Overdrive_tablets by Shortgrass Library System

Introduction to eBooks

Introduction to eBooks for Tablets (e.g. Apple & Android Devices)

Revised April 2013 AMC

Introduction to eBooks

Revised April 2013 AMC

Introduction to eBooks

How to Use This Handout This handout is designed to teach the basics of how to find and download eBooks using the Library to Go catalogue and how to transfer them to a portable device. If you are new to eBooks you should start on page 2, while the more tech-savvy may want to jump ahead to one of the sections listed below.

Table of Contents General Information About Getting eBooks from the Library

Downloading and Using the OverDrive Media Console App

Picture Guide to the OverDrive Media Console App

Returning Your eBooks Early

Downloading an eBook Directly to a Sony Wifi eReader

Tips for Searching

Freading & Help

1 Revised April 2013 AMC

Introduction to eBooks

eBooks and eAudiobooks from the Library Medicine Hat Public Library pays a company called OverDrive to provide access to copyright-protected eBooks for Library patrons. Anyone with a valid library membership and a PIN number can access these resources from home. Currently, patrons can have up to 5 electronic titles checked out at once and each title can be kept for a maximum of 3 weeks. At the end of the lending period, each title will automatically expire. There are no late fees! While the file will still be visible on your computer or portable device, you will not be able to open it and it can be deleted. Due to restrictions imposed by book publishers, only one person may have an electronic title checked out at once. So when someone checks out The 9th Confession by James Patterson, that book is unavailable to everyone else until it is returned (just like a physical library).

eBooks and eAudiobook Formats Library eBooks come in two formats: ePub and PDF. The main difference between the two formats is that ePub books have reflowable text: as you increase the text size, the words automatically shuffle to fit your screen. PDF books do not have this feature, so when you increase the text size you may need to scroll from left to right to read everything on the page. Both formats are compatible with PCs, Macs, and most portable eReaders like the Sony Reader, Kobo and Nook. The iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch are also compatible with ePub files when downloaded directly to the device using the OverDrive Media Console App. eAudiobooks from the Library come in two formats: MP3 and WMA. Both formats will work on PCs , unfortunately, WMA files are not are not compatible with Apple or Android devices and cannot be downloaded directly through the OverDrive Media Console App.

Introducing OverDrive Read - a Browser Based eBook Reader Recently OverDrive introduced an new in-browser reader for eBooks - while this doesn’t change the process of how you borrow or download your books to your tablet, it does give you another option for reading your eBook directly on your computer. It works just like any eBook reading app, except you don’t need to activate or install extra software. All you need is a computer, tablet, or mobile device with a modern web browser (preferably Google Chrome). Once you’ve borrowed a title, click the Read button next to a supported eBook on your bookshelf to open it in a new tab or window.

2 Revised April 2013 AMC

Introduction to eBooks

Downloading eBooks & eAudiobooks Directly to a Portable Device Downloading & Install the App Overdrive Media Console Mobile is a free app available for most iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch, Android, Blackberry and Windows Mobile devices. This app allows you to download titles directly to your device over Wi-Fi or 3g. However, not all file formats are currently compatible. Apple devices, for example, only support eBooks in ePub format and eAudiobooks in MP3 format. You can download the app from the app store for your device, or by going directly to www.overdrive.com/ software/omc/ from your device’s internet browser. You must register your Adobe ID with the Overdrive Media Console Mobile app. To access this area, go to the Settings menu in the app and if you don’t have an Adobe ID select the option to get one. . Downloading an eBook Once you have installed the app and registered it with your Adobe ID, you will choose the “Get Books” option in the app, add a Library and then search for the Medicine Hat Public Library option. This will bring up “Library to Go” – selecting this will take you to the Library to Go website where you can browse or search for the eBooks you’d like to borrow. You can quickly tell which titles are available and which ones you can place on hold by the format icon in the top-right corner of a cover image. If a title isn’t available, the icon will be greyed out. Available items can be checked out while unavailable items can be placed on hold. Item is available

Item is not available

When you have found an eBook that interests you, simply click on the book cover or title for more information. If the “Borrow” option is visible then the book is available to download and you can click to move to the next step. If you see “Place a Hold” instead, then the item is checked out by someone else and you can click to enter your email address and receive notification when the item is available. Once the item is available for download, you will have three days to complete the checkout. After you click “Borrow” you will be asked to sign in with your library barcode and PIN. Once you’ve signed in, you will be able to click the “Download” button. Your title will then be loaded onto your bookshelf and you can continue browsing for more items or go to your bookshelf to start reading your book. NOTE Library books borrowed through the OverDrive Media Console app will always be found by opening that app on your device. For example, if you downloaded a title on your Kobo Vox using OverDrive, the next time you wanted to go and read it, you would open the app instead of looking for the title in your library.

