Your local library and e-books

forumshrew · 08-01-2013, 01:31 PM

Just curious as to what your local library offers in the way of borrowing ebooks.

My hometown of Greenhills, Ohio library system allows up to 20 ebooks at a time through Overdrive, as well as downloads from Freading using a token system (12 tokens a week, left over tokens rollover for a month and then expire if not used). On Freading books are assigned a token value of 4, 2, or 1 tokens depending on various factors.

[image: Flickr]

PurpleStar · 08-01-2013, 01:44 PM

My library has a pretty good selection of ebooks on overdrive. I believe the checkout limit is 15 at a time and they can be checked out for 3 weeks. It also has Freading, but I haven't really borrowed from it a lot. Though, there are books I'm interested in reading from there and I do like the points system it uses rather than the hold system overdrive has.

latepaul · 08-01-2013, 01:53 PM

No ebooks at my local library.

Sydney's Mom · 08-01-2013, 02:08 PM

My local library (suburb outside Chicago) has joined a consortium of other small libraries, and allows 5 books for up to three weeks plus unlimited magazines that have no due date.

pidgeon92 · 08-01-2013, 02:25 PM

In Chicago, I can check out 6 digital files, and put only 3 on hold. Not very generous, but I suppose as big a system as it is limits need to be curtailed somewhat.

Catlady · 08-01-2013, 02:36 PM

Wow. My library allows me to check out 50 Overdrive items.

Stephjk · 08-01-2013, 02:38 PM

Only streamed ebooks at my local library. So you have to be online to read them. Plenty of audiobook downloads though.

tubemonkey · 08-01-2013, 02:54 PM

I belong to multiple libraries. Of the five libraries I use most, I have access to OverDrive, Zinio, OneClickDigital, Axis360, TumbleBooks, Disney Digital, BookFlix, 3M Cloud Library, EbscoHost, and a few others. I only use OverDrive and Zinio, because I haven't felt the need to use any of the others.

For ebooks, I have collections ranging in size from 11,000+ to 56,000+ titles; for audiobooks, it's 7,000+ to 20,000+ titles. I have checkout limits of 8 to 30 titles, hold limits of 8 to 25 titles, and loan periods of 21 days.

BWinmill · 08-01-2013, 04:09 PM

It's something like 20 ebooks from my public library. Loan periods seem to vary from 1 to 3 weeks.

The selection seems to be decent, though I suspect that different patrons would give answers from poor to great. Some categories have lots of books. Other categories have a handful of books.

Jessica Lares · 08-01-2013, 09:03 PM

We have EBSCO, Freading, Gale Virtual Reference, North Texas Libraries On the Go, and all this other wonderful stuff. And of course my college has even more goodies, including JSTOR.

I haven't bothered with audiobooks yet, since I'm an Audible subscriber. Got too much on my hands.

PG4003 · 08-01-2013, 09:35 PM

My local library (Kentucky Libraries Unbound) uses Overdrive, and has a very good selection of both ebooks and audiobooks. A total of 10 items can be checked out at a time. Ebooks can be kept up to 21 days, audiobooks 14 days. The only thing I find annoying is that WMA audiobooks cannot be returned early through Overdrive.

CarolineNH · 08-01-2013, 09:55 PM

I am in a small town in southeastern New Hampshire. Our library belongs to a consortium that includes two other small-town libraries, and they have audiobooks and e-books available through the Overdrive system. We can take out 3 digital files, either audio or e-book, at a time and can keep them for two weeks. They also have a selection of "always available" books - mostly classics - that don't count toward your 3-book limit.

AnemicOak · 08-01-2013, 10:03 PM

We have OverDrive (57,602 eBooks, 14,606 Audiobooks, also music & videos) up to 15 at once and 15 holds.

We also have Zinio for magazines, and also EBSCO.

SteveEisenberg · 08-01-2013, 10:10 PM

As a resident of Pennsylvania, I can, and do, get a free card from any county I visit. A few counties don't let out of area card holders use Overdrive, but most do. I also have the out of area Brooklyn membership.

Since I read at most two books at once, how many I can take out hasn't ever been something I needed to take note of.

I mostly use Overdrive, which is far superior to the other service I sometimes use, 3M. I also download lots of magazine articles from the web and via EBSCOhost.

speakingtohe · 08-01-2013, 10:43 PM

Wow my libraries have 5 holds and 5 checkouts allowed from Overdrive which is generally what I use. 20 seems amazingly generous. I do belong to 3 libraries which gives me enough really and I am able to join a few more I am sure.

Holds are more important to me in the grand scheme so I always try to keep 1 or two available at each library.

Helen

08-01-2013, 01:31 PM	#1
forumshrew Member Posts: 22 Karma: 85746 Join Date: May 2012 Device: Asus Transformer	Your local library and e-books Just curious as to what your local library offers in the way of borrowing ebooks. My hometown of Greenhills, Ohio library system allows up to 20 ebooks at a time through Overdrive, as well as downloads from Freading using a token system (12 tokens a week, left over tokens rollover for a month and then expire if not used). On Freading books are assigned a token value of 4, 2, or 1 tokens depending on various factors. [image: Flickr] Last edited by Alexander Turcic; 08-02-2013 at 04:17 AM. Reason: moved to frontpage

08-01-2013, 10:03 PM	#13
AnemicOak Bookaholic Posts: 14,391 Karma: 54969924 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Minnesota Device: iPad Mini 4, AuraHD, iPhone XR +	We have OverDrive (57,602 eBooks, 14,606 Audiobooks, also music & videos) up to 15 at once and 15 holds. We also have Zinio for magazines, and also EBSCO. Last edited by AnemicOak; 08-01-2013 at 10:30 PM.

