Libra 2 signing into OD account without specifying a library

[willaful]

I'm trying to sign into Overdrive on my kobo without specifying a library. I've figured out how to do this twice before and just can't seem to do it a third time.

[isarl]

First it does require that you specify a library. However when it takes you to the sign-in screen there is an option to sign in with your Overdrive account instead of your library card for that particular library.

I believe Kobos do it this way because they can only display a single library's results. It's kind of like how in Libby, even if you have multiple library cards, you have to choose which one to use before making a search. The UI will not search across all your cards and combine the results for you. Likewise the Kobo still has to choose a particular library to search – but if you're logged into your Overdrive account, then you should still automatically receive your loans made from other libraries on your same Overdrive account.

[willaful]

I tried specifying a library and now it wants me to sign in with that card, which I didn't have to do before. So I think there really is a way.

[isarl]

Originally Posted by willaful

I tried specifying a library and now it wants me to sign in with that card, which I didn't have to do before. So I think there really is a way.

Did you look closely at the sign-in page? On the webpage for the library you specify, which asks you to sign in using your library card, you should also see a link to sign in with Overdrive. That link should take you to a different sign-in page, which should work.

[willaful]

Originally Posted by isarl

Did you look closely at the sign-in page? On the webpage for the library you specify, which asks you to sign in using your library card, you should also see a link to sign in with Overdrive. That link should take you to a different sign-in page, which should work.

I'm talking about signing in on my kobo.

[isarl]

Originally Posted by willaful

I'm talking about signing in on my kobo.

So am I.

[Cootey]

You can’t bypass selecting a library. It’s hard baked into the Overdrive setup, and I believe this is how Kobo determines what your main library is for the Kobo store. It’s confusing because after you select the library, Kobo asks you to select a library again for the login. However, on that page, below the second library selection, is the Overdrive login @isarl is referring to.

[isarl]

Originally Posted by Cootey

You can’t bypass selecting a library. It’s hard baked into the Overdrive setup, and I believe this is how Kobo determines what your main library is for the Kobo store. It’s confusing because after you select the library, Kobo asks you to select a library again for the login. However, on that page, below the second library selection, is the Overdrive login @isarl is referring to.

Thank you for this! Yes, this is exactly what I was referring to. It's a little confusing because Kobo Overdrive integration kind of works on two levels. At the basic level, it requires an actual library, because it needs a specific collection to browse and search in the user interface on your device. It is not capable of searching or browsing across ALL of the libraries on your Overdrive account. However, despite this, if you login correctly then it will still synchronize your loans from all libraries linked to your Overdrive account, even though you can't browse all their catalogues from your Kobo's built-in user interface. (You would need to use e.g. Libby, or a web browser and the Overdrive webpage(s).)

In summary:

0. The following is all written with the expectation that you already have an Overdrive account, and that your Overdrive account is already linked to one or more accounts that you hold with libraries on the Overdrive platform.

1. Start the Overdrive login process on your Kobo.

2. When it asks you for an actual library, give it a real one. The actual choice doesn't matter here a great deal unless you plan to spend a lot of time using the Kobo's built-in user interface for browsing Overdrive. If that is the case then in this step you will want to be sure to pick the library which gives you the best browsing experience (e.g. has the collection you most expect to have the books you will be looking for – or maybe has the collection you expect to have the shortest wait times for the books you'll be wanting to read – or whatever).

3. When it takes you to the login page for the library you chose, look for the “Sign in with OverDrive” link so helpfully highlighted by Cootey. (Thank you for that! )

4. Sign in with your OverDrive account. Do not sign in using any of your library cards!

5. Now when you synchronize your Kobo, all loans on your Overdrive account should show up on your device, even if they were not made with the library you chose. That library only affects what you are able to search on your Kobo. If borrowing from multiple libraries is important to you then you should expect to continue needing to use Libby (or some other option than your Kobo) for browsing and searching the collections of all the other libraries linked to your Overdrive account.

Hope that helps explain in a bit more detail.

[Cootey]

Originally Posted by isarl

5. Now when you synchronize your Kobo, all loans on your Overdrive account should show up on your device, even if they were not made with the library you chose. That library only affects what you are able to search on your Kobo. If borrowing from multiple libraries is important to you then you should expect to continue needing to use Libby (or some other option than your Kobo) for browsing and searching the collections of all the other libraries linked to your Overdrive account.

Hope that helps explain in a bit more detail.

Interesting.

I have not had luck with overdrive multi library support syncing to my Kobos until I involved Libby. By installing that app, and signing in with all my library cards, then I noticed that various loans I had taken out across multiple libraries showed up on my Kobos. And once they show up on the Kobos, they then show up on the iOS Kobo apps as well.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

[willaful]

Originally Posted by isarl

So am I.

Sorry, the word "webpage" confused me.

[willaful]

Originally Posted by isarl

4. Sign in with your OverDrive account. Do not sign in using any of your library cards!

5. Now when you synchronize your Kobo, all loans on your Overdrive account should show up on your device, even if they were not made with the library you chose. That library only affects what you are able to search on your Kobo. If borrowing from multiple libraries is important to you then you should expect to continue needing to use Libby (or some other option than your Kobo) for browsing and searching the collections of all the other libraries linked to your Overdrive account.

Unfortunately this only seems to work if you created your overdrive account in the time when the app still existed. I deleted my former overdrive account because it was linked to one of my husband's cards and his books kept showing up on my kobo. I then created a new one, but there's no way to connect it to my card numbers. All it does it save the libraries I use and signing in with it on the kobo gets me nothing. Unless something else is going on, I think this is why some people can manage to get all of their libraries on Kobo and others are stymied.

In response to someone else, I'm not sure why Libby would help because there's also no way I can find to connect libby with my overdrive account. (I would be thrilled to be wrong about this! Once when I was having issues with Libby, I had to reinstall it and it didn't retain any information. I had to re-add all my library cards again, and also lost all my tags.)

[willaful]

Originally Posted by Cootey

You can’t bypass selecting a library. It’s hard baked into the Overdrive setup, and I believe this is how Kobo determines what your main library is for the Kobo store. It’s confusing because after you select the library, Kobo asks you to select a library again for the login. However, on that page, below the second library selection, is the Overdrive login @isarl is referring to.

I guess this must be what I've done in the past. I thought there was some way to get to the page without choosing a library first.

[Cootey]

Originally Posted by willaful

I guess this must be what I've done in the past. I thought there was some way to get to the page without choosing a library first.

Hopefully, we’ve been of help. Setup can be confusing, especially if you haven’t done it in a while. Follow our steps and you should be fine, but don’t hesitate to ask if you run into another problem.