Library of Philadelphia - worth it or not?

[Katel]

I'm looking to join up with overseas Overdrive libraries as a non-resident and have just learnt that the Singapore Library has recently stopped its non-resident service.

Which leaves the FLP, but ..... I've been browsing its Overdrive catalogue and can hardly find any books readily available without longish waiting lists. As for thrillers by say Lee Child, James Lee Burke , Linwood Barclay to name a few of my favourites forget it ......some of their lists are up to 90 patrons waiting!

So I'm wondering how have registered members fared there? Do you have to settle for the far less popular or unknown authors? I'd love to know please.

[xendula]

My local library has waiting lists as well, so I just put things on hold and wait my turn. It is what it is... Libraries only have so many copies of a book, and obviosuly the better known ones are the ones the hold is longest for.

That said, there are a few other options for you:
http://blog.the-ebook-reader.com/201...ing-overdrive/

I cross checked the waiting lists at my library versus the ones on the list, and the ones on the list have more copies of a specific book, but also more patrons on the waiting lists, so it seems to be about the same everywhere.

[Catlady]

I think it's definitely worth it. I don't tend to borrow best-sellers, so I think my longest waiting list was around 45. If I really, really want to read the book immediately, I buy it, otherwise, I just wait.

Usually the library has multiple copies of popular books, so the waiting lists aren't as long as they might seem.

[pidgeon92]

The wait lists are long, but they often have several copies of each ebook. I keep a wishlist on the site, and there are usually one or two available on the list whenever I want to download something.

[hwlester]

I'd have to say yes as I recently joined there. Some of the very popular books have long waiting lists (i.e. Fifty Shades), but on many of them, with the larger number of copies they have, even with the long waiting lists, they're still less of a wait than my local library (i.e. Harry Potter and Hunger Games). Plus, they have a more complete collection of some of the older stuff I read than my local library, so I already have a long wish list and have reached the max for books checked out and on hold (10/each at a time). They offer a longer checkout period (7, 14, or 21 days) than my local libraries (7 or 14 days) which is great if you have trouble reading/listening to everything in 14 days, but hurts if you're on the waiting list.

[Fbone]

Here is a list of libraries that may offer non-residents a library card.
http://blog.the-ebook-reader.com/201...ry-is-lacking/

Before you send money/credit card info, email first to make sure they will still issue you one and if it includes Overdrive privileges.

Other libraries on the list may be a better fit. Fewer residents utilizing service with a good selection available. While Brooklyn has over 31,000 titles they may not have what you wish to read and a population of 2.5 million. Philly has 12,000 titles with 1.5 million people. Monroe County NY has 9500 titles with 750,000 people.

[graycyn]

My husband got me a card for Valentine's day, I've really enjoyed it. Yes, for some books there are lengthy waits, but it is still far better than the wait lists on books from my local library. I've been happy with the selection too.

[DianNC]

Looks like a bargain to me. I just checked on some titles that I've been unable find at my local libraries and FLP has them all with only 1 or 2 on the wait list!

Just printed the application form and will mail it on Tuesday. Wish they'd let me do it all online.

[dkperez]

So far, FLP has been marginally useful. There have been a couple books that only showed up there, but in most cases I put the e-book on reserve at multiple libraries and download the one that shows up first. In the last 6 months, that's only happened a couple times at FLP.
In the vast majority of cases, if it's not available at one of the other 4 systems I belong to, it's not available in Overdrive, so FLP won't have it either.

[Katel]

Thanks for your replies, and the links. I will also have a look at the other Overdrive libraries. I do find that I don't have to wait long at my local libraries (Melbourne, Australia), perhaps the most say for a Lee Child book I would be 2nd on the list. whereas with FLP perhaps 80th. But I think I'm spoilt now for reading paper books - I want to read them on my new toy.

[pidgeon92]

Here's a list of the books I have been able to borrow from this library in 2012:

author -- title
Phillipa Ashley -- Just Say Yes
Margaret Atwood -- The Robber Bride
Tiffany Baker -- The Little Giant of Aberdeen County
Nicola Barker -- Darkmans
Elizabeth Berg -- Ordinary Life: Stories
Alan Bradley -- I Am Half-Sick of Shadows
Diane Chamberlain -- The Good Father
Daniel Clay -- Broken: A Novel
Michael Connelly -- City of Bones
Michael Connelly -- Lost Light
Michael Connelly -- The Narrows
Michael Connelly -- The Closers
Michael Connelly -- Echo Park
Michael Connelly -- The Last Coyote
Michael Connelly -- The Overlook
Michael Connelly -- Nine Dragons
Arne Dahl -- Misterioso: A Crime Novel
Pete Dexter -- Spooner
Jennifer Egan -- Look at Me: A Novel
Gillian Flynn -- Gone Girl: A Novel
Eileen Goudge -- The Replacement Wife
Annabelle Gurwitch, Jeff Kahn -- You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up: A Love Story
Susan Hill -- The Woman in Black: A Ghost Story
Lars Iyer -- Spurious: A Novel
Sadie Jones -- The Uninvited Guests: A Novel
Sophie Kinsella -- I've Got Your Number: A Novel
Sally Koslow -- The Late, Lamented Molly Marx: A Novel [Paperback]
Lori Lansens -- The Wife's Tale: A Novel
Henning Mankell -- The Pyramid: The First Wallander Cases
Henning Mankell -- The Troubled Man
Carolyn Mardsen -- The White Zone
Anouk Markovits -- I Am Forbidden: A Novel
Kate Milford -- The Boneshaker
Christopher Moore -- Practical Demonkeeping
Lorrie Moore -- Who Will Run the Frog Hospital
Thomas Mullen -- The Many Deaths of the Firefly Brothers: A Novel
Haruki Murakami -- After Dark
Sandra Novack -- Precious
Anne Perry -- Callander Square: A Charlotte and Thomas Pitt Novel
Tom Piccirilli -- The Night Class
Kyran Pittman -- Planting Dandelions: Field Notes From a Semi-Domesticated Life
Tim Powers -- Hide Me Among the Graves: A Novel
Douglas Preston -- The Monster of Florence
Kristina Riggle -- Keepsake: A Novel
Peter Robinson -- Before the Poison: A Novel
Jane Rogers -- The Testament of Jessie Lamb: A Novel
Timothy Schaffert -- The Phantom Limbs of the Rollow Sisters
Lee Smith -- The Last Girls: A Novel
Graham Swift -- Wish You Were Here
Anne Tyler -- The Beginner's Goodbye
Thrity Umrigar -- The World We Found: A Novel
Carlos Ruiz -- The Shadow of the Wind

