April Book Club Pick Available in Ebook

Litchfield Library's adult book club is reading O Pioneers! by Willa Cather for April. It just so happens that the title is available for unlimited checkouts through our Overdrive ebook service! Search for it on Libby or the Overdrive app or find it here: https://pioneerland.overdrive.com/media/784733. 

The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 14, and we'll try to offer it virtually on that day on Facebook Live, Zoom, or both.

Unlimited Checkouts for 1st Harry Potter Book in April

"When in doubt, go to the library." - Ron Weasley.

In this case, the virtual library... No waiting for Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone in both ebook and downloadable audiobook! Use Overdrive or Libby to check out the first Harry Potter book, which is available for unlimited users to check out simultaneously in April.

#HarryPotterAtHome

Library Closed, Resources Still Available

by Beth Cronk, Litchfield head librarian

The Litchfield Public Library is closed indefinitely because of COVID-19, along with all other libraries in Pioneerland Library System.  The book drop is closed, as well.  For now, please keep public library books and movies at home, and once the library reopens you may return them.  Due dates will continue to be extended while the library is closed, so there’s no need to worry about late fees.

All library events and programs that had been scheduled for April and May are canceled or indefinitely postponed.  This includes storytimes, Brickheads Lego building, book clubs, craft and activity programs for adults and kids, and the May book sale.  We are hoping to offer some virtual programs or online content that you can access from home.  For example, I’m hoping to host my April 14^th book club meeting via Zoom or Facebook Live so that we can discuss “O Pioneers!” without the health risk of gathering a group of people. 

Some resources are available while the library is closed.

Pioneerland’s downloadable ebooks and audiobooks are available at pioneerland.overdrive.com or by using the free Libby or Overdrive app on a smartphone, tablet, or Kindle.  To find your local collection, search Overdrive for your local library, and that will lead you to Pioneerland.  If it lists a library system name other than Pioneerland, you may have chosen a Litchfield or Grove City in another state; it’s a common mistake.

Most titles are available to only one person at a time, just like a physical book, but a collection of classics is available for unlimited numbers of users to borrow at one time.  Another option is the current Big Library Read, a book that Overdrive chooses for unlimited checkouts for a limited time.  The current title is Funny, You Don’t Look Autistic: A Comedian’s Guide to Life on the Spectrum by Michael McCreary.  This is a teen-oriented memoir that adults can also enjoy.  It’s available for unlimited borrowers through April 13. 

Even though the libraries are closed, our library system is adding more downloadable titles all the time to meet your need for books.  Looking for something you can check out immediately, instead of putting yourself on a waiting list?  Choose “collections,” then “available now,” and you can view your many options for checking out a book right away. 

Don’t have a library card? There’s a new way to sign up for a digital card online.  Go to Overdrive or Libby on a computer, phone, or tablet, and choose the option to sign up for an instant digital card using your cell phone number. You should only use this option if you don’t already have a library card. Ebooks are only available to people who live within the service area of each library system; Meeker County residents can access Pioneerland ebooks, but residents of some of our neighboring counties cannot.

If you have a library card that has expired within the past year or that was about to expire in the coming two months, your card’s expiration date has now been extended to June, and you should be able to use it to check out ebooks.  If you have trouble using your card, you can email me at elizabeth.cronk@pioneerland.lib.mn.us and I will find out if someone from our headquarters can resolve the issue. 

You can also send me an email if you need assistance with research, and I’ll do what I can with online resources from home.  Another option is AskMN, the 24-hour information and research help service from Minnesota libraries.  Visit askmn.org for real-time online chat assistance from a librarian for help finding information on any topic, including college research. 

Prefer to do the searching yourself? The Electronic Library for Minnesota (ELM) is a massive online resource that’s free for Minnesotans.  You can access magazine, academic journal, and newspaper articles, encyclopedias for all ages, test prep resources, résumé guidance, and federal government documents.  It’s a fantastic resource for students as well as the general public.  One unique collection within ELM is called Minnesota Reflections; it’s made up of images and documents from throughout the history of Minnesota, contributed by museums, archives, colleges, and libraries across the state.  Access ELM at elibrarymn.org.