**The images on the next two pages are taken from an Apple iPhone and show the process exactly for borrowing books on Apple devices. The same process should also work for most Android devices, however the screens may look slightly different.** Revised April 2013 AMC

Introduction to eBooks

Revised April 2013 AMC

Introduction to eBooks

Returning eBooks Directly from Your Portable Device You can also return your eBooks directly from your portable device by using the OverDrive Media Console app. Pressing the “+” sign will bring up an option to “Return/Delete” the book. When you click that button, you will then be given the option to delete only, or delete and return the book. Deleting the book only will free up space on your device, while deleting and returning the book will also free up space for another title in your Library to Go account.

Revised April 2013 AMC

Introduction to eBooks

Downloading an eBook Directly to a Sony Wifi eReader The Sony WiFi eReader will allow you to borrow eBooks from the library directly on your device without the use of Adobe Digital Editions or any external applications. To download books onto your device, use the following procedure. 1. Turn on your device 2. Go to page 2 (using the arrow button), or on the newer devices press the “Menu” button and select the “Public Library” icon. 3. If you are asked to set up an account in the Sony eReader store, follow the prompts to do so. This will authorize your eReader to open the library books you borrow. 4. In the “Public Library” section, select the option to “Discover More” or “Find a Library” 5. Type in “Medicine Hat” into the search area and press the small magnifying next to it 6. Select the “Medicine Hat Public Library System” and then select the “Library to Go” option – this will take you to the Library to Go homepage where you can login, search for, and download your eBooks.

Returning eBooks Directly on a Sony Wifi eReader To return your eBooks directly from your Sony Wifi eReader use the following procedure. 1. Select the “Books” icon on your eReader screen 2. Press the Menu button (should be the one furthest to the right on the bottom of your eReader) 3. Select “Return Books” 4. Select which books you’d like to return by checking the appropriate boxes (should appear on/beside any library titles you have checked out) 5. Press “Done” (top right hand corner of the screen)

Revised April 2013 AMC

Introduction to eBooks

Tips for Finding a Book in Library to Go You can browse for titles by clicking the menu button at the top of the page and selecting the category you’d like to browse through , or you can search for a particular title or author by clicking the “Search” button .

By clicking on the account icon, you can see what items you have signed out, items you have a hold on, and items you’ve placed on your wish list. By clicking the settings icon on that screen you can also change the default settings for how long your eBooks and eAudiobooks are checked out for. If you are looking for help, please click the “?” to access the help menu.

Revised April 2013 AMC

Introduction to eBooks

Freading As an alternative to the Library to Go catalogue, you can also borrow eBooks through the Freading website. As the name suggests, Freading is free to Shortgrass Library System patrons. At the beginning of each week (Monday morning) you will receive six (6) tokens - virtual currency - which you can exchange for eBooks at a cost of either 1, 2 or 4 tokens per eBook. The cost of each eBook is determined by the publisher. Unused tokens roll over each week until the end of the month. Unlike Library to Go, you can renew each Freading eBook for an additional 2-week period and most renewals are free.

Borrowing an eBook To borrow a Freading eBook, visit the Freading website at www.shortgrass.freading.com and login using your library barcode and PIN. Once you’re logged in you can see your account information such as the number of tokens available and the link to see what books you have downloaded already. You can also search for a particular book or browse through the various collections featured at the top of the page.

Once you find a book you’d like to borrow, click on the cover to go to the book page where you can select the type of file you’d like to download (EPUB or PDF), and select the “Open in OverDrive” button. Please note that the file name for Freading books start with URLLink. To renew your books, log in to your account, select My Downloads and click the download link to check the book out for an additional two weeks.

If You Need Help… There is an excellent help menu in Library to Go that provides answers to all kinds of problems. Click the “Help” button at the top of the screen to get there. There is also a list of FAQs on the Freading homepage. Of course, you can always direct your questions to library staff either in person or over the phone at 403-502-8525. Revised April 2013 AMC