53 ebooks from January to October. Quite a bargain for my $35.

[DianNC]

Originally Posted by Fbone

While Brooklyn has over 31,000 titles they may not have what you wish to read and a population of 2.5 million. Philly has 12,000 titles with 1.5 million people. Monroe County NY has 9500 titles with 750,000 people.

Very useful info. Is there a resource available in which I could check these statistics for the libraries in my area?

[xendula]

Originally Posted by pidgeon92

Here's a list of the books I have been able to borrow from this library in 2012:

author -- title
Phillipa Ashley -- Just Say Yes
Margaret Atwood -- The Robber Bride
Tiffany Baker -- The Little Giant of Aberdeen County
Nicola Barker -- Darkmans
Elizabeth Berg -- Ordinary Life: Stories
Alan Bradley -- I Am Half-Sick of Shadows
Diane Chamberlain -- The Good Father
Daniel Clay -- Broken: A Novel
Michael Connelly -- City of Bones
Michael Connelly -- Lost Light
Michael Connelly -- The Narrows
Michael Connelly -- The Closers
Michael Connelly -- Echo Park
Michael Connelly -- The Last Coyote
Michael Connelly -- The Overlook
Michael Connelly -- Nine Dragons
Arne Dahl -- Misterioso: A Crime Novel
Pete Dexter -- Spooner
Jennifer Egan -- Look at Me: A Novel
Gillian Flynn -- Gone Girl: A Novel
Eileen Goudge -- The Replacement Wife
Annabelle Gurwitch, Jeff Kahn -- You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up: A Love Story
Susan Hill -- The Woman in Black: A Ghost Story
Lars Iyer -- Spurious: A Novel
Sadie Jones -- The Uninvited Guests: A Novel
Sophie Kinsella -- I've Got Your Number: A Novel
Sally Koslow -- The Late, Lamented Molly Marx: A Novel [Paperback]
Lori Lansens -- The Wife's Tale: A Novel
Henning Mankell -- The Pyramid: The First Wallander Cases
Henning Mankell -- The Troubled Man
Carolyn Mardsen -- The White Zone
Anouk Markovits -- I Am Forbidden: A Novel
Kate Milford -- The Boneshaker
Christopher Moore -- Practical Demonkeeping
Lorrie Moore -- Who Will Run the Frog Hospital
Thomas Mullen -- The Many Deaths of the Firefly Brothers: A Novel
Haruki Murakami -- After Dark
Sandra Novack -- Precious
Anne Perry -- Callander Square: A Charlotte and Thomas Pitt Novel
Tom Piccirilli -- The Night Class
Kyran Pittman -- Planting Dandelions: Field Notes From a Semi-Domesticated Life
Tim Powers -- Hide Me Among the Graves: A Novel
Douglas Preston -- The Monster of Florence
Kristina Riggle -- Keepsake: A Novel
Peter Robinson -- Before the Poison: A Novel
Jane Rogers -- The Testament of Jessie Lamb: A Novel
Timothy Schaffert -- The Phantom Limbs of the Rollow Sisters
Lee Smith -- The Last Girls: A Novel
Graham Swift -- Wish You Were Here
Anne Tyler -- The Beginner's Goodbye
Thrity Umrigar -- The World We Found: A Novel
Carlos Ruiz -- The Shadow of the Wind

53 ebooks from January to October. Quite a bargain for my $35.

Pidgeon, that's quite a list! Out of the top of our head, are any of these Dystopian or SciFi/Fantasy? And are these in addition to the ebooks you borrowed from your local library (so do you have access to two libraries' ezones)?

[xendula]

Originally Posted by DianNC

Very useful info. Is there a resource available in which I could check these statistics for the libraries in my area?

In your area, you could ask your local library. I find the librarians in my local library amazingly well informed about their Overdrive offerings.

[DianNC]

Originally Posted by xendula

In your area, you could ask your local library. I find the librarians in my local library amazingly well informed about their Overdrive offerings.

Thanks. I was actually able to figure it out by checking the number of titles at each of my local libraries and knowing the approximate population statistic. Of course, I'd be more interested in the ratio between the number of titles/patrons (since not all the residents of any one city are likely to be library-card holders).

Got a good, general idea for my area, though.