OverDrive Tutorial
How to Access E-books Using OverDrive Patrons of Clarion Free Library can now download and access e-books using Clarion Free Library's OverDrive service. OverDrive is an e-book provider powered by Amazon. E-reader devices compatible with OverDrive include Windows- or iOS-based computers; iPhones, Droids, and other smartphones; iPods; dedicated e-readers such as Kindles and Nooks; and tablets such as iPads and Kindle Fires. In other words, virtually any device can access e-books. These directions explain how to download and access e-books using devices like Kindles and Nooks. Depending on your situation and the device or app you are using, some of these steps may not apply to you. To follow these directions, you will need a computer, Internet access, and an e-reader device such as a Kindle or a Nook. Step 1: Identify which e-book file type is right for you. E-books are accessible using virtually any device; however, some e-books are not compatible with some devices or apps. For example, e-books in Kindle file types are compatible with Kindle devices or Kindle apps, while e-books in Adobe EPUB file types work with Nooks, Sony Readers, or Kobos. The software or apps you will need to access e-books will depend on your device, its operating system, and the file type of the e-book. OverDrive provides a very informative page explaining device and e-book file type compatibility at http://www.overdrive.com/resources/drc/. Use this page to find which file type applies to your situation. Step 2: Visit the OverDrive website for the Oil Creek Library District. You can visit the OverDrive site in any of the following ways: -Follow this link: http://oilcreek.lib.overdrive.com/ -Type in the above URL manually into your web browser. -Visit the Clarion Free Library homepage at http://www2.youseemore.com/cfl/default.asp and click on the OverDrive E-books! tab at the top-right of the screen. -Using a search engine such as Google or Bing, search for Oil Creek OverDrive. A link to the site should appear as a top hit. Step 3: Find the e-books that you want. Browse the different collections or search for particular titles or authors using the search bar. Step 4: Add e-books to your cart. When you find a title that you want, click Add to Cart to save that title for check-out. Be sure to select the correct file type. Three checkouts are allowed at one time on one library card. Step 5: Proceed to check-out. After you have selected all the titles that you want, click Proceed to Checkout at the bottom of the screen. Select Clarion Free Library, or your appropriate home library, from the drop-down library list. Enter your library card number and your pin. Your library card number is the barcode number on your library card. Your pin is the last four digits of that same barcode number. For example, if your library card number is 2717200022126, your pin is 2126. If you experience trouble at this point in the process, contact the Clarion Free Library at 814-226-7172. We will confirm that your card is not expired and verify that your account information is accurate. Step 6: Download the e-book from Amazon. At the end of the check-out process, you will be redirected from the OverDrive site to Amazon's site. All e-books are downloaded through Amazon, whether you have an Amazon account or not. If you do not have an Amazon account or are not signed into it, you can download the e-book to your computer, then transfer the e-book file to your e-reader device manually using a USB connection. If you are signed in to your Amazon account and have a Kindle device or app, you can choose to download the e-book directly to your device. In order to download the e-book directly to your device, your device needs to be registered and it must be connected to a wireless network. E-books will not transfer through a 3G connection. Step 7: Access the e-book on your device. Verify that the e-book downloaded successfully to your device. E-books can be checked out for up to two weeks. You can manually return e-books before the lending period expires; otherwise, in most cases, the file will automatically become inaccessible at the end of the two-week period. There is no need to worry about overdue fines when borrowing e-books. OverDrive does not currently offer a renewal feature, but it may in the future. If you do not own a personal e-reader device, or if there is a title that you want that is unavailable through OverDrive, remember that we still offer the Kindle Lending Program. Patrons can add any number of e-books from the library's archive to a library-owned Kindle device and check out the device for three weeks. If there is a title that you want that is not in our archive, we will purchase it and add it to our archive immediately. If you have any questions about OverDrive or e-books generally, contact Clarion Free Library by phone at 814-226-7172 or email at mwiddersheim@clarionfreelibrary.org. |