Free public wifi is available outside the library.  If you park on the street or in the parking lot near the building, you should be able to pick it up, and no password is required.

I hope you are staying home as much as possible as our whole society works together to control this pandemic.  I am hopeful that we can care for each other and each do our part for the greater good.  I wish you health and happiness in the midst of this stressful time.

Digital library cards now available!

Digital library cards now available! Did you miss out on getting to the library for a card before everything closed? You can sign up on Overdrive/Libby for a temporary digital library card that will allow you to check out our ebooks and downloadable audiobooks. You'll enter your cell phone number to demonstrate that you live within our regional library system.

Big Library Read: Funny, You Don't Look Autistic available for unlimited checkouts

It's time for a Big Library Read!

Funny, You Don’t Look Autistic: A Comedian’s Guide to Life on the Spectrum by Michael McCreary

This title is available to unlimited simultaneous borrowers from March 23 to April 13 in both ebook and audiobook format through Overdrive and Libby with your Pioneerland library card.

Like many others on the autism spectrum, 20-something stand-up comic Michael McCreary has been told by more than a few well-meaning folks that he doesn’t “look” autistic. But, as he’s quick to point out in this memoir, autism “looks” different for just about everyone with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Access resources while the library is closed

The Litchfield Library remains closed through the end of the month, but some library resources are still available to you. 

Our downloadable ebooks and audiobooks are available here: https://pioneerland.overdrive.com/ or by using the free Libby or Overdrive app and searching for Litchfield Library (making sure you choose the one in Minnesota). 

Mnknows.org is the website for statewide free electronic library resources. 

And you can email the county librarian Beth Cronk at elizabeth.cronk@pioneerland.lib.mn.us for research assistance, and she will use her training and experience in online research to answer your questions. 

We will also answer your questions via Messenger, but that is not a very private way to ask your research questions. 

If you need free public wifi at any hour, you can park nearby to pick up the library's, no password needed.

Stay well!

Check out books from the comfort of home

by Beth Cronk, Litchfield head librarian

Everyone knows that you can get books by visiting the library, but did you know that you can download books even if you’re at home?  All of the regional public library systems in Minnesota have downloadable ebooks and audiobooks available for checkout.

 

In Pioneerland Library System, we have a contract with Overdrive to provide our ebooks and downloadable audiobooks.  They are available to check out through both the Overdrive app and the Libby app, which are free to download from your electronic device’s app store.  You also have the option to read books on your computer without an app, using the OverDrive Read feature.

As of March 12, Pioneerland had 4,560 ebooks (the ones you look at to read like a print book) and 1,621 audiobooks to download.  New books are added all the time.  You can view our collection by visiting our online catalog and clicking on “Download ebooks,” by going directly to pioneerland.overdrive.com, or by going into the Overdrive or Libby app and searching for your local library.

You will need to have an active Pioneerland library card in order to check out our downloadable books.  So your first step is to get a library card, if you don’t have one.  If you have never had a card with us before, or if it was so many years ago that you’re no longer in our system, visit one of our libraries and bring along your driver’s license or Minnesota ID.  If you have moved and the address on your ID isn’t current, also bring a piece of mail delivered to you at your current address, 

something with your name on it, as proof of address.  You’ll also fill out a one-page application. Kids under age 18 need to have a parent or legal guardian accompany them to the library to get the card and sign the application, since the parent is the responsible party for a minor and kids normally don’t have an ID. 

Your first library card is free.  It takes about five minutes to get your card set up.

If you have had a library card in the recent past but you have lost it, visit the library and let us know that you need a replacement card.  We’ll ask to see your photo ID to look up your account.  A replacement library card costs $3.

