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vivaldirules · 08-21-2008, 04:11 PM

An increasing number of public libraries offer downloadable ebooks in Adobe Digital Editions or Mobipocket format for their patrons for free. If you own a Sony PRS-505 Reader and have the latest firmware and software loaded, you can read these Adobe DE format ebooks on your Reader for the specified check-out period. I do not know if you can similarly transfer and read the Mobipocket books on your Kindle, iLiad, or other mobile device. The Adobe DE books on the Reader aren't formatted particularly nicely but they are certainly readable and it's hard to complain much when the content is free and legal. The available ebook collections at present are pretty small but they are growing. Some have only a few hundred titles. The Greater Phoenix collection includes 15,894 ebooks in Adobe DE format and I noticed, for example, that this includes 38 titles by Terry Pratchett. In addition to ebooks, most of these libraries also offer downloadable audio books, videos, music, etc.

If your local library does not provide this service, you may be interested in seeking borrowing privileges that may be available to nonresidents of other libraries. Below is a list (I'm quite sure it's not complete) of public libraries in the U.S. (sorry) that offer dowloadable Adobe DE ebooks. I've included a link to the digital collections homepage for each library. On the second line of each entry, I've tried to include information and links regarding borrowing privileges for nonresidents. Note that many city and county libraries grant "resident" borrowing privileges to any resident within their state.

This list probably belongs in the Wiki but it will quite quickly, I'm sure, become obsolete and maintaining it would be quite a chore - one that I'm not willing to commit to. So take this as an incomplete snapshot of the status quo and use it as you wish. Enjoy!

Greater Phoenix, AZ: http://overdrive.phoenixpubliclibrary.org
Nonresident applications: This varies by the ten participating public libraries that utilize this Greater Phoenix digital library service. Here are nine of them:
The Phoenix library accepts applications from nonresident in person for $20 per year: http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/...jsp?lwbid=6988
The Apache Junction library accepts applications from nonresidents of Pinal County in person for $40 per year: http://www.ajpl.org/library/faq.htm
The City of Casa Grande library does not appear to accept applications from nonresidents of Pinal County: http://cglibrary.org/POLARIS/library...ef/ud_faq.aspx
The Chandler library accepts applications from nonresidents of Maricopa County in person for $40 per year: http://chandlerlibrary.org/policies/...er%20Residents...
The Glendale library accepts applications from nonresidents in person for $40 per year: http://www.glendaleaz.com/Library/GetaCard.cfm
The Mesa library accepts applications from nonresidents of Maricopa County in person for $40 per year: http://www.mesalibrary.org/about_us/...identification
The Peoria library does not appear to accept applications from nonresidents of Maricopa County: http://www.peoriaaz.gov/library/library_cardform.asp
The Scotsdale library does not appear to accept applications from nonresidents of Maricopa County: http://library.scottsdaleaz.gov/librarycard.cfm
The Tempe library accepts applications from nonresidents of Maricopa County in person for $30 per year: http://www.tempe.gov/library/circ/libcards.htm

Los Angeles County, CA: http://overdrive.colapublib.org
It's unclear if nonresidents of the state of California can apply: http://www.colapublib.org/aboutus/librarycard.html

Sacramento, CA: http://download.saclibrary.org
Applications from nonresidents of the state of California are not accepted: http://www.tempe.gov/library/circ/libcards.htm

San Jose, CA: http://ebooks.sjlibrary.org
Applications from nonresidents of the state of California are not accepted: http://www.sjlibrary.org/services/borrowing/cards.htm

Denver, CO: http://downloadmedia.denverlibrary.org
Applications from nonresidents of the state of Colorado are not accepted: http://denverlibrary.org/card/policies.html

Washington, DC: http://overdrive.dclibrary.org
Nonresidents of the District of Columbia can apply on-line for an unstated nonresident fee: http://dclibrary.org/dcpl/cwp/view.asp?a=1268&q=564469

HI (state): http://hawaii.lib.overdrive.com
Nonresidents of the state of Hawaii can apply by mail for $25 for five years or free with military ID: http://www.librarieshawaii.org/services/libcard.htm

