if you don't read library ebooks , why not?

[haertig]

Originally Posted by MarjaE

The library system says to contact county disability services about this, county disability services says to contact the library system.

Before causing a stink of "public embarrassment" as someone recommended, please contact the library and talk to a human directly if you haven't already. If you've only read a statement on their website, those are generic and it might not be appropriate to cause problems for people that may not deserve it. Your library may be more than willing to help if you call and talk to a human (again, assuming you have not done this already).

[meeera]

Originally Posted by haertig

Before causing a stink of "public embarrassment" as someone recommended, please contact the library and talk to a human directly if you haven't already. If you've only read a statement on their website, those are generic and it might not be appropriate to cause problems for people that may not deserve it. Your library may be more than willing to help if you call and talk to a human (again, assuming you have not done this already).

Coming to agree with this - the pandemic has changed a lot of things and paradoxically in some ways made the world more accessible. I'd be very surprised if a librarian wouldn't accept you signing up by phone or videochat, assuming you have a way to present whatever bona fides their system requires.

[4691mls]

My county's library system used to require going to a library in person to get a card but because of the pandemic, they made it possible to get a card remotely.
So I agree with Harrtig and Meeera that it's worth a call.

[graycyn]

Originally Posted by haertig

Before causing a stink of "public embarrassment" as someone recommended, please contact the library and talk to a human directly if you haven't already. If you've only read a statement on their website, those are generic and it might not be appropriate to cause problems for people that may not deserve it. Your library may be more than willing to help if you call and talk to a human (again, assuming you have not done this already).

Yes, that's very true about websites! My reply assumed the OP had already talked to someone in library personnel.

My library requires occasional renewal of cards, but they've been willing to do this over the phone for me at need. I love my library, it's small, but hooked into a consortium, so ebook selection is quite decent.

[MarjaE]

Originally Posted by crane3

Now is the time to browse your local library during the pandemic!

Several years past, my local county library instituted a new way to get a library card online that is for online use only; no borrowing printed books. Don't have to show up in person to get an online library card.

Then at the beginning of the covid problem, we don't need to show up to renew our library card.

This is in California, so check your library as thing may be hidden somewhere & if one cannot enter the library without a mask, then there may be a policy change to reflect that.

Oh wow, thank you!

I had tried to do this before the Pandemic, which is when each directed me to the other.

[Katsunami]

There are very few books written in Dutch (by Dutch authors) that I would actually want to read.

If a book is written in English or German, I read the original book; not the translation to Dutch. If a book is written in a language I can't read, I read the translation to English, not the one into Dutch (if it even exists). For fantasy and science fiction, which are my largest two genres _by far_, I actually find Dutch to be an annoying and often child-like language to read. It just sounds / reads stupid. Ever seen a Dutch fantasy movie? (Yes; there are some.) Even if they try to be "dark" and "foreboding", they still sound as if written for 5-year olds.

English: "Go, go! It's faltering! Grind that monster into the dust!"
Dutch: "Nu, nu! Het hapert! Stamp dat monster de grond in!"

Like... no....

So, I basically only read books in English, and as the "English" section in most libraries I've visited is positively tiny... causes me to not read library books.

And, I also don't like browsing. Or going to get a book, or even having to reserve it. When I want to read something, I want to read it _now_; like start in the next 10 minutes. If I don't have the book and the price is decent, I'll just buy it, download / un-DRM it, and I'll be reading in less than 10 minutes. Waiting for a paper book is so... 2005.

[Tarana]

Originally Posted by MarjaE

I am disabled and can't travel to a library.

I can't get a card unless I can get to the library.

The library system says to contact county disability services about this, county disability services says to contact the library system.

Talk to a real person. My library set my brother up with his card over the phone and mailed it to him. Prior to the pandemic, I had to drive to the library with the new patron's drivers license in order for them to be issued a card (after the disabled person spoke to the librarian). So a lot of things may have changed and the website not updated.

[HLS]

I don't like waiting lists.

[HLS]

Originally Posted by Tarana

Talk to a real person. My library set my brother up with his card over the phone and mailed it to him. Prior to the pandemic, I had to drive to the library with the new patron's drivers license in order for them to be issued a card (after the disabled person spoke to the librarian). So a lot of things may have changed and the website not updated.

