Did you know you can access more than 12,000 books and audiobooks online with your library card and a service called OverDrive? That’s 12,656 to be exact, with more added every week.

So if you got a new Kindle, tablet (Fire, iPad, etc.), phone, laptop or PC for the holidays — or if you simply want to expand your reading options in 2019 — OverDrive is your ticket.

With OverDrive, you can take your reading with you wherever you go. If the weather is bad, you can skip a trip to the library and still get your reading fix. Better yet, you won’t have to remember to bring books back to the library or incur any fines, because the books are automatically returned when the lending period (two weeks) is up.

How do you get started? Follow the steps below to complete the one-time setup of your device, and after that, borrowing books is quick and easy. So if you’ve put off using OverDrive because you were intimidated or thought it would take too much time, jump in. You’ll be glad you did.

If you hit any snags along the way, OverDrive has an excellent help section with tutorials and videos, or, get one-on-one help with your setup and device at the library by scheduling 30 minutes with Lauri (aka ‘Book-a-Librarian’). Just email eplcollection@cliu.org or call 610-965-9284 x210.

Ready? From whatever device you’ll be using to read or listen to online books, follow these steps:

  • First, go to https://cldl.overdrive.com/ or click here for the Carbon Lehigh Downloadable Library (CLDL). You can also get there by going to the library’s homepage, scrolling to the bottom where you’ll see a box that looks like this, and clicking on the OverDrive icon (shown here circled in red):

  • Next, click on the ‘Sign In’ box (shown circled in red on the left-hand screenshot below, click to enlarge). On the next screen (shown below right), select Emmaus Public Library from the drop-down list, then enter your 14-digit library card number and the last four digits of your phone number as the PIN (or the 4-digit password you selected for your account if your phone number doesn’t work). If Emmaus is not your home library, choose your home library from the list. If you still have trouble signing in, contact your home library for help.

 

  • Next, you’ll need to set up your device to display eBooks or play eAudiobooks correctly. If you’re using an Apple device, Android device, or Microsoft device with Windows 10 or higher, you can install the ‘Libby’ app as directed from the CLDL page (see below, circled in red, click to enlarge). If you’re using a Kindle eReader or Fire Tablet — or if you want to install a Kindle reading app on another device (such as your PC, for instance) — you’ll want to go here to download an app from the Amazon website. You don’t need to have a Kindle to do so. I read eBooks on my Windows PC using the ‘Kindle for PC’ app, for example. If you have any trouble finding or installing the right app for your device, remember to visit the OverDrive help page or schedule time with a librarian for one-on-one help.

  • Once the proper app is installed on your device, you’re on easy street! Now you can browse the vast collection of eBooks and eAudiobooks by using the navigation bar (circled in red below, click to enlarge). You can narrow your choices using the ‘Collections’ pull-down menu — and limit your results to ‘new’ items, ‘most popular’ items or items that are currently available, for example.

  • A few things to notice as you browse … see red boxes below, click to enlarge. (1) the status of the item will display on top of the book cover. ‘Available’ means you can borrow it right away. If it says ‘Wait List’ or ‘Coming Soon,’ you can put yourself on a list. You can set your preferences to have the item automatically checked out to you when it becomes available then (you’ll see how later in the article). (2) Below the title and author, you will see whether the item is an eBook or an eAudiobook. If you want to listen to books, choose items with the audiobook/earphones icon; otherwise, look for eBooks. You can also filter your results to show you just eBooks or just audiobooks with the labels along the left-hand column. (3) Click on ‘Borrow’ or ‘Place a Hold’ as desired. If you just want to put the item on your ‘Wish List’ for future consideration, click on the flag/+ icon. You can borrow up to eight items at a time and place holds on up to eight items at a time as well. You can place up to 5,000 items in your ‘Wish List.’

  • When you ‘Borrow’ an item, you’ll be able to select whether you want to borrow it for 7 days or 14 days (below, left, click to enlarge). After you choose your lending period and click on ‘Borrow,’ the next screen will say ‘Success!’ and give the due date (below, right, click to enlarge), as well as options for how to read or listen to the book, depending on your app, device and preferences. From here, you should be able to follow the prompts or screens to view your eBook or start listening to your audiobook.

 

  • If you want to check on your loans, holds, etc., just click on the books icon in the upper right next to ‘My account’ (see below, click to enlarge) — this takes you to your library, where you can view all the relevant information, such as how many more items you can borrow and when items expire. If you’re finished with an item before it expires, you have the option of returning it (see bottom, below green box) so another patron can have it sooner. Otherwise, when the item expires, it will automatically be taken out of your account — no fines! A note about renewals: three days before an item is due to expire, a ‘Request again’ option will appear on your loans page (near the ‘Return’ icon), and you can click on it to ask for a renewal. Renewing a title places an advance hold, and counts against your Holds limit. If there are existing holds on the title, you’ll have to wait until it’s available for you to borrow again.

 

  • Along the left-hand side in your ‘library’ (shown inside the dashed red line above) you can navigate within your library/account to see the status of your holds, wish list, history, etc., as well as your preferences/settings (below, click to enlarge). Here you can set your preferred lending periods, set your content preferences and display options, and indicate whether you want items you have on hold to be checked out to you automatically when they become available. If you check the box, items will be placed in your library as they become available, and you will be notified by email.

And there you have it. More than 12,000 electronic books and audiobooks at your disposal — no matter where you happen to be or how bad the weather is this winter. And, in case you missed it, you also have access to dozens of free digital magazines with your library card!

Have questions about accessing books online using OverDrive? Leave a comment below, stop in, or give us a call. We’re here to help — and don’t forget — you can also schedule a free 30-minute appointment with a librarian who will walk you through this on your device and at your pace.