Chicago, IL: http://overdrive.chipublib.org
Applications by nonresidents of Chicago, or at least of Illinois, appear to be discouraged: http://www.chipublib.org/howto/library_card.php

Hancock County, IN: http://www.hcplibrary.org/library/e-books.htm
It's unclear if nonresidents can apply: http://www.hcplibrary.org/library/yourcard.htm

New Orleans, LA: http://neworleans.lib.overdrive.com
Nonresidents of the metro area of New Orleans can apply by mail for $50 per year: http://neworleanspubliclibrary.org/~...eneralinfo.htm

Boston, MA: http://overdrive.bpl.org
Applications from nonresidents of the state of Massachusetts are not accepted: http://www.bpl.org/general/circulation/ecards.htm

MI (state) Library Consortium: http://ebooks.mlc.lib.mi.us
Nonresident applications: This varies by the many participating public libraries that utilize this statewide digital library service. Here are three of them:
The Dearborn library accepts applications from nonresidents in person for $80 per year: http://dearbornlibrary.org/
The Kalamazoo library accepts applications from nonresidents of Kalamazoo County in person for $185 per year: http://kpl.gov/account/card.aspx
The Grosse Point library accepts applications from nonresidents in person for $100 per year: http://www.gp.lib.mi.us/

West Bloomfield, MI: http://www.wblib.org/read/ebooksfaq.php
It's unclear if nonresidents can apply: http://www.wblib.org/index.php

Rochester, MN: http://digital.rochesterpubliclibrary.org
Nonresidents of the state of Minnesota can apply in person for $10 for two months: http://www.rochesterpubliclibrary.org/info/card.html

Starkville, MS: http://ebooks.starkville.lib.ms.us
It's unclear if nonresidents can apply: http://www.starkville.lib.ms.us/

Omaha, NE: http://ebooks.omahapubliclibrary.org
Nonresidents of Douglas County can apply by mail for $60 per year: http://www.omahapubliclibrary.org/ab...ardpolicy.html

Cherry Hill, NJ: http://cherryhill.lib.overdrive.com
Applications from nonresidents of nearby counties in the state of New Jersey are not accepted: http://www.cherryhill.lib.nj.us/room...age/Sirsi_HOME

NY (state): http://ebooks.nypl.org
Nonresidents of the state of New York can apply by mail for $100 per year: http://nypl.org/books/cards.html

Brooklyn, NY: http://digitalbooks.brooklynpubliclibrary.org
Applications from nonresidents of the state of New York are not accepted: http://www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org..._materials.jsp

White Plains, NY: http://digital.whiteplainslibrary.org
Nonresidents of the state of New York can apply in person for $75 per year: http://www.whiteplainslibrary.org/borrowing/cards.shtml

Clermont County, OH: http://www.clermontlibrary.org/ohioebookproj.shtml
Applications from nonresidents of Clermont County are accepted in person for free: http://www.clermontlibrary.org/servicesborrow.shtml

Cuyahoga County, OH: http://ebcd.cuyahogalibrary.org
It's unclear if nonresidents can apply: http://www.cuyahogalibrary.org/StdBa....aspx?id=11023

Dayton, OH: http://overdrive.daytonmetrolibrary.org
It's unclear if nonresidents can apply: http://www.daytonmetrolibrary.org/default/index.cfm

Stow-Munroe Falls, OH: http://www.smfpl.org/news.htm
It's unclear if nonresidents can apply: http://www.smfpl.org/polregistration.htm

Westerville County, OH: http://www.westervillelibrary.org/oep/
It's unclear if nonresidents can apply: http://www.westervillelibrary.org/

Harris County, TX: http://hcpl.lib.overdrive.com
It's unclear if nonresidents can apply: http://www.hcpl.net/about/libcards.htm

Fairfax County, VA: http://fairfax.lib.overdrive.com
Nonresidents of Fairfax County can apply by mail for $27 per year: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/cardelgb.htm

King County, WA: http://www.kcls.org/ecollection/
It's unclear if nonresidents of King and adjoining counties can apply: http://www.kcls.org/usingthelibrary/...wing_areas.cfm

