Public Library

Respigi · 01-09-2016, 02:27 PM

There must be 100,000s of public library ebook providers in the world. Do you know if they are all, like my one, that you must reside in area to use this service?

Cinisajoy · 01-09-2016, 03:00 PM

Some require it, others don't and some have a fee for non-residents.

jhowell · 01-09-2016, 03:28 PM

The answer depends on where you live. I am most familiar with what is available in the US.

There are free online libraries of public domain books, such as Project Gutenberg and the (MobileRead) Patricia Clark Memorial Library.

Open Library has public domain books from the Internet Archive and also has some scans of newer books available if your local library participates.

Some public libraries allow access by patrons outside of their usual service area for a fee. Examples are the Free Library of Philadelphia, Brooklyn (New York) Public Library, and Fairfax County (Virginia) Public Library. They make use of e-book lending service providers like OverDrive, 3M Cloud Library, Freading, Axis 360, and Hoopla.

There are also several paid services that allow access to large collections of books, equivalent to a public library. Examples are (Amazon) Kindle Unlimited, Scribd and Playster. (Another service, Oyster, is shutting down.)

SteveEisenberg · 01-09-2016, 05:31 PM

What jhowell said.

A lot of the time, public libraries in the US will give a free card to any state resident who shows up in person, even if from a distant community. And, a lot of the time, they won't.

Many (but way less than half) of US libraries will give out of state borrowers a card, for a fee, if you show up in person. What's different about the specific public libraries that jhowell mentions is that you don't need to pay the fee in person.

There are US military libraries which grant borrowing privileges to the families of military members. Some have more expansive definitions of family member than others.

I have less knowledge of the situation outside of the US.

Respigi · 01-09-2016, 07:58 PM

Thanks for input. I live in Australia and I am aware that some libraries do and some don`t. I guess it is the ones that do, irrespective of country or domain, that lend without a fee that would be nice to find.

jhowell · 01-09-2016, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Respigi

I guess it is the ones that do, irrespective of country or domain, that lend without a fee that would be nice to find.

Free and internationally available. These will mostly be public domain sites, like Project Gutenberg, for books. Other sources can be hit or miss. MobileRead has threads with links to sites offering free and bargain books. These are often promotions available for a limited time.

You may also want to consider alternate sources of free reading material, such as fan fiction.

darryl · 01-09-2016, 08:52 PM

I doubt you will be able to join a US library without paying a fee, though as jhowell and others have pointed out, there are US libraries which will accept you if you are prepared to pay. Such libraries will usually have a much wider variety than in Australia and earlier access to new releases.

Within Australia, an online search and a quick enquiry will find many libraries that you can join in your own state. I am a member of a number of libraries in different areas of the City I live in. Some you can even join online, though most seem to require a visit and some identification. Unfortunately ebooks for Kindle seem to be available from libraries only in the US. Most Australian libraries seem to use Overdrive for epubs and pdf's.

tdonline · 01-10-2016, 12:08 PM

If you're a California resident, you are eligible for a Los Angeles Public Library card. LAPL has one of the largest e-book/audio collections around.

Respigi · 01-10-2016, 02:38 PM

Again thank you all.
darryl I can understand if e.g. you live in Sydney there would be a lot of libraries to join.
I live in Port Macquarie and there is only one.
However I`ll check many libraries in NSW, email them, and see what they say.

GeoffR · 01-10-2016, 05:14 PM

If you are reading non-fiction you might also look at joining a university library.

I'm not reading much non-fiction at the moment, but if I was I would join my old university library for sure. It costs $200/year or $100/year for Alumni, and gives pretty much the same borrowing rights as an undergraduate extramural student -- including free return postage for paper books anywhere in the country.

Froide · 01-10-2016, 07:37 PM

See MobileReads' EBook Lending Libraries page; it will answer all of your questions.

Quote:

This page lists places where you can borrow modern and classic time-limited ebooks and audiobooks free of charge, or for a periodic fee. Be sure to check your local library's website too: if they have ebooks or audiobooks available, they may be your best source. You may also be interested in E-book stores, where you can purchase books and find some for free; and our page about Free eBooks.

meeera · 01-10-2016, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Respigi

Again thank you all.
darryl I can understand if e.g. you live in Sydney there would be a lot of libraries to join.
I live in Port Macquarie and there is only one.

You can also use the New South Wales State Library.

darryl · 01-11-2016, 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Respigi

Again thank you all.
darryl I can understand if e.g. you live in Sydney there would be a lot of libraries to join.
I live in Port Macquarie and there is only one.
However I`ll check many libraries in NSW, email them, and see what they say.

There are Australian libraries that let you join online. Unfortunately there does not seem to be a list of these, so some work can be necessary to locate them. Most libraries seem to require that you be resident in the same State. Some even require the same or nearby local government areas. However, there are libraries that accept interstate members. I do not know about overseas memberships. I have not come across any Australian libraries offering paid memberships. Joining online will usually give you access to various databases and to Overdrive and other EBook services.

I will probably look at modifying the Wiki to include Australian libraries that let you join online. Two I can think of off the top of my head are Warringah (http://www.warringah.nsw.gov.au/libr...ip-whats-it-me) in Sydney and Port Phillip in Melbourne (http://library.portphillip.vic.gov.au/Home), at least the last time I looked. You should be able to join these online now and borrow ebooks almost immediately. The other thing I would recommend is that when you travel to Sydney and even Newcastle make a little time to visit some libraries and join. You can identify those suitable online in advance.

Good luck.

