Tuesday, March 22, 2011

OverDrive and eBooks: The Nitty Gritty

This Just In—The Weyenberg Library is proud to announce the addition of a brand new OverDrive Download Station available here at the library beginning Monday March 21. The OverDrive Download Station is a self-service kiosk allowing you to easily download audio books and music directly to your own compatible device right in the library! You will still need to download print materials or movies at home or via a wireless device in the library. And now, we return you to our regularly scheduled programming…

OverDrive and eBooks: The Nitty Gritty
Hot on the heels of our recent introduction to the wonders of your library’s OverDrive catalog and all the free eBooks it provides, comes this--the nuts and bolts of actually using it. Once set up, OverDrive requires only a few mouse clicks to begin reading a new eBook, but getting it up and running can be a bit daunting for some. With that in mind, here is a step-by-step guide to getting there:

Step 1: Go to OverDrive and browse all the wonderful titles you will be able to download shortly. (This is not actually a step. It’s just motivation to get you through what follows.)

Actual Step 1: Download and install Adobe Digital Editions (“ADE” from here on) on your computer. This is just a small program that allows you to manage the eBooks on your computer and transfer them to your eReader. It should only take a minute or two and you won’t need to do this part again.

Step 2: Now you have to authorize your computer and this step is where folks tend to get tripped up. The ADE software is also the program that handles the copy-protection stuff on the books and it requires an Adobe ID. If you don’t have one, don’t worry. We’ll make one shortly. Now open the newly installed ADE from your desktop and you will see the “Setup Assistant” screen. Click “Continue.” This takes you to the “Activation” screen. Under “Authorize Computer,” enter the email address and password for your Adobe ID if you have one. Since you probably don’t yet have one, click “Get an Adobe ID online.” That will take you to Adobe’s website. Just follow the directions to set up your ID. This will only take a minute. Now that you have an Adobe ID, return to the ADE “Activation” screen and enter your information. Next click “Activate” and then “Finish.” Your computer is now activated and you’ll never have to do this again for that computer.

Step 3: The fun part. Browse for a title in Overdrive. Check out an available eBook just like you would a regular book by entering your library card number and PIN. Hint: your PIN is probably just the last four digits of your phone number. Download the title. You might need to place a request for the book if it is currently checked out.

Step 4: The eBook you just downloaded will automatically open ADE and after a few seconds the book will appear—ready to read on your computer. To transfer the eBook to an eReader, plug your device into the computer. The first time you do this, a prompt will pop up asking you to now activate your reader. This is a one-time thing and works just like that first activation for your computer. Enter the same Adobe ID info. If all went well, a link for your device should appear under “Bookshelves” in ADE on your computer. Now all that’s left is to drag and drop your downloaded eBook onto the link for your device (under “Bookshelves”). Let it transfer, disconnect your eReader, pour yourself a glass of wine and relax with a good eBook. You earned it.

*** Just before this blog post came out, OverDrive added a fantastic new help feature called “My Help!” on the left side of its home page. It will help walk you through the set-up process. You can also download a snazzy new OverDrive “How-To Guide” here.