If you still have that blue library card but you haven’t used it in a while, bring it to the library or call us with your card in hand, and ask us to check on whether your card needs updating.  Everyone’s account needs to be updated annually in person at the library, even if they have been using it to check things out.  When we update your card, we take another look at your ID, so bring that along.

This would be a good time to visit the library and spend a few minutes getting your card ready to use.  If you end up needing to stay home for a while, you may need some entertainment – and our ebooks are free to use.  You can’t even get overdue fees on them.  After three weeks, if you don’t return them, they will return themselves. 

There is a limit of five downloadable books on each library card at one time.  You can return them early to make them available to other people and to free up a slot on your account for a different title. 

Downloadable books work like print books in one sense: the library pays for each copy, and only one person can check out a copy at one time.  So if someone else has an ebook checked out, you will need to add yourself to the waiting list.  You’ll be notified by email when the book is available for you to check out.

Our digital book collection offers titles for all ages and interests.  You can check out books to entertain and educate the kids or yourself.  When you’re preparing for some possible time sequestered at home, remember that a library card is a great tool to get now.

Access the library's online resources with an active library card!

Did you know that you can check out e-books and downloadable audiobooks at home if you have an active library card? If it has been a while since you've used your card, stop in with that card and your driver's license and we'll update you for the year. If you don't have a library card, come in with your license, or if you've moved recently, a photo ID and a piece of mail delivered to you at your current address. In about 5 minutes we can get you set up with a card, which is free if you haven't had one before. Kids under 18 need to come in with a parent or guardian to get a library card.

System down on Monday, September 9

On Monday, September 9, the Pioneerland Library System websites will be down all day due to a software upgrade.  

The library catalog, MnLink, and the Overdrive ebook website will not be available from home or at the library.  

The libraries will be open with limited services available.  Customers who bring in their library cards will be able to check out books and other materials they find on the shelves, but there will be no way for staff to look up information on customers’ accounts, accept fine payments, or order materials.  

Internet access will still be available on the libraries’ public computers and WiFi.  The library staff encourages local residents to visit the Litchfield, Grove City, and Dassel libraries Friday, Saturday, and Tuesday to take care of their library business if possible.  

Shop online, help grow the library's e-book collection

by Beth Cronk, Litchfield head librarian

Have you finished your Christmas shopping?  I have not, but I'd better finish it soon.  Online shopping is the friend of people who are busy, so I expect to do much of my shopping that way.

Did you know that your Amazon and Barnes & Noble purchases online can benefit our library?  Through our e-book service’s WIN program, if you click through to Amazon or Barnes & Noble’s website from our site, we’ll get a credit toward the purchase of e-books. 

Here’s how you do it: go to our Overdrive e-book and audiobook site.   Look for the sidebar on the left that says “Before you shop… Help our library WIN!”  If you click on “Learn More”, you’ll come to a screen that says “Click here first, help our libraryWIN”.  Then you can choose to go to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books On Board, Shop Indie Bookstores, or Powell’s Books. 

When you click through that part of our website to those retail websites, a small portion of your purchase price gets turned into e-book credit for our library system.  We can use those funds to buy e-books that you can borrow from us.

If you get one of those shiny new devices for Christmas, an e-reader, tablet, or smartphone, you can borrow e-books and downloadable audios from us.  We have more all the time.  Pioneerland reduced administrative expenses this past year and has put a portion of those funds into creating a bigger e-book collection to meet popular demand. 

Another wonderful digital collection is coming in 2013.  We will be getting electronic magazines that you can view on a tablet, smartphone, or PC.  These will be the full magazines, laid out just as they are on print pages.  We will still get our print magazines in the library, but this will expand the titles we can offer you and allow you to view them anywhere that you can use a computer or your wireless device.  When you’re passing time in the airport or sitting at your fireside on a snowy night, you’ll be able to get the latest issue of magazines like Field and Stream, House Beautiful, and Consumer Reports. 

