Thread: Libra 2 signing into OD account without specifying a library
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Old 02-06-2023, 10:12 AM   #8
isarl
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Posts: 293
Karma: 2534928
Join Date: Nov 2022
Location: Canada
Device: Kobo Aura 2
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cootey View Post
You can’t bypass selecting a library. It’s hard baked into the Overdrive setup, and I believe this is how Kobo determines what your main library is for the Kobo store. It’s confusing because after you select the library, Kobo asks you to select a library again for the login. However, on that page, below the second library selection, is the Overdrive login @isarl is referring to.

Thank you for this! Yes, this is exactly what I was referring to. It's a little confusing because Kobo Overdrive integration kind of works on two levels. At the basic level, it requires an actual library, because it needs a specific collection to browse and search in the user interface on your device. It is not capable of searching or browsing across ALL of the libraries on your Overdrive account. However, despite this, if you login correctly then it will still synchronize your loans from all libraries linked to your Overdrive account, even though you can't browse all their catalogues from your Kobo's built-in user interface. (You would need to use e.g. Libby, or a web browser and the Overdrive webpage(s).)

In summary:

0. The following is all written with the expectation that you already have an Overdrive account, and that your Overdrive account is already linked to one or more accounts that you hold with libraries on the Overdrive platform.

1. Start the Overdrive login process on your Kobo.

2. When it asks you for an actual library, give it a real one. The actual choice doesn't matter here a great deal unless you plan to spend a lot of time using the Kobo's built-in user interface for browsing Overdrive. If that is the case then in this step you will want to be sure to pick the library which gives you the best browsing experience (e.g. has the collection you most expect to have the books you will be looking for – or maybe has the collection you expect to have the shortest wait times for the books you'll be wanting to read – or whatever).

3. When it takes you to the login page for the library you chose, look for the “Sign in with OverDrive” link so helpfully highlighted by Cootey. (Thank you for that! )

4. Sign in with your OverDrive account. Do not sign in using any of your library cards!

5. Now when you synchronize your Kobo, all loans on your Overdrive account should show up on your device, even if they were not made with the library you chose. That library only affects what you are able to search on your Kobo. If borrowing from multiple libraries is important to you then you should expect to continue needing to use Libby (or some other option than your Kobo) for browsing and searching the collections of all the other libraries linked to your Overdrive account.

Hope that helps explain in a bit more detail.
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