Finding Digital Library Material

For a long time when I talked to people about the easiest way to find e-books and e-audiobooks from the library, I admit that I would frequently recommend just skipping the Library’s online catalog. If you wanted to borrow a digital item, you would have to go to the Ohio Digital Library to find out if it was available, and then if it was, download it, or if it wasn’t, put it on hold. Then Hoopla came along, which offers another option for e-audio, so that added another site to check.   

 

But with a recent update to the Library’s online catalog, Encore, searching for digital materials has become so much better that I encourage everyone to start their search there. (Encore is the version of the catalog that’s on the Library’s home page on the left side.) Now the catalog lists what I think are the three most important facts about digital material.

 

1. Is the item available? 

 

This was always the big problem with searching for digital materials in the catalog previously. There would be a moment of elation when you discovered the library owned the e-book, only to have your joy melt away when you connected to the Ohio Digital Library and saw there were no available copies. Now you can see whether or not a digital item is available without ever leaving the Library’s catalog.

 



 

2. How long is the hold list and how many copies are there? 

 

If an item isn’t available, I can’t help asking “How long is the hold list?” The length of the list is now available in the catalog, although a long list should never deter you from placing a hold. If enough SCDL patrons want the same item, there’s a good chance more copies will be purchased. 

 

3. What site has the item? 

 

When the Library added Hoopla service, a second place to find e-audiobooks opened up. But rather than checking the Ohio Digital Library and Hoopla to see if either site has the item and if it’s available (Hoopla titles are always available), that information is easy to spot in the catalog.

 

 

Of course, the other great bonus here is that for those of us who want a book so badly we don’t care if it’s e-book, hardback, paperback, CD, e-audio, or any other format that can be imagined, there’s one simple place to start looking—the Library’s catalog. 

 

Shelia

 

 

 

 

 

Getting Adobe Digital Editions

Adobe Digital Editions is free eBook reading software made by Adobe Systems (same folks that bring you Flash).  Digital Editions allows you to read and manage eBooks, and it is required to check out free public library eBooks in PDF or ePUB formats. Many public library books available through Overdrive are in either the ePUB or PDF formats.  These can be read on Nooks, Kobos, Sony Readers, and many other non-Kindle eReaders.

This post will take you through the steps necessary to get Digital Editions on your own computer, so you can get free library eBooks!  You will only need to go through this process once.

To get Digital Editions, you must have an Adobe ID and the latest version of Flash (another free download). 
If you don't have an Adobe account, you can create one (for free) here .  It is a good idea to use the same e-mail address for your Adobe ID that you will be using to check out library books.

Please note that this install was done on a computer using Windows XP.  If you have a different operating system, the screen make look a little different, though the process will be the same.

1) An easy way to get started with Digital Editions is to first go to the Ohio eBook Project website at ohioebooks.com.   This is the site you will use to find and check out books.  On the right side of the page, there is a panel called "Getting Started".  Click on the link that says Adobe Digital Editions.

2) You will be taken to this page, where you need to click on Download Adobe Digital Editions:

3) This will take you to the Adobe website.About halfway down the page, there is a box that says Adobe Digital Editions Installer.  You need to click on the brown button that says Install

4) The button will transform into two buttons, Install or Cancel.  If you wish to proceed with the download, you must click Install

5) A dialog box will appear asking which components you wish to install.  Two are required, the shortcuts are not.  They make it easier to access Digital Editions once it is installed.

6)The next dialog box informs you where on your computer the download will be installed.  You can choose a different location if you like, or just click the Install button.

7)When your installation is finished, you will see this message.  Click close to launch Digital Editions.

8) Digital Editions will launch and you will be guided through the set-up assistant.  Click continue here.

9)You will need to authorize your computer using your Adobe ID.  Enter your e-mail address and your Adobe password.

