Free ebooks at your local library

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Globolt

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#90437 21-Sep-2011 23:23

In a story in the Hutt news it says they are increasing technology (radio frequency self book checkout) and getting rid of staff.

But the interesting thing that is mentioned hidden down in the story on is that they are getting into ebooks.

Does anybody have any idea how this will work? Will other libraries do this also. Will you be able to get the latest books free from your library rather than Amazon?

Love to find out more if anybody knows how this will or may work. Anybody got any ideas?

The story is here:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/local-papers/hutt-news/5652479/Hutt-libraries-staff-bruised-and-bitter

tomgeeknz

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#524347 21-Sep-2011 23:33

Christchurch City Libraries already do it http://christchurchcitylibraries.com/Collections/Ebooks/Overdrive/

tdgeek

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#524349 21-Sep-2011 23:34

Look at Overdrive, I installed the Overdrive app and set it to my library card number. It will show you the libraries in NZ that support this technology. I downloaded a book as a test. You can order a book if it is out. Even though an eBook is data, they have a licence for x copies so it can still be out on loan. You read the eBook, and it will delete on the return date if you don't request an extension. There is plenty of detail. Books at the library, if they are in, how many in the waiting list, where you are on the waitng list.

Well worth a look. iOS and Android

davidcole

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#524415 22-Sep-2011 08:46

Wellington library also already has ebooks (via overdrive - which is what lower hutt will do ).

It is free, but the catalog I've found hard to browse (easier if you know what your want) and you can only "hire" a book for 14 days. Which is shorter than getting a real book out,.

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LCaracossa

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#527025 29-Sep-2011 05:51

I can think of two ways this might work, one in which the library does the lend-and-grab-back routine and the other where it simply gives e-books away for free. The first way would involve letting you download a copy onto an e-reader or computer, with a timer on it that deletes it after the time is up (with renewal option of course). The second way would just download the book and you've got it forever.

But I'm also guessing that a lot of this will bypass the standard public library format so that we end up with a virtual library that has no building.

Nety

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#527036 29-Sep-2011 06:38

Looks like Kindle support has just been rolled out in US library's. Hope it is added for NZ too.

http://overdrive.com/news/OverDrive-and-Amazon-launch-Kindle-compatibility-with-Library-eBooks

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LCaracossa

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#527038 29-Sep-2011 06:48

That's interesting. The article suggests that the library is doing this via Amazon, so that the borrower would check the book out and then go to Amazon to actually download it. There are some books available in mobi format at other sites than Amazon, though, that Amazon doesn't even carry. I wonder how that would work out, or if it would?

Kyanar

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#528239 2-Oct-2011 12:31

LCaracossa: That's interesting. The article suggests that the library is doing this via Amazon, so that the borrower would check the book out and then go to Amazon to actually download it. There are some books available in mobi format at other sites than Amazon, though, that Amazon doesn't even carry. I wonder how that would work out, or if it would?

Not all titles are available via Kindle Library Lending. I went on to Beverly Hills Public Library's digital library page, and there's a rather large "Kindle Lending now available" banner which when clicked goes to a search results page for all the Kindle compatible titles. All 324 of them. (Then I checked the "All eBook Titles" page and noticed it came up to the same number. That's really, really slack). Either way, Kindle compatible titles have a "Kindle Book" option above the regular "Adobe ePub Book" option, with a separate "Add to My Cart" or "Join the Waiting List" option.