggling with it.

Its amazing to me Sony hasnt given us clear step-by-step instructions on how to do this (much touted feature).

It does work though and its spectacular.

Here's how I did it:

0) Before starting, I had my prs-600 connected and sony's EBL software open and running.

1) As instructed by the Sony EBL software (main page, bottom, "library finder" link), I went to http://sonysearch.overdrive.com. Entered my zipcode, a list of "local libraries" appeared. Living in manhattan, that list was almost 500 items long, lol. Presumably I could go to any of these branches and so long as i had a library card, and so long as they had ebooks to offer. I do have an NYPL library card so I chose that. I think technically though I could borrow ebooks in a library in Kansas so long as I had the library card.
I noticed tho that NYPL allows you to open an account online, does that mean you dont even need to show up in person to get a library card?
And if other libraries do that, why not unify one national library card? Then when you want an ebook, search across all the nation's libraries for it in one shot? Ah, a guy can dream. But shit like that is increasingly possible with the e-book.

2) clicked on the link for NYPL, which took me to their ebooks page. Looked up a book, clicked "checkout". It prompted me for my 14-digit library card number and pin number (which amazingly I remembered). Then NYPL basically gave me a "download" link. I clicked it and it saved a file called something like "linkurl.ascm" to my local computer. I presumed that this was a adobe digital editions link of some kind and not the actual book itself. I was hoping not to have to install ADE but no luck. I tried clicking on the link, and importing it into sony's EBL, but that had no effect on anything, so off I went looking for adobe digital editions.

3) downloaded adobe digital edition, installed it. In the setup process it made me do three things. (a) register for an account at adobe digital editions; (b) authorize my local pc; (c) then it automatically recognized that my prs-600 was plugged in and went into 'device setup' wizard and had me authorize the prs-600. Now both prs-600 and my computer appeared as devices in the ADE interface.

4) Then it just sat there and stared at me. Now what? Feeling increasingly like I was playing a game of Zork, I went back to the file I got from NYPL, and on a whim, double clicked it. Presto. Next thing I know ADE is busily downloading my selected book. It then appeared in the ADE library.

5) Next, within ADE, I dragged the library book to my prs-600. That loaded it onto the device. If you look at the info on the book, indeed it says that it will expire in 21 days. And yup at this point you can disconnect the reader and open the book and read it on the reader.

Note that not once did I need to have sony's EBL open or running during this process, as far as I can tell, although for the first time through, some other threads here have mentioned that ADE wont recognize the device unless EBL is running and connected to the device. Feel free to experiment, but I think the next time I do this, I may not need EBL running since now ADE has authorized the prs-600. So next time I think I'll just open up ADE and then use my web browser to go directly to the NYPL ebook page and download stuff.

6) One last step -- I wanted to put my borrowed book into the proper folder (or 'collection') on the prs-600. I didnt know if I could do this within ADE. ADE has something called "bookshelves". Is that the same as collections? I dont think so, and anyway my existing collections on the prs600 did not sync and appear on the ADE interface. So how to move the book into its collection? For this part I used the sony EBL software. In EBL, the book appears on the reader but not on the local computer, since it was placed in the reader by ADE. So within EBL I first dragged a copy of it from the prs-600 to my local library on the laptop. Then on the laptop, I dragged it into the right collection folder. Then I hit sync. (I only sync selected collection folders). And that successfully "moved" the book, on the prs-600, into the right collection folder.

Hope that helps someone I dont think any of this is in the manual!

[igorsk]

EBL 3.0 should have been able to handle the ascm file. Maybe the installation didn't work properly or library servers didn't set up MIME types. What browser did you use?

[ebooker]

Originally Posted by igorsk

EBL 3.0 should have been able to handle the ascm file. Maybe the installation didn't work properly or library servers didn't set up MIME types. What browser did you use?

I used ie8. EBL definitely didnt do anything as I downloaded the ascm file. I can try it again at some point soon.
If EBL can handle ascm files, then technically there's no reason to install ADE, right? (Unless EBL doesnt handle them right).

[igorsk]

Yes, it even registers "eBook Library.exe" as handler for .acsm file. Maybe next time try dropping the file onto the exe?