08-21-2008, 04:11 PM	#24
vivaldirules When's Doughnut Day? Posts: 10,059 Karma: 13675475 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Houston, TX, US Device: Sony PRS-505, iPad	An increasing number of public libraries offer downloadable ebooks in Adobe Digital Editions or Mobipocket format for their patrons for free. If you own a Sony PRS-505 Reader and have the latest firmware and software loaded, you can read these Adobe DE format ebooks on your Reader for the specified check-out period. I do not know if you can similarly transfer and read the Mobipocket books on your Kindle, iLiad, or other mobile device. The Adobe DE books on the Reader aren't formatted particularly nicely but they are certainly readable and it's hard to complain much when the content is free and legal. The available ebook collections at present are pretty small but they are growing. Some have only a few hundred titles. The Greater Phoenix collection includes 15,894 ebooks in Adobe DE format and I noticed, for example, that this includes 38 titles by Terry Pratchett. In addition to ebooks, most of these libraries also offer downloadable audio books, videos, music, etc. If your local library does not provide this service, you may be interested in seeking borrowing privileges that may be available to nonresidents of other libraries. Below is a list (I'm quite sure it's not complete) of public libraries in the U.S. (sorry) that offer dowloadable Adobe DE ebooks. I've included a link to the digital collections homepage for each library. On the second line of each entry, I've tried to include information and links regarding borrowing privileges for nonresidents. Note that many city and county libraries grant "resident" borrowing privileges to any resident within their state. This list probably belongs in the Wiki but it will quite quickly, I'm sure, become obsolete and maintaining it would be quite a chore - one that I'm not willing to commit to. So take this as an incomplete snapshot of the status quo and use it as you wish. Enjoy! Greater Phoenix, AZ: http://overdrive.phoenixpubliclibrary.org Nonresident applications: This varies by the ten participating public libraries that utilize this Greater Phoenix digital library service. Here are nine of them: The Phoenix library accepts applications from nonresident in person for $20 per year: http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/...jsp?lwbid=6988 The Apache Junction library accepts applications from nonresidents of Pinal County in person for $40 per year: http://www.ajpl.org/library/faq.htm The City of Casa Grande library does not appear to accept applications from nonresidents of Pinal County: http://cglibrary.org/POLARIS/library...ef/ud_faq.aspx The Chandler library accepts applications from nonresidents of Maricopa County in person for $40 per year: http://chandlerlibrary.org/policies/...er%20Residents... The Glendale library accepts applications from nonresidents in person for $40 per year: http://www.glendaleaz.com/Library/GetaCard.cfm The Mesa library accepts applications from nonresidents of Maricopa County in person for $40 per year: http://www.mesalibrary.org/about_us/...identification The Peoria library does not appear to accept applications from nonresidents of Maricopa County: http://www.peoriaaz.gov/library/library_cardform.asp The Scotsdale library does not appear to accept applications from nonresidents of Maricopa County: http://library.scottsdaleaz.gov/librarycard.cfm The Tempe library accepts applications from nonresidents of Maricopa County in person for $30 per year: http://www.tempe.gov/library/circ/libcards.htm Los Angeles County, CA: http://overdrive.colapublib.org It's unclear if nonresidents of the state of California can apply: http://www.colapublib.org/aboutus/librarycard.html Sacramento, CA: http://download.saclibrary.org Applications from nonresidents of the state of California are not accepted: http://www.tempe.gov/library/circ/libcards.htm San Jose, CA: http://ebooks.sjlibrary.org Applications from nonresidents of the state of California are not accepted: http://www.sjlibrary.org/services/borrowing/cards.htm Denver, CO: http://downloadmedia.denverlibrary.org Applications from nonresidents of the state of Colorado are not accepted: http://denverlibrary.org/card/policies.html