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08-01-2013, 01:44 PM	#2
PurpleStar Wizard Posts: 1,622 Karma: 11387182 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Clara Colour	My library has a pretty good selection of ebooks on overdrive. I believe the checkout limit is 15 at a time and they can be checked out for 3 weeks. It also has Freading, but I haven't really borrowed from it a lot. Though, there are books I'm interested in reading from there and I do like the points system it uses rather than the hold system overdrive has.

08-01-2013, 01:53 PM	#3
latepaul Wizard Posts: 1,265 Karma: 10203040 Join Date: Dec 2011 Device: a variety (mostly kindles and kobos)	No ebooks at my local library.

08-01-2013, 02:08 PM	#4
Sydney's Mom Wizard Posts: 2,896 Karma: 6995721 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Idaho, on the side of a mountain Device: Kindle Oasis, Fire 3d Gen and 5th Gen and Samsung Tab S	My local library (suburb outside Chicago) has joined a consortium of other small libraries, and allows 5 books for up to three weeks plus unlimited magazines that have no due date.

08-01-2013, 02:25 PM	#5
pidgeon92 Wizard Posts: 3,144 Karma: 8426142 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Chicago, IL Device: Kindle PW2, Kindle Voyage, Kindle DXG, Boox M90, Kobo Aura HD	In Chicago, I can check out 6 digital files, and put only 3 on hold. Not very generous, but I suppose as big a system as it is limits need to be curtailed somewhat.

08-01-2013, 02:36 PM	#6
Catlady Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,365 Karma: 52613881 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: Kindle Fire, Kindle Paperwhite, AGPTek Bluetooth Clip	Wow. My library allows me to check out 50 Overdrive items.

08-01-2013, 02:38 PM	#7
Stephjk Cruiser Posts: 525 Karma: 1157886 Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: on a small yacht! Device: kobo glo, samsung galaxy tab note	Only streamed ebooks at my local library. So you have to be online to read them. Plenty of audiobook downloads though.

08-01-2013, 02:54 PM	#8
tubemonkey monkey on the fringe Posts: 45,668 Karma: 158546452 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Seattle Metro Device: Moto E6, Echo Show	I belong to multiple libraries. Of the five libraries I use most, I have access to OverDrive, Zinio, OneClickDigital, Axis360, TumbleBooks, Disney Digital, BookFlix, 3M Cloud Library, EbscoHost, and a few others. I only use OverDrive and Zinio, because I haven't felt the need to use any of the others. For ebooks, I have collections ranging in size from 11,000+ to 56,000+ titles; for audiobooks, it's 7,000+ to 20,000+ titles. I have checkout limits of 8 to 30 titles, hold limits of 8 to 25 titles, and loan periods of 21 days.

08-01-2013, 04:09 PM	#9
BWinmill Nameless Being	It's something like 20 ebooks from my public library. Loan periods seem to vary from 1 to 3 weeks. The selection seems to be decent, though I suspect that different patrons would give answers from poor to great. Some categories have lots of books. Other categories have a handful of books.

08-01-2013, 09:03 PM	#10
Jessica Lares Wizard Posts: 2,240 Karma: 5759170 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Near Dallas, Texas, USA Device: iPad Mini, iPod Touch (5th gen)	We have EBSCO, Freading, Gale Virtual Reference, North Texas Libraries On the Go, and all this other wonderful stuff. And of course my college has even more goodies, including JSTOR. I haven't bothered with audiobooks yet, since I'm an Audible subscriber. Got too much on my hands.

08-01-2013, 09:35 PM	#11
PG4003 Addict Posts: 381 Karma: 987250 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Kentucky Device: Kindle PW I & II, Kindle Voyage, Fire HD 7", Fire HD 8.9"	My local library (Kentucky Libraries Unbound) uses Overdrive, and has a very good selection of both ebooks and audiobooks. A total of 10 items can be checked out at a time. Ebooks can be kept up to 21 days, audiobooks 14 days. The only thing I find annoying is that WMA audiobooks cannot be returned early through Overdrive.

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08-01-2013, 09:55 PM	#12
CarolineNH Expert napper Posts: 112 Karma: 77362 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: New Hampshire Device: Kindle Paperwhite, iPad Pro, Kindle Fire 10	I am in a small town in southeastern New Hampshire. Our library belongs to a consortium that includes two other small-town libraries, and they have audiobooks and e-books available through the Overdrive system. We can take out 3 digital files, either audio or e-book, at a time and can keep them for two weeks. They also have a selection of "always available" books - mostly classics - that don't count toward your 3-book limit.

08-01-2013, 10:10 PM	#14
SteveEisenberg Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,200 Karma: 40000000 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: near Philadelphia USA Device: Kindle Kids Edition, Fire HD 10 (11th generation)	As a resident of Pennsylvania, I can, and do, get a free card from any county I visit. A few counties don't let out of area card holders use Overdrive, but most do. I also have the out of area Brooklyn membership. Since I read at most two books at once, how many I can take out hasn't ever been something I needed to take note of. I mostly use Overdrive, which is far superior to the other service I sometimes use, 3M. I also download lots of magazine articles from the web and via EBSCOhost.

08-01-2013, 10:43 PM	#15
speakingtohe Wizard Posts: 4,812 Karma: 26912940 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: sony PRS-T1 and T3, Kobo Mini and Aura HD, Tablet	Wow my libraries have 5 holds and 5 checkouts allowed from Overdrive which is generally what I use. 20 seems amazingly generous. I do belong to 3 libraries which gives me enough really and I am able to join a few more I am sure. Holds are more important to me in the grand scheme so I always try to keep 1 or two available at each library. Helen