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

[andyh2000]

Originally Posted by BionicGecko

I did just that, thanks all for the info!

Just be aware that while the e-card is indeed available outside of the US, one's access to some content might be limited depending on where they are geographically located. Case in point: neither the Axis360 nor the Hoopla apps are available in my country's App Store. One might want to check availability before joining the library.

A few points to consider:

• All three sites offer direct reading or listening via the PC browser (if that's your thing).
• Overdrive ebooks work fine with my Kindle (registered with a UK address), and the Libby app (from Overdrive) works well with both ebooks and audiobooks.
• ebooks on Axis360 are available for download as .epub files with Adobe DRM; this makes it possible at least to deDRM those books to read them on an ereader (which I consider a valid use case here as the app is not available; just be sure to delete the book after reading). Audiobooks are in a proprietary format and cannot be downloaded and/or decrypted.
• For Hoopla, there doesn't seem to be a way to download any content at all. So in countries where the app is not available, this catalogue is PC only.
• It is likely possible to download the apps by changing your home country in the App Store, however this is not always practical; for instance, you might have region-specific subscriptions on your account, which have to be canceled before the country can be changed. As this is my case, I haven't tried this, and cannot confirm it works, or if a VPN is required to retrieve content, etc.

It’s also worth pointing out that the video streaming sites available via the Libby app (Kanopy, IndieFlix, Quello Concerts and The Great Courses) are all accessible from abroad; there’s some really interesting stuff in there!

Hopefully this will be useful to someone

Thanks for being a UK guinea pig!

Andrew

[John F]

Originally Posted by John F

I ghink only overdrive will work with your paperwhite.

Originally Posted by BionicGecko

I did just that, thanks all for the info!

Just be aware that while the e-card is indeed available outside of the US, one's access to some content might be limited depending on where they are geographically located. Case in point: neither the Axis360 nor the Hoopla apps are available in my country's App Store. One might want to check availability before joining the library.

A few points to consider:

• All three sites offer direct reading or listening via the PC browser (if that's your thing).
• Overdrive ebooks work fine with my Kindle (registered with a UK address), and the Libby app (from Overdrive) works well with both ebooks and audiobooks.
  [*] ebooks on Axis360 are available for download as .epub files with Adobe DRM; this makes it possible at least to deDRM those books to read them on an ereader (which I consider a valid use case here as the app is not available; just be sure to delete the book after reading). Audiobooks are in a proprietary format and cannot be downloaded and/or decrypted.
• For Hoopla, there doesn't seem to be a way to download any content at all. So in countries where the app is not available, this catalogue is PC only.
• It is likely possible to download the apps by changing your home country in the App Store, however this is not always practical; for instance, you might have region-specific subscriptions on your account, which have to be canceled before the country can be changed. As this is my case, I haven't tried this, and cannot confirm it works, or if a VPN is required to retrieve content, etc.

It’s also worth pointing out that the video streaming sites available via the Libby app (Kanopy, IndieFlix, Quello Concerts and The Great Courses) are all accessible from abroad; there’s some really interesting stuff in there!

Hopefully this will be useful to someone

Sorry for the misinformation about axis 360. Good to here there epubs are avaiable vie ADE.

[BionicGecko]

Originally Posted by andyh2000

Thanks for being a UK guinea pig!

Haha thanks Andrew In fact I'm located in central Europe; I think you'd have it a bit easier than me as from what I can tell the Axis360 and Hoopla apps are both available in the UK. It's no replacement for direct Kindle integration but at least it gives access to the audio libraries, and Hoopla seems to have quite a lot of graphic novels (if you're into that).

Originally Posted by John F

Sorry for the misinformation about axis 360. Good to here there epubs are avaiable vie ADE.

Yes, AFAIK the availability of epub downloads on axis 360 varies between libraries (from what I gather it's a setting that libraries can decide to enable or not), so it's great to see that the Queens public library allows it.