Washington, DC: http://overdrive.dclibrary.org Nonresidents of the District of Columbia can apply on-line for an unstated nonresident fee: http://dclibrary.org/dcpl/cwp/view.asp?a=1268&q=564469 HI (state): http://hawaii.lib.overdrive.com Nonresidents of the state of Hawaii can apply by mail for $25 for five years or free with military ID: http://www.librarieshawaii.org/services/libcard.htm Chicago, IL: http://overdrive.chipublib.org Applications by nonresidents of Chicago, or at least of Illinois, appear to be discouraged: http://www.chipublib.org/howto/library_card.php Hancock County, IN: http://www.hcplibrary.org/library/e-books.htm It's unclear if nonresidents can apply: http://www.hcplibrary.org/library/yourcard.htm New Orleans, LA: http://neworleans.lib.overdrive.com Nonresidents of the metro area of New Orleans can apply by mail for $50 per year: http://neworleanspubliclibrary.org/~...eneralinfo.htm Boston, MA: http://overdrive.bpl.org Applications from nonresidents of the state of Massachusetts are not accepted: http://www.bpl.org/general/circulation/ecards.htm MI (state) Library Consortium: http://ebooks.mlc.lib.mi.us Nonresident applications: This varies by the many participating public libraries that utilize this statewide digital library service. Here are three of them: The Dearborn library accepts applications from nonresidents in person for $80 per year: http://dearbornlibrary.org/ The Kalamazoo library accepts applications from nonresidents of Kalamazoo County in person for $185 per year: http://kpl.gov/account/card.aspx The Grosse Point library accepts applications from nonresidents in person for $100 per year: http://www.gp.lib.mi.us/ West Bloomfield, MI: http://www.wblib.org/read/ebooksfaq.php It's unclear if nonresidents can apply: http://www.wblib.org/index.php Rochester, MN: http://digital.rochesterpubliclibrary.org Nonresidents of the state of Minnesota can apply in person for $10 for two months: http://www.rochesterpubliclibrary.org/info/card.html Starkville, MS: http://ebooks.starkville.lib.ms.us It's unclear if nonresidents can apply: http://www.starkville.lib.ms.us/ Omaha, NE: http://ebooks.omahapubliclibrary.org Nonresidents of Douglas County can apply by mail for $60 per year: http://www.omahapubliclibrary.org/ab...ardpolicy.html Cherry Hill, NJ: http://cherryhill.lib.overdrive.com Applications from nonresidents of nearby counties in the state of New Jersey are not accepted: http://www.cherryhill.lib.nj.us/room...age/Sirsi_HOME NY (state): http://ebooks.nypl.org Nonresidents of the state of New York can apply by mail for $100 per year: http://nypl.org/books/cards.html Brooklyn, NY: http://digitalbooks.brooklynpubliclibrary.org Applications from nonresidents of the state of New York are not accepted: http://www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org..._materials.jsp White Plains, NY: http://digital.whiteplainslibrary.org Nonresidents of the state of New York can apply in person for $75 per year: http://www.whiteplainslibrary.org/borrowing/cards.shtml Clermont County, OH: http://www.clermontlibrary.org/ohioebookproj.shtml Applications from nonresidents of Clermont County are accepted in person for free: http://www.clermontlibrary.org/servicesborrow.shtml Cuyahoga County, OH: http://ebcd.cuyahogalibrary.org It's unclear if nonresidents can apply: http://www.cuyahogalibrary.org/StdBa....aspx?id=11023 Dayton, OH: http://overdrive.daytonmetrolibrary.org It's unclear if nonresidents can apply: http://www.daytonmetrolibrary.org/default/index.cfm Stow-Munroe Falls, OH: http://www.smfpl.org/news.htm It's unclear if nonresidents can apply: http://www.smfpl.org/polregistration.htm Westerville County, OH: http://www.westervillelibrary.org/oep/ It's unclear if nonresidents can apply: http://www.westervillelibrary.org/ Harris County, TX: http://hcpl.lib.overdrive.com It's unclear if nonresidents can apply: http://www.hcpl.net/about/libcards.htm Fairfax County, VA: http://fairfax.lib.overdrive.com Nonresidents of Fairfax County can apply by mail for $27 per year: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/cardelgb.htm King County, WA: http://www.kcls.org/ecollection/ It's unclear if nonresidents of King and adjoining counties can apply: http://www.kcls.org/usingthelibrary/...wing_areas.cfm