E-Books - Tech Tips

New Features on OverDrive Mobile

More good news from OverDrive, the service provider behind our downloadable e-books and audiobooks! Based on patron feedback, they have made some improvements to their mobile interface. Here’s the rundown:

Patron-defined lending: Choose your own lending period for each title. Lending period options include 7, 14, or 21 days. If you plow through your e-media quickly, a shorter lending period can help to keep you from exceeding the 10 item checkout limit.
Advanced search: In addition to keyword search, you can now search by title, author, publisher, format, and more! This targeted approach should save you some search time.
Enhanced searching: After search results are returned, filters are available to help you narrow down further. One helpful filter will only show titles with copies available for immediate checkout. No more scrolling through page after page looking for a book you can download today.
Page numbers: Search results will now have page numbers so you can estimate the total number of results and keep track of your location within results.

We hope these features make your mobile downloading experience easier and faster than ever! Enjoy!

Got Sony Reader Wi-Fi?

Last week, I posted about how to download the library’s OverDrive titles directly to your Kindle. This week, another e-reader with direct download capability emerged. The newest in Sony’s e-reader line, officially named Sony Reader Wi-Fi, also allows you to checkout and download library e-books without a computer in the middle of the process. OverDrive has created an instructional video to teach Sony Reader Wi-Fi users this new download method.

Happy downloading!

Got Kindle?

You asked for it, and now it’s here! Our OverDrive downloadable e-books are now available for Kindle devices and apps.

To download an e-book to your Kindle, visit our Digital Collection. Search for a book you would like to download. If it has this icon: add that version to your digital bookbag and download. Downloading will prompt you to login to your Amazon account. From there, you can send the title to your Kindle device or app. For detailed instructions, please see our website.

OverDrive App Update

If you use the OverDrive App to download library content to your Apple, Android, Blackberry, or Windows (phone) device, you may be interested in downloading the latest update. The app now has the capacity to remember your user ID for 90 days, so you won’t need to keep typing it in. Just check the “Remember me on this device” box next time you check out an item and you’re set! If your library requires a PIN in addition to the user ID, this will need entered at each login.

E-Book explosion

With the proliferation of e-readers comes an increasing demand for e-books in libraries. Many libraries offer free downloadable e-books and audiobooks, but they may not be compatible with all readers. If you are a patron at the East Greenbush Community Library (or any Upper Hudson library), you can find our digital collection here. In addition to your public library, there are several sources of free, legal e-book downloads. Here are a few to get you started:

Also, check with the vendor of your device. For example, if you own a Nook, you can search the Barnes and Noble website for free e-books. Ditto with the iTunes store and any of the Apple family of devices. Happy e-reading!