Why Aren't There More eBooks?

A library, unlike a regular person, cannot purchase an eBook from Amazon or Barnes & Noble and then lend it out to another person. Libraries can buy a printed book from these companies, place it on the shelf, and lend it out. Digital content is treated differently by the publishers and the companies who manage digital content licensing.

We want to offer as many eBooks as we can to our patrons; however, the publishers' policies are preventing us from doing so. Please know that we are committed to advocating for a change to these restrictive policies.

Many publishers will not sell or license eBooks to libraries. We think that's wrong. If you do too, you can write or call each publisher to let them know what you think. For your convenience, the addresses and a sample letter are provided here.  

Looking for our eBook Collection? Click here to continue to eBooks.

The above are just a few of the titles not available as library eBooks due to publisher restrictions.

Thank you for helping us help you!

Library eBooks Now Available for Kindle

The Public Libraries of Jefferson County are excited to announce that their eBook collections are now compatible with the world’s bestselling eBook reader, the Amazon® Kindle. Patrons can now download popular and classic eBooks to a Kindle device or any mobile device running the free Kindle app such as iPhone®, iPad®, Android™, and more. To access the more than 6,000 titles available for downloading, library patrons can visit the downloadable website at downloadable.jclc.org. For assistance, visit Homewood Public Library's Kindle Help page.

Kindle users can browse the county-wide collection of bestselling and classic eBooks from a PC or Mac computer, check out titles using a library card, and select “Get for Kindle” to deliver eBooks to their Kindle device or any device running the free Kindle app. Users who enjoy eBooks on Kindle will benefit from Amazon’s Whispersync technology that synchronizes notes, highlights and last page read between their Kindle and free Kindle apps. The Public Libraries of Jefferson County partner with OverDrive, Inc., a global leader in eBook distribution for libraries and schools, to offer this service.   

The Public Libraries of Jefferson County also offer eBooks and audiobooks for use on a PC or Mac computer as well as popular mobile devices such as the smartphone, MP3 player, and eBook readers like the Barnes & Noble® Nook™ and Sony® Reader.

New! Simple Overdrive eBook & audiobook help on Homewood Public Library's website!

Need simple eBook and audiobook help? Trying to download items from Overdrive and don't know where to start? Confused about which devices work?

We've created a series of Overdrive eBook and audiobook helps specific to the devices being used. Also included are some of the problems and solutions we've encountered in our library, and hopefully all of this information is presented in a simple manner. We would appreciate your comments on what you think. Did this help you? If so, how? If not, what changes can we make to help you better?

To access these new resources, click the Downloadables link at HomewoodPublicLibrary.org. There you will see:

1. a direct link to the JCLC Downloadable Collection
2. some info about "My Help!", a fantastic new feature launched by Overdrive, and 
3. Some Common Problems and Solutions: Get eBook Help with a Nook, Get eBook Help with an iPad, and Get Audiobook Help

Now, all you have to do is click and go to our website for immediate and simple help! And don't forget, these eBook and audiobooks are FREE with a library card!

Announcing new mobile ready resources and mobile apps!

Want to use your mobile phone to do some research, or download eBooks or audiobooks? Thanks to the Jefferson County Library Cooperative (JCLC) we have new web resources that are optimized for your mobile phone and apps from the iTunes App Store and Android Market!

Mobile Web

EBSCO for researching: On your mobile phone, go to our homepage http://homewoodpubliclibrary.org and tap Research. Scroll down and tap EBSCO. Log in with your library card number. Tap the JCLC Mobile link at the top. You will be taken to the mobile site for researching right on your mobile phone!

OverDrive for downloadable eBooks and audiobooks: On your mobile phone, go to our homepage http://homewoodpubliclibrary.org and tap Downloadables. Log in with your library card number. You will be automatically taken to the mobile site where you can search and check out eBooks or audiobooks!

Mobile Apps 

OverDrive Media Console v2.0 for Android or iPhone

   * Read Adobe® EPUB eBooks

   * Find libraries using the new 'Get Books' feature
   * Listen to MP3 Audiobooks

Gale provides three mobile apps from the iTunes App Store and Android Market:

1.  AccessMyLibrary Public Edition: Uses GPS to find public libraries within a 10-mile radius of the user's location then provides free access to credible Gale online resources.

2.  AccessMyLibrary School Edition: After a one-time log-in, it supplies students with free, unlimited access to their school library's Gale online resources.

3.  AccessMyLibrary College Edition: Using your college e-mail address, it gives you unlimited, 24/7 access to your college library’s Gale online resources.


PS: We're working on a mobile site for our library.

Download and read our eBooks on your iPad, iPhone or Touch

Take it to the next level!

Go ahead! Whip out your iPad, or even your iPhone or Ipod Touch. Now you can read our eBooks on Apple iOS devices! All you need to do is check out an eBook with your library card, download it to a computer, and transfer it to your favorite Apple device. 

Here's how to do it: 

Installation:

1.  On your computer, download Adobe Digital Editions and create an account. Authorize the Adobe Digital Editions (ADE) program with your Adobe ID. ADE will authenticate your eBooks.

2.  On your Apple device, download the free BlueFire Reader app (iTunes App Store) and create an account.

3.  Launch BlueFire Reader. Tap “Info” and authorize the app with your Adobe Digital Editions ID. 

Download an eBook:

1.  On your computer, open a browser, go to the JCLC downloadable website and log in.

2.  Check out an eBook. Click Download. A dialog box will open, select “Open with Adobe Digital Editions”. This will download the .epub (the actual book) file to your computer. The eBook will appear in ADE.

3.  On your computer, locate the .epub file in the (My) Documents/My Digital Editions folder (or the equivalent on a Mac). Send yourself an email, with that .epub file as an attachment.

4.  On your Apple device, check your email.

5.  Tap on and hold the attachment’s icon until the fly-out menu appears which says “Open with BlueFire Reader”, then select it. The attachment’s icon will change to the BlueFire Reader logo.

6.  The BlueFire Reader app will now launch and you can start reading! Once the checkout period has expired the file will deactivate from your device and your computer desktop.

 

More apps are forthcoming, but for now we think this is the best option for users who want to read FREE eBooks on their Apple devices. Go for it!
 

Download this tutorial.

This article was adapted from Read Library eBooks on your Apple iOS Device.

Readers! eBooks are now here!

You can enjoy EPUB eBooks from all Jefferson County Libraries if you have a Barnes & Noble Nook, Sony Reader, or Borders' Kobo eReader. And of course they work with most Windows and Mac computers. 

To download Adobe eBooks, you need Adobe Digital Editions. Download and install Adobe Digital Editions here.

To help you get started, go to the Quick Start Guide.

See our new and growing eBook collection!

At the present time, Adobe EPUB & PDF eBooks are incompatible with Amazon Kindle and Apple iPad. See the list of known compatible devices.