In fact, Newsweek is halting its print issues in the new year, so the electronic version will be the only one anyone will be able to read.  We will have it available in our electronic magazine service.

The digital magazines will only be available on devices that can use apps and/or get on the internet at large.  This means that straight e-readers that are not wifi-enabled won’t be able to get to these magazines.  They will work on iPads, iPhones, Blackberry Playbooks, Android phones and tablets, and Nooks and Kindles that can browse the web, as well as any PC with an internet connection.

We don’t have a date yet when this service will be available to us, but I thought you might like to know this is coming as you make choices about electronic devices for Christmas gifts.  Some people who don’t enjoy reading e-books find the thought of browsing magazines online more appealing.

I hope you will have a very happy holiday season and a wonderful new year.  Merry Christmas, everyone! 

Find an event you'd enjoy at the library

by Beth Cronk, Litchfield head librarian

As spring continues on, our library events do, too. If you’re a reader, a gamer, or a knitter, mark your calendar for our ongoing groups and one-time special events.

We’re hosting a reception to congratulate Nancy Paddock on her Minnesota Book Award win. Join us in the meeting room on Saturday, April 28, from 2-3 p.m. Nancy will speak for part of the time and will otherwise be available to talk with people. We’ll serve refreshments. This is a big deal in the world of books in Minnesota, so we need to celebrate.

4-H at the Library meets after school on Thursday, April 26. It’s open to kids in kindergarten through fifth grade. Darcy from the Meeker County Extension Service always has a variety of fun and educational activities for the kids to do, and it’s free to attend. Through the school year, we host this on the fourth Thursday of every month. We’ll have it a couple of times this summer, too; watch for our summer schedule to find out when.

I’m going to reduce game night to one Monday a month plus some Saturday events. Look for our choose-a-game night, with a selection of chess sets, board games, and card games, on the first Monday of the month from 6:30 – 8 p.m. This means no game night on April 30th; come on May 7th.

We’ve had an enthusiastic response to our Dungeons & Dragons nights with requests for more time to play, so we had a Saturday afternoon event on April 21. We’ll do it again on Saturday, May 19, from noon to 4 p.m. If you enjoy making up stories along the lines of Lord of the Rings and the Drizzt Do’Urden books, or if you like to play World of Warcraft, you might find it fun. It’s very social but much more slow-moving than a video game, and you have to use your imagination.

Knitting club is still meeting on the first and third Thursdays of the month from 4:30-5:30. Their next meeting is May 3rd.

The next meeting of the after-school book club is Thursday, May 10th. They’re reading Mary Poppins this month. This group is for 3rd through 5th graders.

Story times will continue through May 11th. At that time we’ll have a break of a few weeks while Jan hosts elementary school class visits and we get ready for the summer reading program. We are getting all set for summer already.

One last note about something that isn’t an event: I have a survey running through April 30th on how ebooks are affecting the use of print books. If you’re an ebook reader, whether you check them out or buy them, I’d love it if you took the survey. You can follow the hyperlink at the beginning of this paragraph to the online survey or you can pick up a paper copy at our front desk. Thank you to all of you who have taken the time to take the survey.

Social & cultural activities, tax & testing resources, and ebooks available through the library

Game night

Have you thought about coming to game night at the library? We’re still hosting some kind of gaming each Monday night at 6:30. Our most successful type so far has been Dungeons and Dragons. We had a lively group for that a few weeks ago: adults and children, male and female. Their creative storytelling and their laughter showed how much fun they had playing. We’re going to give Dungeons and Dragons another go next Monday, March 5th.


On March 12th, the following week, we’ll be using some new, borrowed games on the Wii: Wii Play and Wii Rock Band. Wii Play includes billiards, fishing, shooting range, and several other virtual games. Rock Band involves singing and playing songs using guitar and drum Wii controllers. It’s my very favorite video game – a great way to pretend for someone who wishes they were in a band. If you want to play on our Wii but want to try something other than our Wii Sports game, drop by to give either game a try.

