Ebooks have proved once and for all that the most important aspect of books is the content. Few of us who have made the switch to digital reading would ever go back to dead-tree physical books, which is great news for the environment.
But unlike physical books (which, we have to admit, do look rather good on a shelf), ebooks just become names on a digital list after you've read them. Not pretty, not impressive and utterly redundant.
So, instead of buying, why not borrow? It's not widely publicised, but Britain is one of the world's best-served nations when it comes to digital lending, as most of our libraries have signed up to provide books through the DRM-managed OverDrive system.
Here, we'll show you how to fall in love with your local lending library all over again... without even having to go there!
Install OverDrive
Download the version of OverDrive Media Console for your device. We've supplied the necessary links below so you don't need to go looking for it.
- For iOS users it's a universal app, so a single download will install on both the iPhone and iPad. Grab it from here on the App Store.
- Android users will find it on the Android Market through this link. It requires Android version 1.5 or later.
- Windows Phone users running version 7 or later will find it on the Windows Marketplace here.
- Windows and Mac users who want to read books on their regular computers can download versions for each operating system through the OverDrive Software page.
When first installed, the only thing on your digital bookshelf is a welcome message. To borrow books you'll first need to add your local library.
Obviously you need to be a member of your library, as it needs some way of tracking how its budget is spent, so dig out your library card and then tap the Get Books+ button on the OverDrive toolbar, followed by Add a Library.
The OverDrive system maintains an extensive database of libraries around the world, so if you're a member of more than one -- perhaps one at home and one where you're studying -- you can add several to your account. Enter a search term, such as the name of your local authority or council, or tap Browse for Libraries, then dig through the list of results until you find your local library.
Tap your library's name in the Library Systems section to open its e-lending pages in your browser. Once there, tap Login and enter the long number displayed on your library card to authorise yourself with that institution.
Start borrowing
Assuming your membership hasn't lapsed, you'll now be able to both browse and search your library's electronic catalogue.
As is the case with physical books, there are limits on the number of consecutive copies of a digital book that your library can lend out. Although you'll most likely have a better chance of borrowing a bestseller this way than you would in the physical world, prepare yourself for the fact that the hottest new release might not be immediately available.
In the grab below, all copies of The Girl Who Played With Fire have already been loaned out, and there are two other people already on the waiting list to read it when it's been checked back in.
We'll borrow The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo instead, by tapping Add to Basket, after which we have 30 minutes to check out and download the book to our device.
Your library will inform you how long you have to read the book (21 days in this case). We don't want to borrow any other books (our library lets us borrow up to three at a time), so we'll tap Proceed to Checkout to download the book.
Authorising the loan
To stop you from copying and redistributing the book, OverDrive uses Adobe DRM. To unlock it you need an Adobe ID. This is free, but it does require that you hand over at the bare minimum a valid email address, your first and last name, your city, region and postcode.
If you don't already have an ID, sign up through this page at Adobe.com and then enter your details in the OverDrive app.
Reading your book
With your app authorised, your book will start to download and your details will be saved. You won't need to enter them again next time unless you delete your personal information from the OverDrive app.
To read your book, tap its cover on your digital bookshelf. Scroll through the pages by swiping them to the left and right, and change your reading preferences, such as font size and background colour (it's often easier to read with a sepia background as the contrast isn't so stark), by tapping the centre of the screen and using the menus at the top and bottom of the display.
Returning your book
Your book will expire at the end of your loan period, but if you finish reading it before then you should get into the habit of returning it to your library so that other members who might be waiting for it can get their digital hands on it.
To return the book, go back to your boookshelf and tap Edit. Use the delete icon that appears to the left of the book to remove it from the shelf and then tap Delete to confirm, choosing whether to first return it to the library (which we'd recommend) or simply delete it from your device.
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Comments 7
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Shirley Burnham 20 October, 2011 18:46
Libraries managers count the footfall of the UK's smaller public libraries and often use that data as a pretext to condemn these to death. Meanwhile, for some perverse reason, you are encouraging people to rest idly on their posterior parts, sparing them them the tedium of moving their legs, torsos and brains out into the community to participate in life. Beware ! This could well lead over time to an human evolutionary disaster -- a monster-race of the overweight, legless and socially isolated. Many many many thousands who have no desire thus to mutate will lose out, if your evangelism plays a leading role in wiping out the community libraries that they value and are currently struggling to defend.
anonymous 20 October, 2011 20:30
Good review, thank you!
I am an avid eBook (Nook) reader, but the prices of books are steep, sharing the cost across the community is a good idea.
As to the question what would happen to small community libraries? I am event organizer, too, let them allow and organize more events!
anonymous 21 October, 2011 09:32
@Shirley: You've watched Wll-E once too many times I fear.
anonymous 25 October, 2011 12:06
Really thought this would be a good idea! Your pictures are for ipads!!! The "get books button" in the tool bar!! Does not exist in the version I downloaded for windows 7 desktop!!! Any ideas???
Dan Mellins-Cohen 25 October, 2011 14:47
@Shirley - I'm trying to work out which part of your argument actually holds any water. So far I'm coming up empty.
Starting with footfall - even you didn't say that it would reduce book loan rates. Because obviously it wouldn't. In fact, it creates an option to rent the same book limitless times simultaneously, meaning more choice for customers and less headaches for admin, including no need for late fees and missed reservations as a result - books will just expire at the end of the period, one assumes. I'm not a fan of eReading on my Android phone, the screen is just too small for me, so while I've not tested the system to know if it does this, I do know that it's all technically possible.
So it's better for rental rates and for customer service.
OK so it reduces footfall, but realistically, the library hasn't been focused on book loans for over a decade now. It's a community centre, internet cafe, ACTUAL cafe, DVD & CD rental service and government information service. These are now generally the main reasons people go to a library and none of these reasons are affected by ebook rentals.
Laziness may be one reason, busyness is just as reasonable. I don't have the luxury of time to actually be able to get to my local libraries, either near my home or my work (at least now they've closed the closest one to my office), so having the option of using the service on my own terms, at any time of day, is immensely appealing. Believe it or not, not everyone who doesn't go to a library is an inactive slob!
But the worst part of all of this was that silly, ill-thought-out, Wall-E influenced claptrap that completely misunderstands how evolution works. For many reasons, from ill health to - as you rightly said - social isolation, the people that fit into the category you describe, will inevitably have less opportunity and ability to breed than those who are healthier, living longer, are more socially active and more sexually desirable, making them far more likely to spread their genes, not to mention upbringing and lifestyle choices, and become more dominant than their bloated stay-at-home cousins.
Incidentally, the fitness industry is the largest it's been in history and it's still growing. There is - and always will be - people who want to be fit and healthy and they will continue to breed.
Evolution is not simply a case of whatever is trending - it's whatever is breeding.
So no, it's not an evolutionary disaster. The human race will be just fine.
All that is happening is, like the internet access, DVD & CD rentals before it, the local library is finding another way to reach out and offer its services to a new generation of user. I always thought the original point of the library was to lend books? If that is what's happening, then surely this is going to energise a new generation of library enthusiasts - Only this time, they're focusing on their core service to interest their audience, from which point they can introduce the other services, rather than the other way around, which is what they do now, and which is clearly not working.
stevec611 27 October, 2011 22:50
Is it possible to use this system on a dedicated ebook reader? Sony, Kindle, Nook etc.
anonymous 13 January, 2012 16:18
I'm disabled Shirley , it's a blessing for me and prob many others in the same situ as me