Download Library eBooks and Digital Audiobooks to a Windows PC or Macintosh Computer, and Read Ebooks on the Internet with OverDrive Read
What you’ll need:
- A Toulon Public Library card and PIN
- Your computer with Internet access
- iOS or Windows XP, Vista, 7, or 8*
*Windows 8 can download both ebooks and digital audiobooks to OverDrive Media Console
Getting ready to Download eBooks (iOS, Windows XP, Vista, 7):
• First, download Adobe Digital Editions. (Note: You will only need to complete this step the first time.) Go to www.alliance.lib.overdrive.com and click Help. Click the Get Software icon. Click Adobe Digital Editions. You will be taken to the Adobe home page. In the upper right column, click Download now. Click Macintosh or Windows. Click Run, then follow the prompts to install. Once installed, you should see an icon on your home screen.
• Next, sign in with your Adobe ID (again, this should only be for first time users). If you have created an Adobe ID before (on any device), enter your email address and password. If not, click Get ID (or similar—it might say, “Adobe Account” or “Don’t have an Adobe ID?”). Enter your information (email address, password, first name, last name, country/region), then go back to Adobe Digital Editions and enter your account information.
Getting ready to Download Digital Audiobooks (iOS, Windows XP, Vista, 7); (and EPUB eBooks if using Windows 8):
• First, download OverDrive Media Console. Go to www.alliance.lib.overdrive.com and click Help. Click the Get Software icon. Click OverDrive Media Console. You will be taken to the OverDrive website. In the upper right column under Desktop, choose the version for your operating system (Windows, Windows 8, or Mac), then click Download Now at the bottom of that column. Click Run, then follow the prompts to install. Once installed, you should see an icon on your home screen.
• Next, sign in with your Adobe ID (again, this should only be for first time users). If you have created an Adobe ID before (on any device), enter your email address and password. If not, click Get ID (or similar—it might say, “Adobe Account” or “Don’t have an Adobe ID?”). Enter your information (email address, password, first name, last name, country/region), then go back to OverDrive Media Console and enter your account information.
Checking out eBooks and Digital Audiobooks from the Alliance Digital Media Library:
• Go to www.toulonpld.org and click E-books from the dropdown menu. Click the Alliance Digital Media Library icon. You may also go directly there by typing www.alliance.lib.overdrive.com.
• First, sign in. Click Sign In at the upper right of the screen. From the dropdown menu, choose Toulon Public Library and then enter your library card number and PIN. If you do not know your PIN, contact the Toulon Public Library at (309) 286-5791. Click Sign In.
• Now, you can search for a specific title using the Search box or browse subjects using the category listings at the top of the screen. Compatible formats are as follows:
Adobe Digital Editions
iOS: EPUB and PDF ebooks
Windows (except Windows 8): EPUB and PDF ebooks
OverDrive Media Console
Windows (except Windows 8): WMA and MP3 audiobooks
Windows 8: EPUB ebooks and MP3 audiobooks
• If a book cover has a black open book or black headphones icon in the upper right, it is currently available for checkout. If the icons are light gray, it is currently checked out but you can place it on hold. You can also add the title to your Wish List by clicking the ribbon at the bottom left of the book cover. Once on your Wish List, the ribbon will turn red. You can have as many titles as you’d like on your Wish List; however, you must manually place each title on your Hold list or Checkout cart when you are ready to read it.
• When you are ready to check out a title, click Borrow. Click change to select a different Lending Period than the one displayed (your ebook will automatically return itself after this period of time), then click Download. Click Open; the download will automatically open the appropriate software on your computer. You’re ready to read!
Using OverDrive Read to read eBooks on the Internet from any computer:
• OverDrive Read is a new internet cloud reader for ebooks. Not all publishers allow their books to be read via OverDrive Read. When you check out an ebook, below the Download box, you may see another green box that says Read (in your browser). This means that the publisher will allow you to read the book from any device that has Internet. You are not actually downloading the ebook to your device, just reading it from the Internet.
• The first time you click Read (in your browser), you may be prompted to download the Google Chrome Frame. Google Chrome Frame is free, and is required for OverDrive Read if you are running Internet Explorer 7, 8, or 9. (If your browser is Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Internet Explorer 10, you will not need to download the Google Chrome Frame.) To install the Google Chrome Frame, just follow the prompts to download, then click Run. Complete the installation by accepting the terms and clicking Next, then click Finish. Installing the Google Chrome Frame will not change your browser. Once installed, the book will open on your screen. When finished reading, simply click the X at the top of the webpage to close the book.
• OverDrive Read has several features that will enhance your on-screen reading experience. Click the top of the page to bring up the menu for the Table of Contents, list of Bookmarks, Search box, and reading preferences including Font, Font size, Justification, Line spacing, and background Theme. Click the ribbon in the upper left to add a bookmark to that page. Click the bottom of the page to reveal a slider, click the right side of the page to go forward, and click the bottom of the page to go backward.
• OverDrive Read will sync any bookmarks and formatting you have set during a reading session, even if you switch computers. It will not sync, however, with any devices to which you have downloaded the ebook.