Tax forms

We are the only place in town to pick up tax forms, unless you go to a tax preparer. We’ve recently gotten some more of the federal booklets that many of you have been looking for. Not everything is available here in print, but you can find tax forms and instructions online at www.irs.gov and taxes.state.mn.us.

Test proctoring

With the huge increase in online college classes, there has been a corresponding increase in the need for proctoring services. We can proctor tests for you. Contact us for more details to set this up.

Will Weaver event

We will be hosting Minnesota author Will Weaver on March 15th. He will be at the library in the afternoon during our middle school book club time; students are welcome to come even if they don’t normally come for book club. Then he will be presenting a public program in the evening at the high school, brought to you by our Legacy funding.

Ebooks & audiobooks

Our downloadable book service is still under extremely high demand. We have about 900 titles available now, with more added all the time. Almost everything is checked out at any given time because of the popularity of ereaders, tablets, and MP3 players. Add yourself to the waiting lists for titles you’re interested in, because the waiting lists do move very quickly.

If you buy ebooks, consider going through our Overdrive site to make those purchases. When you do, a portion of the profits comes back to Pioneerland for us to use to buy more ebooks for the library. This even works for all kinds of purchases made through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books On Board, IndieBound, and Powell’s Books – it doesn’t have to be an ebook, or even a book at all.

Whether you’re looking for something social or cultural, something you can access conveniently from home, or a practical service such as proctoring or tax forms, we strive to provide something for everyone in the community. Let me know if I can help you find something you’re looking for.

Shop for Ebooks, Support Your Library!

You'll notice a new link on our Overdrive ebook lending site.  If you decide to buy an ebook rather than check it out, you can follow a link that will give our library system a percentage of the profits to use for buying more ebooks we can lend you.  If you're going to shop at online book retailers anyway, think of us!  Here's more information: http://pioneerland.lib.overdrive.com/WinAffiliate.htm

Our Busy, Bustling Library

by Beth Cronk

The library is back in full swing after the holidays. Story times, book clubs, and game nights have started up again. We have toddler story time on Wednesdays at 10:15 a.m., family story time on Thursdays at 7 p.m., and preschool story hour on Fridays at 10 a.m.

Book clubs
After-school book club for grades 3-5 meets at 3:15 on the second Thursday of each month. Middle school book club for grades 6-8 meets at 3:15 on the third Thursday of the month. Mystery book club for adults meets on the third Wednesday of the month at 7 pm. And Emmaus book club for seniors meets at 1 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month in the basement activity room at Emmaus Place.

Game night
Game night is every Monday night at 6:30. Next Monday, January 23rd, we’ll be having a role-playing game night. I’m expecting that it will be Dungeons & Dragons, since I know my family is bringing an old set in that night, but please bring along any role-playing games you’d be interested in playing. My fourteen-year-old son thinks D&D is fun, despite that fact that computer games can do the same kind of thing for you with graphics now. If you used to play back when it was big, or if you’ve ventured into the current sets that are still coming out, come join us. It’s not much time to allow for that kind of gaming, but we can at least find out if there’s any interest in setting up a Saturday event sometime.

The following Monday night, January 30th, we’ll have a Wii Sports night. I’ll move the Wii into the meeting room for the occasion. If you’ve wanted to try our Wii but didn’t want to do it out in the middle of the children’s department, come that evening to give bowling, baseball, or golf a try. Even my dad who never plays computer games has enjoyed Wii Sports.

Manga class
Another fun activity we have coming up is a manga drawing class for ages 13 and up. Manga is a distinctive Japanese comic style. Our class will meet on three Tuesdays: January 24 and 31 and February 7, from 3:30-4:30. Sign up with us soon, since space is limited. This arts opportunity is funded by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment.

