Quote:
Originally Posted by FizzyWater
Do you know if I did the Advanced Search > Show All Available (where I can see books Overdrive offers that my library doesn't currently "own") would include the self-pubbed ebooks?
|
Not usually if I understand it correctly (from my own librarian). In general I was advised:
One way you can check is to look for a link in
the sidebar called "additional titles to recommend" or something similar--if you check that box it will search the *entire* available catalog including self-published titles. Some libraries have asked to have that checkbox/feature be removed from their particular library so that people cannot suggest books from self-published authors.
So the way I used to find it was to click Advanced Search and then scroll ALL the way to the bottom. At the bottom was a "recommend additional titles" -- if I checked that box and then did a search on my name, my titles would show up. If that box was NOT checked, even if I was under "advanced" my titles would not show up. My library no longer allows a search of those titles, but here is a library that has the checkbox available:
http://kingcounty.libraryreserve.com...ncedSearch.htm
If you scroll to the bottom of that advanced search, you'll see the box I'm talking about. Select the box and then fill out the author or title info. If the book is available for overdrive, be in self-published or not, it should show up. You can then suggest the library purchase said book.
Several of my books have already been purchased by this particular library so they would show up whether the box was checked or not. The box is mainly for those looking for a book that isn't showing up when they want to REQUEST the library buy the book. But some libraries have hidden the checkbox selection so that self-published and other books cannot be suggested for purchase. Some libraries never had the checkbox available (according to a librarian thread I followed it seemed a bit arbitrary whether or not overdrive supplied the checkbox after they took all smashword (and other) titles and put them behind this hidden wall.)
If this is confusing, feel free to ask more questions. It took a few weeks of sleuthing and help from my librarian to figure it all out.