Also I don't think this is misinformation at all: it indeed doesn't work out of the box, and involves erring into a rather dark shade of grey area (removing DRM from book loans). Overall I think it's safe to say that the catalogue won't work with Kindles or in unsupported geographical areas, but it's good to know there are options

[meeera]

Originally Posted by BionicGecko

I did just that, thanks all for the info!

Just be aware that while the e-card is indeed available outside of the US, one's access to some content might be limited depending on where they are geographically located. Case in point: neither the Axis360 nor the Hoopla apps are available in my country's App Store. One might want to check availability before joining the library.

Can confirm, for those interested, that Hoopla/QPL works great in Australia.

[nabsltd]

Originally Posted by Renate

I try to use the shortest borrowing time to keep the books in circulation.

For many ebooks, this makes no difference, since libraries pay the publisher each time they loan out the ebook.

Basically, libraries buy multipacks of loans on each ebook, and then loan them out. Each loan decreases the number available, regardless of how long the loan lasts. Renewals of the loan length don't decrease the counter.

So, when you return an ebook loan, you aren't really doing anything to give anybody else a better chance to check it out. If your library has more loans left, then other users can check it out. If you used up the last loan, then it doesn't matter when you return it. All that matters is when you library pays for more loans.

[BionicGecko]

Originally Posted by nabsltd

For many ebooks, this makes no difference, since libraries pay the publisher each time they loan out the ebook.

Basically, libraries buy multipacks of loans on each ebook, and then loan them out. Each loan decreases the number available, regardless of how long the loan lasts. Renewals of the loan length don't decrease the counter.

So, when you return an ebook loan, you aren't really doing anything to give anybody else a better chance to check it out. If your library has more loans left, then other users can check it out. If you used up the last loan, then it doesn't matter when you return it. All that matters is when you library pays for more loans.

This is a bit confusing to me; I get that every book has a certain number of loans "tied" to it, and that every loan, regardless of the duration, decreases this number by one. However, if I am, say, on the waiting list for a book, of which (to keep things simple) the library only "owns" one copy; then surely if everyone returns the book within a week instead of within three weeks, I will get to read the book earlier? I think it might be what Renate meant by "keeping books in circulation".

On my side I always try to return the book ASAP as a kindness to the people below me in the list (or, should I say, as the "normal" thing to do), and I hope other people do the same for me

[John F]

Originally Posted by BionicGecko

However, if I am, say, on the waiting list for a book, of which (to keep things simple) the library only "owns" one copy; then surely if everyone returns the book within a week instead of within three weeks, I will get to read the book earlier? ...

Probably depends on the library, but I would guess that you are correct. I have yet to have an ebook on hold and it become unavailable. This is for multiple libraries over the past ~10 years (in the U.S.).

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by John F

I have yet to have an ebook on hold and it become unavailable. This is for multiple libraries over the past ~10 years (in the U.S.).

You can occasionally see this status on books at OverDrive libraries:

0 of 0 copies available Wait time: Not available ?

If you click on the question mark it brings up a dialog showing:

HOLDS INFORMATION

The license for this title has expired. You can still place a hold on it, and your hold will move forward if the library purchases the title again.

I have placed some of these books on hold and had the library purchase them eventually.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by jhowell

I have placed some of these books on hold and had the library purchase them eventually.

No such luck for me; however, I'm currently 5th in line for a book no longer available and I'm hopeful that's a sufficient level of demand to trigger a repurchase.

[John F]

I've seen 0 copies owned.

For those on a hold list with zero copies, have you tried emailing a request? When I was a member at FLP, they were very responsive to emails.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by issybird

No such luck for me; however, I'm currently 5th in line for a book no longer available and I'm hopeful that's a sufficient level of demand to trigger a repurchase.

And it was! Fifth was the charm, apparently.

Good to know for this particular library which is a new one for me; they're willing to repurchase and you're allowed enough holds that it's not a constraint. They're not independent factors; it's possible other libraries I've used are willing to repurchase, but with only a handful of holds allowed people mostly won't be willing to "waste" a hold, so they'll be no obvious demand.

[HLS]

I’m not sure if I answered this but to be honest, it’s the long wait time . I end up just buying the book because I cannot wait six weeks or whatever