Book sale
Our book sale takes place on the third Saturday of every month. Our next one is coming up this Saturday, January 21st . I’d like to thank the Litchfield Women’s Club for being so generous with their time by cashiering at every sale, and I’d like to thank all of you who donate books, videos, and audios for us to sell.

Ebooks
Our virtual library is really hopping since the holidays, too. Practically all of our ebooks are checked out currently because so many of you got ereaders and tablet computers for Christmas. You can always request an ebook to be put on the waiting list, and then you will get an email telling you when it’s available for you to download. We will be buying more ebooks in the coming year than we did this past year. Every day at least one person stops in the library for help getting started with their ereader, and we do our best to help. The difficulty is that there are so many different products on the market that we haven’t necessarily had personal experience using the one you have. Sometimes it takes a combination of our knowledge from the library side of things, customer support from your device maker (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.), and just some time that you spend playing around with it. Usually it gets much, much easier once you learn to use it in the first place.

We have just added a new section to our Overdrive website that you can find on the bottom left corner of the webpage. Older books that are out of copyright and in the public domain are available to download even without a library card, without any limit on the number of titles, and without any need to return them. These are books such as Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and Anna Karenina. I found a whole bunch of Zane Grey books on there for a patron who wished we had more Western ebooks available.

Our library is a bustling place every day. Every now and then someone out in the world comments to me that the library must be such a relaxing place to work.  After I've managed to hold back a chuckle, I tell them that it's actually a really busy place to work.  If you haven’t been here in a while, come in and see what all the commotion is about!

Classic books available for unlimited download through Overdrive

Looking for some old classics for your ereader?  Look for this graphic at the bottom left corner of our Overdrive site.  It links to Project Gutenberg's books, which are works in the public domain, available without copyright restrictions.  You can download these without a library card, without the usual limit of 6 books, and even if other people have downloaded them -- unlimited borrowing.  Read the U.S. Constitution, the works of Shakespeare, or Treasure Island!

Free ebook lending now available for Kindle

by Beth Cronk, Litchfield head librarian

I have two important things to tell you about our ebook lending service. It’s free to use. And it’s now available for Kindle users.

We don’t charge for the privilege of using our downloadable book service. We loan our ebooks and downloadable audios in much the same way that we loan our print books and books on CD. If you have a Pioneerland library card in good standing, you check them out with your barcode for free. There’s no charge to download the software. There are not even any late fees, because the downloadable books return themselves on their due dates, unless you go into your software and return your ebooks early.

I’ve discovered that the reason people think we charge for our ebooks is because there’s another library’s website that looks like it could be ours, and that particular Litchfield Public Library charges $20 to use their ebook service. If you do a Google search of “litchfield public library”, your first result may be the library in Litchfield, Illinois. They are a Carnegie library founded in 1904, like we are. They are still in their original building, but it was remodeled around 2000, like our current building was. Their hours are nearly identical to ours. And they have the same Overdrive ebook button as we do. I can understand how multiple people have believed it was our website. The internet makes the world very small. It’s just as easy to get to the website for a library in another state as it is to get to ours.

To be sure you’re going to our ebook service, go to http://pioneerland.lib.overdrive.com/. We have bookmarks at our desk that have this URL on them; pick one up if you want a handy way to remember the address.

And if you’re looking for our local website, go to http://litchlibrary.blogspot.com/. I’ve added our address and phone number to the top of the page to make it more clear that we are the Litchfield Public Library in Minnesota, not the one in Connecticut, or Illinois, or Nebraska, or Arizona…. You get the idea.

The big ebook news for the week is that library lending for Kindles is finally here. We knew it was coming, but we didn’t know when. Amazon and Overdrive have been developing this for a few months, and now they’re slowly and quietly rolling it out to all of the libraries who use Overdrive for ebooks. It just became available to us on the 22nd. Now when you click on an ebook title, you’ll see two formats: Kindle and Adobe EPUB. If you have a Kindle or use a Kindle app, download the Kindle version. I haven’t tried it myself, but I understand that part of the process will bring you to Amazon’s site, and that you may have to login with your Amazon account. One thing that is different about borrowing a library book for your Kindle versus buying one from Amazon is that you can’t download using your 3G connection. To borrow a Kindle library book, you need to be using WiFi or have your Kindle connected to your personal computer by a cable.

