[DJHARKAVY]

Originally Posted by theducks

I would use my Public Library e-books, if the book I wanted was available when I wanted it
Every title (not front list titles) I wanted, was checked out (are the readers, just letting them time out instead of checking the back in?).

It wouldn't surprise me to find out that the majority of people don't know that you CAN check a book back in early. At least with ADE books. Mobipocket can't be checked in early at all.

Originally Posted by julia103

I've borrowed five or six books from the Maryland Public Library. Most of the titles are PDF rather than epub, and I got really frustrated with how the reflow messes up the paragraphs and dialogue. They do seem to be getting more titles as epub, so I'll probably borrow more as that happens.

I've been borrowing from the library for about a decade. I have NEVER liked the way pdf files work with ereading programs/devices. At best, it is really slow and requires multiple presses to a page.

Originally Posted by Sydney's Mom

IMHO it wouldn't be ethically wrong, but you might get locked out of the Overdrive system. They use some kind of a computer algorithim to decide you are checking out too many books and returning them too quickly. Unfortunately, you get locked out even if you check out a book and decide in 5 minutes you don't want to read it (kind of what you might do in a real library, skimming the book, although you can do it without checking it out). I have been locked out a couple times - you cannot check out a new book or return a book. It only lasts about 48 hours. Now, I try not to return a book early unless I have one come up on my hold list.

I didn't notice that, and I tend to return books early. Of course, I only do one at a time, every couple of days, so I might not have even noticed a lockout.

Originally Posted by delphidb96

After all, the biggest problem in 'borrowing' library e-books is that there is no single, coherent program developed by the libraries to support 'lending' e-books that covers all e-book readers. And that is the fault of the library systems.

Derek

That was part of the idea of going to the ePub Standard. Unfortunately, Kindle doesn't do that, but most other ebook readers do.

Originally Posted by delphidb96

As does ours - once you've gone through the hassle of showing up and proving you are who you say you are.

Derek

I didn't have to do that when I first got my NYPL card. I was reading ebooks and I found out that while Brooklyn Public library did not (at the time) have an ebooks program, NYPL did. I emailed them and then mailed me back a card.

Last year, they decided that they wanted to have clients come in and prove who they are. I had not been using the library for a while, as I had a backlog of books that I had bought, and when I logged in, I got a notice that my card (which had not previously had an expiration date) had expired. I finally took care of it, and now am good for the next three years.