Using OverDrive the Kobo Way!

[graycyn]

Originally Posted by Bookworm_Girl

My Overdrive library has a password (characters & numbers) rather than a pin (only numbers). It works fine with my KA1.

Great! Nice to know!

Sent from my Nexus 9 using Tapatalk

[ottdmk]

Originally Posted by jackastor

All Ontario libraries are linked to Overdrive. Since I can access my Ontario library you should be able too. Not all overdrive books are available at our libraries, though as they pay for each copy available to them.



Regards

Jack

One would think that, but alas, it is not the case. If you go on Overdrive's site you can't link the OPL to you Overdrive account. Without being able to do that, the Aura One Overdrive integration doesn't work.

On the bright side, it cuts down on the longing for the Aura One, which my pocketbook definitely cannot afford.

[jiminrussell]

I assume Jack means any Ontario libraries that are part of the Ontario Library Service which is a group of dozens of smaller Ontario libraries that all use the same Overdrive service for borrowing ebooks and audio books from a single source. Most of the larger libraries in Ontario (like OPL) don't belong to that service.

[jackastor]

Originally Posted by jiminrussell

I assume they mean any Ontario libraries that are part of the Ontario Library Service which is a group of dozens of smaller Ontario libraries that all use the same Overdrive service for borrowing ebooks and audio books from a single source. Most of the larger libraries in Ontario (like OPL) don't belong to that service.

Actually I checked that out via overdrive and it's there

[jiminrussell]

Originally Posted by jackastor

Actually I checked that out via overdrive and it's there

OPL might be listed in Overdrive but it is not part of the Ontario Library Service, OPL have a separate deal with them and it is obviously not setup yet to work with kobo based on what others have posted about kobo's implementation of Overdrive not working with OPL. Where as if you belong to an Ontario library that is part of the Ontario Library Service, like the one I belong to in Russell, it works fine.

[robko]

I don't think that's the whole story Jim. Neither the Stratford Public Library or the Perth County Information Network (group of local libraries it belongs to) are listed on the OLS website as being members. And I can borrow from Stratford Library on my KA1.

[jiminrussell]

Originally Posted by robko

I don't think that's the whole story Jim. Neither the Stratford Public Library or the Perth County Information Network (group of local libraries it belongs to) are listed on the OLS website as being members. And I can borrow from Stratford Library on my KA1.

Right because the Stratford Public Library or the Perth County Information Network have been setup correctly to work with kobo's implementation of Overdrive just like the OLS has been, unfortunately the OPL hasn't been, why it hasn't been is the question when it works with overdrive itself. The whole thing is a bit strange, it really should work with OPL. Perhaps it is something that kobo can fix or perhaps it is something overdrive has to fix on their end.

I wasn't trying to suggest that it would only work with OLS libraries. Only that it does work with them.

[ballfresno]

Just a data point: upgraded to new firmware for my KA1 and decided to try the OverDrive feature. Found my library, logged in, borrowed a book and started reading! 2-3 minutes elapsed time, and most of that was browsing for a book to read.

Very impressed. Especially as it's a complete palaver for me to borrow otherwise as all my computers are Linux...

[CatherineStewart]

So just a little discovery. When a book expired from Overdrive, if not renewed you can still read it. As long as your kobo remains in sleep mode and you don't exit the book for the home screen, it shows as "expired" but you can still read it. I have a book that expired 7 days ago and I'm still reading it, providing I don't exit the book (which means I have to be careful and make sure it stays in sleep mode).

[ottdmk]

Yeah, that's been known for quite a while. Way it works is, when the book is opened, as long as it hasn't expired it's decrypted so it can be read. Thing is, as long as the book isn't closed, the unencrypted data remains available. Of course, the minute you switch to something different, you're toast. :-D

[CatherineStewart]

Originally Posted by ottdmk

Yeah, that's been known for quite a while. Way it works is, when the book is opened, as long as it hasn't expired it's decrypted so it can be read. Thing is, as long as the book isn't closed, the unencrypted data remains available. Of course, the minute you switch to something different, you're toast. :-D

I didn't know this before. Thanks!

[jowit]

Originally Posted by CatherineStewart

So just a little discovery. When a book expired from Overdrive, if not renewed you can still read it. As long as your kobo remains in sleep mode and you don't exit the book for the home screen, it shows as "expired" but you can still read it. I have a book that expired 7 days ago and I'm still reading it, providing I don't exit the book (which means I have to be careful and make sure it stays in sleep mode).

Very useful info. In addition, on my H2O, I can manually change the date so that I am still within the library borrowing period. As long as I don't connect to wifi, I can then access past due books. However I noticed that I am unable to manually change the date on the KA1. Must be due to changes in the firmware??

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by jowit

Very useful info. In addition, on my H2O, I can manually change the date so that I am still within the library borrowing period. As long as I don't connect to wifi, I can then access past due books. However I noticed that I am unable to manually change the date on the KA1. Must be due to changes in the firmware??

Are the "Date and time" options missing from the settings? Or are they just disabled? They are still there and seem to work (dialog came up but I didn't save the changes) for the Glo HD on the same firmware. I wonder if they get disabled when you log in to Overdrive.

[jowit]

Originally Posted by davidfor

Are the "Date and time" options missing from the settings? Or are they just disabled? They are still there and seem to work (dialog came up but I didn't save the changes) for the Glo HD on the same firmware. I wonder if they get disabled when you log in to Overdrive.

You are a genius! It worked. I signed out of Overdrive and was able to change the date. Lucky for me, I had previously side-loaded my library book using ADE, because Overdrive is not yet supported for the KA1 for my library. Yay!
So, it seems that the option for changing the date gets disabled once you are signed into Overdrive.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by davidfor

Are the "Date and time" options missing from the settings? Or are they just disabled? They are still there and seem to work (dialog came up but I didn't save the changes) for the Glo HD on the same firmware. I wonder if they get disabled when you log in to Overdrive.

On my KA1, the date and time options are still there but the only one that responds to a touch is the Time Zone. It doesn't matter if I have WiFi on or off. I'm logged into Overdrive.

On my H2O, if I disable WiFi, I can change the time/date and the new setting works until I enable WiFi at which point the time sync sets the current date/time.