Now all of you who bought Kindles, but then regretted not being able to use it for library books, can join in on the fun. I think it was a smart business move by Amazon to make this possible.

If you have suggestions about ebooks or downloadable audiobooks that you’d like to see us offer, let me know. The purchasing is done centrally at Pioneerland headquarters, but they welcome suggestions.

An Ebook Update

by Beth Cronk, Litchfield head librarian

Our downloadable ebook and audiobook service is catching on!  In Pioneerland, we just got started in June.  We now have had about 500 unique patrons use the service.  There have been 1200 checkouts so far.   We currently have 458 items in our electronic collection, and we’re adding more all the time.

We’re able to get some “best-seller” lists to see what’s popular in Pioneerland downloadables.  The books that have been checked out the most since our website rolled out are the ebook version of Bad Blood by John Sanford and the audiobook of Heaven is for Real.  The titles that are most in demand right now are The Help, Split Second, and Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.

I know many of you are getting started with library ebooks and need a little guidance on how it works.  Here are some of the important things to know:

You can get to our Overdrive website by going to our catalog, choosing “Download ebooks” below the search boxes, and clicking on the box that says “Downoad audiobooks, eBooks”.  From there, you can browse the new titles, search for a particular book, download the software you need to borrow books, or find answers to your questions.  You can also go directly to http://pioneerland.lib.overdrive.com/.  We also have a mobile site with a very long URL.  We have a link to it on our Litchfield Library blog if you’d like to find it for your mobile device.

One question we’re often asked is which readers and devices our downloadables can be used on.  You can find out by clicking on the blue “compatible devices” button on the left side of the Overdrive site.  You’ll find that most e-readers, MP3 players, and computers work with it.  Kindle still doesn’t work with it, but Amazon is saying that it will by the end of the year.  You can also download to an iPad, iPhone, Blackberry, and a variety of other devices. 

There is some variation in how you download to different devices and which titles work with which device.  If you have an e-reader, such as a Nook or Sony e-reader, you’ll need to download Adobe Digital Editions to your personal computer.  You can do this by clicking on “Adobe Digital Editions for eBooks”, under “Getting Started” on the top left corner of the Overdrive site.  It’s very quick and easy.  You will need to set up an Adobe ID as part of that process, but that just involves registering an email address with Adobe, which will come up as you download the software. 

Once you have the software set up, you check out ebooks on your personal computer and transfer them to your e-reader while it’s attached by its cable.  It isn’t possible to download to library computers and transfer books to your e-reader; it has to be done on your own computer.

If you want to download audiobooks, you’ll need to install Overdrive Media Console, which is also listed under “Getting Started” in the corner.  Again, you’ll check them out on your computer and transfer them to your MP3 player, much like iTunes and other music download services.  Some audiobook titles will work on one device but not another.  They will also work on e-readers, but it all depends on which formats your e-reader or MP3 player handles.  Some of the audiobooks are in WMA format, and some are MP3.  Once you figure out what your device can play, you’ll be able to look at each title to see if it will work for you.  Some audiobooks can be burned to CDs; this depends on publisher permissions. 

If you are going to download to a mobile device such as an Android or iPad, you will download Overdrive Media Console to your device directly.  Then you check out books on your mobile device, without a need to connect it to a computer. 

If you click on the “guided tour” or “help/FAQs” button on our Overdrive website, you’ll find answers to many of your questions.  If you need more help, talk to our library staff or send a support request through the help page.

