Archive.org opens huge ebook lending library - Page 2

carld · 02-23-2011, 08:49 PM

How are you downloading them? Because, I'm not seeing any option at all to download. And could you post a title?

tomsem · 02-23-2011, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carld

How are you downloading them? Because, I'm not seeing any option at all to download. And could you post a title?

You need to create an OL account, otherwise you can only read online. They give you 5 minutes to do something with the .acsm file.

I checked out one that is definitely out of print, but within copyright. About to try the ePub format...

Hmm, wonder if the browser viewer will work on my Kindle... [answer: 'openlibrary.org' won't resolve - brings up one of those 'coming soon to register.com' pages. strange..]

carld · 02-23-2011, 09:01 PM

I found one with a download option Shoot Out At Split Rock, an old Western.

It looks like the books here are all available ebooks. They all seem to be older scanned books. I'm not sure how they get around the copyright law though.

carld · 02-23-2011, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomsem

You need to create an OL account, otherwise you can only read online.

Yeah, did that already. It seems that the downloable books are mostly (all?) older books that have been scanned in.

tomsem · 02-23-2011, 09:40 PM

I downloaded a book (ePub), it opens ok (and looks pretty terrible) in ADE, but when I tried a couple of my iOS apps (Bluefire, iFlow Reader) they choked (I've used both for reading Adobe DRM & library books previously). So it looks like this is of limited benefit.

I'll try PDF next, but the only app for that on iOS is Bluefire and its PDF reader is not so good at least on iPod Touch screen.

khalleron · 02-23-2011, 11:15 PM

People complain about Google ebooks, but I've yet to find a book on Archive.org that was in any way readable.

I, personally, have had much better luck with Google Books. If it's PD, again, why reinvent the wheel? And if it's in copyright, then I can only get it through my library anyway.

GreenMonkey · 02-24-2011, 02:48 AM

I was hoping this was an online Overdrive service without location restriction, but nope, just a search engine for Overdrive. Lame.

I don't have an Overdrive library within 40 miles of me, and it's more like 60 for one with a halfway decent selection.

JeremyR · 02-24-2011, 03:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenMonkey

I don't have an Overdrive library within 40 miles of me, and it's more like 60 for one with a halfway decent selection.

Heck, I don't have a library, period.

People take things far too granted these days...

Dulin's Books · 02-24-2011, 11:33 AM

St Louis has a good library system with ebook and audio book downloads

http://www.slpl.org/slpl/library/article240146560.asp

carld · 02-24-2011, 11:51 AM

I was going to say that you have to live there to get a card, but they do have "fee based cards." I wonder how much the fee is?

Jane12 · 02-24-2011, 02:38 PM

See this page: http://openlibrary.org/borrow

When you search for a book, Open Library apparently provides you with options from 4 different sources. Some have territory restrictions (e.g., Overdrive), others don't (e.g., "Lending Library").

Catlady · 02-24-2011, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by khalleron

People complain about Google ebooks, but I've yet to find a book on Archive.org that was in any way readable.

I, personally, have had much better luck with Google Books. If it's PD, again, why reinvent the wheel? And if it's in copyright, then I can only get it through my library anyway.

But there are books available that are not public domain but are out of print--like a Ben Casey TV tie-in, YAs by Betty Cavanna, nurse romances, a handful of Phyllis A. Whitney and Dorothy Eden titles. It's not going to be of much use to folks who want current books, I guess, but I'm looking forward to finding lots of oddball books there.

tomsem · 02-24-2011, 05:55 PM

There are some problems with borrowing from the archive.org collection (the "Lending Library"). The license is tied to the device that handles fulfillment of the .acsm file. The only 'device' that works is Adobe Digital Editions, and the only other things you can read with are things that ADE recognizes when they're tethered (e.g. Sony). You cannot take the fulfilled .ePub/.PDF file and side load it to, say, Bluefire or Overdrive on iOS, as you can with books borrowed from Overdrive portals. For me, it greatly limits the already limited usefulness of a limited collection of titles with lots of formatting issues and typos.

Catlady · 02-24-2011, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomsem

There are some problems with borrowing from the archive.org collection (the "Lending Library"). The license is tied to the device that handles fulfillment of the .acsm file. The only 'device' that works is Adobe Digital Editions, and the only other things you can read with are things that ADE recognizes when they're tethered (e.g. Sony). You cannot take the fulfilled .ePub/.PDF file and side load it to, say, Bluefire or Overdrive on iOS, as you can with books borrowed from Overdrive portals. For me, it greatly limits the already limited usefulness of a limited collection of titles with lots of formatting issues and typos.