EDIT: I have now modified the Wiki to create a list of Australian libraries that you can join online without a physical visit, and started it off with the two above. If anyone knows of more, please post them. Also, if my information is out of date or subsequently changes please feel free to update the wiki.

meeera · 01-11-2016, 04:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darryl

EDIT: I have now modified the Wiki to create a list of Australian libraries that you can join online without a physical visit, and started it off with the two above. If anyone knows of more, please post them. Also, if my information is out of date or subsequently changes please feel free to update the wiki.
I will probably look at modifying the Wiki to include Australian libraries that let you join online. Two I can think of off the top of my head are Warringah (http://www.warringah.nsw.gov.au/libr...ip-whats-it-me) in Sydney and Port Phillip in Melbourne (http://library.portphillip.vic.gov.au/Home), at least the last time I looked. You should be able to join these online now and borrow ebooks almost immediately.

Port Phillip says "To complete your membership you will need to visit your nearest library branch with acceptable ID and obtain a library card.".

darryl · 01-11-2016, 04:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meeera

Port Phillip says "To complete your membership you will need to visit your nearest library branch with acceptable ID and obtain a library card.".

Funny. I was able to join online with no visit some time ago, and their site does not seem to have changed. They sent me a login but have never issued me with a card. Did they give you a login? It might be worth emailing them or phoning them to check.

01-09-2016, 02:27 PM	#1
Respigi Member Posts: 20 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2016 Device: Kobo aura H2O	Public Library There must be 100,000s of public library ebook providers in the world. Do you know if they are all, like my one, that you must reside in area to use this service?

01-09-2016, 03:28 PM	#3
jhowell Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,018 Karma: 90000009 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Charlottesville, VA Device: Kindles	The answer depends on where you live. I am most familiar with what is available in the US. There are free online libraries of public domain books, such as Project Gutenberg and the (MobileRead) Patricia Clark Memorial Library. Open Library has public domain books from the Internet Archive and also has some scans of newer books available if your local library participates. Some public libraries allow access by patrons outside of their usual service area for a fee. Examples are the Free Library of Philadelphia, Brooklyn (New York) Public Library, and Fairfax County (Virginia) Public Library. They make use of e-book lending service providers like OverDrive, 3M Cloud Library, Freading, Axis 360, and Hoopla. There are also several paid services that allow access to large collections of books, equivalent to a public library. Examples are (Amazon) Kindle Unlimited, Scribd and Playster. (Another service, Oyster, is shutting down.) Last edited by jhowell; 01-09-2016 at 03:30 PM.

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01-09-2016, 03:00 PM	#2
Cinisajoy Just a Yellow Smiley. Posts: 19,161 Karma: 83862859 Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Texas Device: K4, K5, fire, kobo, galaxy	Some require it, others don't and some have a fee for non-residents.

01-09-2016, 05:31 PM	#4
SteveEisenberg Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,354 Karma: 42994616 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: near Philadelphia USA Device: Kindle Kids Edition, Fire HD 10 (11th generation)	What jhowell said. A lot of the time, public libraries in the US will give a free card to any state resident who shows up in person, even if from a distant community. And, a lot of the time, they won't. Many (but way less than half) of US libraries will give out of state borrowers a card, for a fee, if you show up in person. What's different about the specific public libraries that jhowell mentions is that you don't need to pay the fee in person. There are US military libraries which grant borrowing privileges to the families of military members. Some have more expansive definitions of family member than others. I have less knowledge of the situation outside of the US.

01-09-2016, 07:58 PM	#5
Respigi Member Posts: 20 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2016 Device: Kobo aura H2O	Thanks for input. I live in Australia and I am aware that some libraries do and some don`t. I guess it is the ones that do, irrespective of country or domain, that lend without a fee that would be nice to find.

01-09-2016, 08:52 PM	#7
darryl Wizard Posts: 3,108 Karma: 60231510 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Aura H2O, Kindle Oasis, Huwei Ascend Mate 7	I doubt you will be able to join a US library without paying a fee, though as jhowell and others have pointed out, there are US libraries which will accept you if you are prepared to pay. Such libraries will usually have a much wider variety than in Australia and earlier access to new releases. Within Australia, an online search and a quick enquiry will find many libraries that you can join in your own state. I am a member of a number of libraries in different areas of the City I live in. Some you can even join online, though most seem to require a visit and some identification. Unfortunately ebooks for Kindle seem to be available from libraries only in the US. Most Australian libraries seem to use Overdrive for epubs and pdf's.

01-10-2016, 12:08 PM	#8
tdonline Addict Posts: 309 Karma: 2644486 Join Date: Dec 2011 Device: PW3, Nook Simple Touch	If you're a California resident, you are eligible for a Los Angeles Public Library card. LAPL has one of the largest e-book/audio collections around.

01-10-2016, 02:38 PM	#9
Respigi Member Posts: 20 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2016 Device: Kobo aura H2O	Again thank you all. darryl I can understand if e.g. you live in Sydney there would be a lot of libraries to join. I live in Port Macquarie and there is only one. However I`ll check many libraries in NSW, email them, and see what they say.

01-10-2016, 05:14 PM	#10
GeoffR Wizard Posts: 3,821 Karma: 19162882 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Te Riu-a-Māui Device: Kobo Glo	If you are reading non-fiction you might also look at joining a university library. I'm not reading much non-fiction at the moment, but if I was I would join my old university library for sure. It costs $200/year or $100/year for Alumni, and gives pretty much the same borrowing rights as an undergraduate extramural student -- including free return postage for paper books anywhere in the country.

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