Downloading books seems so complicated until you get started.  Once you iron out the wrinkles of getting the first book onto your device, it’s really easy.  Then when you want a new book to read on Saturday night, you don’t have to wait until the library is open.  Or if you’re snowed in (if we even want to think about that in September), you can check out a book without leaving the comfort of your home.  I hope you’ll give it a try!

An Unexpected Journey

Pioneerland Library System is making its first foray into the world of eBooks, and so am I.  More on the Pioneerland announcement later, but first I have to confess that I am a reluctant eBook reader.   I like the feel of a book, the smell of a new book opened for the first time, and the comfy feeling of settling down with a cup of coffee and a good read.  I love to sit on the beach beside Lake Superior and lose myself in Jane Austen’s cozy world while the waves crash and the seagulls squawk.

The knowledge that I could easily carry fifty books on the eReader that fits in my purse pushed me into this new journey, and it’s been interesting, to say the least.  I’ll summarize what I’ve learned.

First, I knew I wanted to be able to borrow eBooks from libraries that are willing to lend them.  This eliminated one of the major ereaders, although Amazon.com has announced that their Kindle will be compatible with library borrowing later this year.  Second, I had to decide from the many options available, depending on how much I wanted my device to do.  I decided to get a basic, black and white device that doesn’t let me browse the internet or check emails.  I just want to read books.

Here is the announcement: Pioneerland has just launched a website that allows patrons to download eBooks and audio books.  The address is http://pioneerland.lib.overdrive.com/.  (Don’t add a “www” before the word Pioneerland.)  This site contains everything you need to equip your home computer to download audio books and eBooks.

You will download the Overdrive Media Console if you are interested in downloading audio books.  You will download Adobe Digital Editions if you are planning to download eBooks.  A guided tour is available, which takes you through the process step by step.

 When you’re ready to start, click on “Getting Started” on the digital media homepage.  I followed the instructions, and was surprised at how easy it was.  For eBooks, after the free software is installed on your computer, visit adobe.com and set up a user name and password for digital editions.  This lets you authorize your computer, and you then authorize your device with the same user name and password.

  When you check out an eBook from Pioneerland, it opens in Adobe Digital Editions.  To put the eBook on your device, you connect the device to your computer, and as if by magic, the name of your device shows up on the bookshelf of Adobe Digital Editions.  You just drag the title over to the name of your device, and you’re ready to read.  You may return your book early, or wait until the due date, when your eBook will automatically be returned.   You must delete the title from your device, which is easy to do while your device is connected to your computer. 

Be aware that the Pioneerland website has this disclaimer: “Please note that you may download Audio books and eBooks to your personal computer or mobile device at your home or office but it is not possible to download them at Pioneerland Library System workstations.”   You can, however, register your device on the wireless connection in the library and download a purchased or free book directly to your device.

At this time, I know that Hennepin County Library, http://www.hclib.org/  is one of the few library systems in Minnesota who permit library card holders from other regions to register and use their extensive library of eBooks.   ELM, the Electronic Library for Minnesota, http://elm4you.org  offers netlibrary.org, a collection of mostly nonfiction titles.  I haven’t tried putting anything from ELM on my eReader.

Other sites that will inform you about free and inexpensive titles that are available to download are http://online-novels.blogspot.com; http://blog.booksontheknob.org; http://www.kobobooks.com; and http://dailycheapreads.com.   Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and Google all have free and inexpensive books to download, as well as more expensive items to purchase. The Bartleby Project, http://www.bartleby.com, and the Gutenberg Project, http://www.gutenberg.org are also sources for free books. http://ebooksinlibraries.blogspot.com/ has all kinds of information and links about using eBooks from public libraries.  There are many, many more sites that you will find if you search.  I have learned that sometimes the free titles will open only online on your computer, but sometimes you can also add them to your device.   It simply involves trial and error.  

The most important thing I learned is this:  it is almost too easy to download and purchase eBooks directly on a reading device, especially for a book addict like me.  See you at the library!