Same here. My card expired and they reactivated me online.

[Nonya]

Three reasons:

1) My local library is often *years* behind what's being released today

2) Overdrive just doesn't work on my new Libra 2 or Clara HD. It sits there trying to connect and flashes the screen a few times and just locks up. So I'm done with that method now. Probably because all my library offers through Overdrive are magazines, which I read on a Samsung Tab S7+ anyway and not an ereader.

3) My library uses Axis360 for ebooks which isn't really compatible with any dedicated ereaders at the moment. Sure, it's got iOS, Android, PC, and Mac clients but I don't tend to read ebooks on those devices at all.

[Lykke]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Mostly it's because I'm a "free range" reader. I don't stockpile, and I don't work from a TBR list. I don't like planning my reading around circumstances I don't have control over. I like discovering an interesting book and being able to start reading it almost immediately.

I finish one book and then begin the process of looking for the next one to buy/read

I'm the same. But I still rely on libraries for most of my reading. For one, I live close by to one with a large selection of books in my native language. English books I mostly borrow from Overdrive. In case I really desire a book that is currently unavailable, I will buy it if I determine that it's worth the price. When placing myself in a book queue, when the book becomes available I often find that I'm not interested anymore; my interests are constantly shifting, weekly and sometimes daily.

[Renate]

Originally Posted by Lykke

I live close by to one with a large selection of books...

Me too! Three of them are only 5000 km away and one is 10,000 km. (True.)
I recently discovered the paid out-of-state deal for the Brooklyn (New York) Public Library. For a $50/year subscription you can get a library card. I'm amazed that they have approximately twice as many books as my (not insignificant) Boston Public Library.
https://www.bklynlibrary.org/

[Joliet Jake]

Originally Posted by 4691mls

Easy access to library ebooks was one of the main reasons I bought an ereader. I would never be able to afford to buy as many books as I read "free" from the library. My taxes help subsidize the library so I might as well enjoy the benefits.

I know there are people here on Mobileread who say they rarely or never read library books. I'm curious as to why. Is it because the library in your area doesn't offer ebooks, or has a poor selection? Do you like to reread a lot? Do you make a lot of annotations? Do you like to read the latest best-sellers without waiting on a hold list?

I might have replied to this thread before.

I used to a lot, but I started finding more and more sources of ebooks. My ebook collection is now very large, and I'm adding books faster than I can read them. I will often download a book and not read it for years. Of course I can put library books on a waiting list.

[DuskyRose]

Originally Posted by 4691mls

I know there are people here on Mobileread who say they rarely or never read library books. I'm curious as to why. Is it because the library in your area doesn't offer ebooks, or has a poor selection? Do you like to reread a lot? Do you make a lot of annotations? Do you like to read the latest best-sellers without waiting on a hold list?

I'm not usually interested in the best sellers. I do check out ebooks from my library once in a while. But not very often. I do like to browse the web site for ideas.

Wait times, and lack of books in a series. They'll pick up the latest books, like 6, 7, and 8, but won't have the first five. I think they just time out on the early ones, since they're years old. I'm really big about reading a series in order, in a binge. I'm just now coming to a point where I'll read only four books in a series, then read a stand alone, then go back. So I don't burn out.

Also, when I'm in between series and looking to start one, or looking for a stand-alone I can see three or four that I'm interested in at the library, borrow those, then when I sit down to read pick something else. So then have to go right back and return them because I don't want anyone else to wait. Four or five days later I may have moved on and lost interest in them.

And I pick up so many free that sometimes I'll pick up a book to complete a series if it's really cheap. Or I know it's definitely on my reading list.

And the selection isn't always there. The new books are almost always for teens and young kids.

[4691mls]

Originally Posted by DuskyRose

Wait times, and lack of books in a series. They'll pick up the latest books, like 6, 7, and 8, but won't have the first five.

Or they have random ones, like books 2, 5, 7.... I hate that too.

I sometimes wonder if they just bought those on sale and didn't want to pay full price for the rest....

If they're going to have only a few, I'd prefer they have the earliest books. Then if I decide I like the series I might be motivated to buy later books.