It's free. It offers books available nowhere else except the used book market. Not perfect, but so what?

rogue_librarian · 02-25-2011, 02:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomsem

The license is tied to the device that handles fulfillment of the .acsm file.

Yes, that would normally your PC running ADE (I run it on Linux under Wine).

Quote:

The only 'device' that works is Adobe Digital Editions, and the only other things you can read with are things that ADE recognizes when they're tethered (e.g. Sony).

You'll need a device that support ADE, yes. Many modern ereaders do that,like my PB 360, e.g.

Quote:

You cannot take the fulfilled .ePub/.PDF file and side load it to, say, Bluefire or Overdrive on iOS

I have no experience with these programs, but the epub I dowloaded from archive.org doesn't behave any differently than the epubs I buy (or more correctly borrow from other digital libraries, as it will expire after 2 weeks).

02-23-2011, 09:40 PM	#20
tomsem Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,944 Karma: 27060153 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: USA Device: iPhone 15PM, Kindle Scribe, iPad mini 6, PocketBook InkPad Color 3	I downloaded a book (ePub), it opens ok (and looks pretty terrible) in ADE, but when I tried a couple of my iOS apps (Bluefire, iFlow Reader) they choked (I've used both for reading Adobe DRM & library books previously). So it looks like this is of limited benefit. I'll try PDF next, but the only app for that on iOS is Bluefire and its PDF reader is not so good at least on iPod Touch screen. Last edited by tomsem; 02-23-2011 at 10:11 PM.

02-24-2011, 02:38 PM	#26
Jane12 Groupie Posts: 171 Karma: 1706300 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: iDevices	See this page: http://openlibrary.org/borrow When you search for a book, Open Library apparently provides you with options from 4 different sources. Some have territory restrictions (e.g., Overdrive), others don't (e.g., "Lending Library"). Last edited by Jane12; 02-26-2011 at 02:34 PM.

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02-23-2011, 08:49 PM	#16
carld Wizard Posts: 2,698 Karma: 4748723 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Kindle Paperwhite	How are you downloading them? Because, I'm not seeing any option at all to download. And could you post a title?

02-23-2011, 09:01 PM	#18
carld Wizard Posts: 2,698 Karma: 4748723 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Kindle Paperwhite	I found one with a download option Shoot Out At Split Rock, an old Western. It looks like the books here are all available ebooks. They all seem to be older scanned books. I'm not sure how they get around the copyright law though.

02-23-2011, 11:15 PM	#21
khalleron Kate Posts: 1,700 Karma: 3605799 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Oregon, United States Device: MeeBook, Kobo Libra Colour	People complain about Google ebooks, but I've yet to find a book on Archive.org that was in any way readable. I, personally, have had much better luck with Google Books. If it's PD, again, why reinvent the wheel? And if it's in copyright, then I can only get it through my library anyway.

02-24-2011, 02:48 AM	#22
GreenMonkey DRM hater Posts: 945 Karma: 2066176 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Michigan Device: Nook ST glow, Kindle Voyage	I was hoping this was an online Overdrive service without location restriction, but nope, just a search engine for Overdrive. Lame. I don't have an Overdrive library within 40 miles of me, and it's more like 60 for one with a halfway decent selection.

02-24-2011, 11:33 AM	#24
Dulin's Books Wizard Posts: 2,806 Karma: 13500000 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Portland, OR Device: Boox PB360 etc etc etc	St Louis has a good library system with ebook and audio book downloads http://www.slpl.org/slpl/library/article240146560.asp

02-24-2011, 11:51 AM	#25
carld Wizard Posts: 2,698 Karma: 4748723 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Kindle Paperwhite	I was going to say that you have to live there to get a card, but they do have "fee based cards." I wonder how much the fee is?

02-24-2011, 05:55 PM	#28
tomsem Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,944 Karma: 27060153 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: USA Device: iPhone 15PM, Kindle Scribe, iPad mini 6, PocketBook InkPad Color 3	There are some problems with borrowing from the archive.org collection (the "Lending Library"). The license is tied to the device that handles fulfillment of the .acsm file. The only 'device' that works is Adobe Digital Editions, and the only other things you can read with are things that ADE recognizes when they're tethered (e.g. Sony). You cannot take the fulfilled .ePub/.PDF file and side load it to, say, Bluefire or Overdrive on iOS, as you can with books borrowed from Overdrive portals. For me, it greatly limits the already limited usefulness of a limited collection of titles with lots of formatting issues and typos.