10) On the next screen, click Finish to activate Digital Editions

11) You have now installed Adobe Digital Editions!  You will use it to read eBooks and transfer free public library eBooks from your computer to your eReader device.

Summer Read Recommendations by Better Homes and Gardens

Hi Everyone,
Just a small note from the desk of Dee.
Better Homes and Gardens published a list of summer reads in their August 2012 issue.  For those of you who are digital or hard copy readers, I have provided the list with links to copies found in the Ohio eBook Project as well as the SCDL catalog.  Click on the link and you will be taken directly to the catalog record for requesting your library digital or paper copy.

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter (digital edition)
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter (paper copy)

In The Shadow Of The Banyan by Vaddey Ratner (library digital copy NA)
In The Shadow Of The Banyan by Vaddey Ratner (paper copy, put ordered copy on hold)

Wife 22 by Melanie Gideon (digital edition)
Wife 22 by Melanie Gideon (paper copy)

The Queen's Lover by Francine du Plessix Gray (library digital copy NA)
The Queen's Lover by Francine du Plessix Gray (paper copy)

Little Century by Anna Keesey (library digital copy NA)
Little Century by Anna Keesey (paper copy)

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (digital edition)
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (paper copy)


The Next Best Thing by Jennifer Weiner (digital digital)
The Next Best Thing by Jennifer Weiner (paper copy)

Enjoy your summer reading!
Dee

The Book Depository

The Book Depository is a British bookseller whose motto is “All Books To All” and “selling less of more rather than more of less.”  This includes offering over 11,000 free e-books, many from their own imprint, Dodo Press.  At this time, the free ebooks are only available as PDFs, which can be read using Adobe Reader, a free software.  (To download Adobe Reader, go to: http://get.adobe.com/reader.)  Most e-readers, including the Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble Nook, can read PDF e-books.

Home Page

To get free e-books available from The Book Depository, go to: http://www.bookdepository.com/free.  The home page offers information about The Book Depository’s free e-books.  Click on Search free eBooks to start looking for e-books.

Search

Enter a title, author, or other keyword in the Add keywords box and click Refire Search.

Search Results

All of the e-books matching the search will be displayed.  Click on the title to find out more about the book or click Get Free eBook to be taken to the book’s record.

Record

The record includes information about the book, as well as a link to purchase the book or download the free PDF.  To get the e-book, click on Download free eBook PDF.

Downloading
A popup box will appear.  If you chose to Save, be sure to give the PDF a name and note where it is being saved.  Alternatively, choose to Open and start reading.

OR

Transferring to an E-Reader

Plug the e-reader into the computer using the USB cable.  Locate the file on the computer.  Go to Computer and where the e-reader should be listed as a device.  Left click, hold, and drag the e-book  to the e-reader.

For most e-readers, this is the final step.  If using a Kindle, double click Kindle to open.  Left click, hold, and drag the e-book into the documents folder.

Return Nook Library Books Before They Are Due

There has been a lot of attention paid to Kindles lately, but the Stark County District Library has not forgotten that a lot of people use other devices, such as Nooks, to check out library eBooks.  If you use a Nook or another device that uses Adobe Digital Editions to organize your eBooks, you may be wondering how to return your library book.

As you may already know, your library loan will automatically expire after 14 days.  At the end of that period, your eBook will be "returned"; you will no longer be able to access it and you will never have to worry about late fees.  Some folks would like to return their books before their 14 days are up.  Possibly to be a good Samaritan (so someone else can check it out), or maybe to check out more books, since the Ohio eBook Project imposes a 10 checkout per card maximum.  If you use Adobe Digital Editions, it is a very quick process to return a public library eBook:

1) Open Adobe Digital Editions

2) Find the title you wish to return, and click once on the arrow that appears just to the left of the book jacket.  On the bottom of the list that appears is "Return Borrowed Item". Click on it.

3) You will be asked to confirm that you want to return your book.  If you are sure, click "Return".

4) Your book has now been returned!