EBook Lending Libraries

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This page lists places where you can borrow modern and classic time-limited ebooks for free, or for a yearly fee. Be sure to check your local library's website too: if they have ebooks available, they may be your best source. You may also be interested in E-book stores, where you can purchase books and find some for free; and our page about Free eBooks.

Contents

[edit] Overview

Many Public libraries and University libraries have a web presence but require a locally obtained library card or student id to use the web facilities to actually check out books. This reason is that the eBooks are purchased using local tax dollars. In some cases you can just download an eBook and keep it but most of the time you have to actually check it out. Many of the libraries use a DRM system with time limited licenses so you do not need to return the book to the library. Instead, it will just time out unless you check it out again. They generally own a limited number of licenses per book and manage them exactly like a real book. Once the number of licenses have been used by customers they won't let you check out a copy until someone else's license expires or is returned. The big advantage is that you can use your PDA or eBook Reader to read the book and after you have a library card you can do everything from your computer at home or anywhere that can access the Internet.

There are also internet ebook libraries. Because they need money to purchase new books and build their collections, some charge a yearly fee for access. Most allow anyone to browse the collection, so be sure to see if they have books you will want to read before paying a fee. No doubt this will be a growing field in the years to come. Please add to this page if you know of a widely accessible ebook lending library, or if you prefer, add to the thread linked at the bottom of this page.

[edit] Widely Accessible Libraries

  • Fictionwise Lending Library -- Available only to Fictionwise Buywise Club members. Currently (4-08-08) very limited selection. Buywise Club membership is about $30/year but comes with other benefits. Mobipocket books available.
  • KnowBetter Lending Library -- Limited selection but better than Fictionwise and apparently dedicated to growing. $19.95/year gets you 3 books at a time, access to modern books, and up to 21 days per book. Limited use available for free. Works with your fictionwise account. Mobipocket books available.
  • North Ridge Public Library -- Free. Works with your fictionwise account. Mobipocket books available. Limited selection, but better than the selection at the Fictionwise library. Maximum 10 books at a time, maximum 14 days each.
  • Skoobe.biz eBook Library -- The cost to subscribe to this service is normally £50/year. However, for a limited period, they are offering membership for ONLY $10 (£6.50 approx.). Works with your fictionwise account. Mobipocket books available. Limited selection. Maximum 3 books at a time, maximum 16 days each.

[edit] Limited Access

Many of the digital library collections listed below are hosted by Overdrive. To find a digital library that is not listed below search here.

[edit] USA

Note that some of the libraries listed below have non-resident library cards available for sale. These include the New York Public Library, Washington, DC, Hawaii State, and the New Orleans Library.

[edit] Arizona State

  • Greater Phoenix Digital Library -- Over 15,929 titles available in Adobe Digital Editions or Mobipocket format. There are 10 participating libraries. If you do not live in the Phoenix area, you can apply for a library card in person at the Phoenix library, for example, for $20/year. Free for Maricopa County residents, City of Apache Junction, and City of Casa Grande residents.

[edit] California State

  • Northern California Digital Library supports the following physical libraries: Alameda County Library, Alameda Free Library, Contra Costa County Library, Harrison Memorial Library, Hayward Public Library, Los Gatos Public Library, MARINet, Monterey Public Library, Mountain View Public Library, Pacific Grove Public Library, Palo Alto City Library, Peninsula Library System, City of Pleasanton Library, Santa Clara City Library, Santa Cruz Public Libraries, Sunnyvale Public Library.

[edit] Colorado State

[edit] District of Columbia

  • Washington, D.C. -- Available to residents of the District of Columbia. Nonresidents can apply on-line for an unstated nonresident fee.

[edit] Hawaii State

  • Hawaii -- Available to residents of the state of Hawaii. Nonresidents can apply by mail for $25 for five years or free with military identifcation.

[edit] Illinois State

  • Chicago -- Available to residents of the Chicago area and some other residents of the state of Illinois.

[edit] Indiana State

[edit] Louisiana State

  • New Orleans -- Available to residents of the metro area of New Orleans. Nonresidents can apply by mail for $50 per year.

[edit] Maryland State

  • [1] -- Available to residents of Baltimore County, Maryland. You must go to a Baltimore County public library branch in person to obtain a permanent library card. MPOWER card can be obtained to allow use of other Maryland County public libraries.

[edit] Massachusetts State

[edit] Michigan State

  • Michigan Library Consortium -- There are many participating libraries in the state. For example, it is available to residents of the of the Dearborn area where nonresidents can apply in person for $80 per year. It is available to residents of the of the Kalamazoo area where nonresidents can apply in person for $185 per year. It is available to residents of the of the Grosse Point area where nonresidents can apply in person for $100 per year.

[edit] Minnesota State

  • Rochester -- Available to residents of the state of Minnesota. Nonresidents can apply in person for $10 for two months.

[edit] Mississippi State

Nebraska State

  • Omaha -- Available to residents of Douglas County. Nonresidents can apply by mail for $60 per year.

Nevada State

New Jersey State

[edit] New York State

  • New York -- Available to residents of the state of New York. Nonresidents can apply by mail for $100 per year. Over 10,634 ebooks in PDF format and over 4641 in Mobipocket format.
  • White Plains -- Available to residents of the state of New York. Nonresidents can apply in person for $75.

[edit] Ohio State

  • Clevnet -- Available to residents of the state of Ohio. Over 9169 ebooks in PDF, Mobipocket or EPUB format ; readers at both Cleveland Public Library and CLEVNET member libraries can check out and download EPUB eBooks from the library's download website. See this thread for details.
  • Clermont County -- Available to residents of Clermont County. Applications from nonresidents are accepted in person for free.

[edit] Texas State

[edit] Virginia State

[edit] Washington State

[edit] Outside of the USA

[edit] Canada

Toronto Public Library

Halifax Public Library

British Columbia’s “Library to Go”

Ottawa Public Library

[edit] England

Essex County Council, Luton Libraries in Bedfordshire and reported to be available in Cheshire as well.

[edit] Ireland

South Dublin Libraries

[edit] the Netherlands

[edit] Sweden

Libraries in Sweden List of libraries which offer e-books. (Sorted by Län)

[edit] Spain

Centro de Información Bibliotecario - The ESPOL Library and Information Center (limited data in English). There is a Virtual Library - Biblioteca Virtual.

[edit] Singapore

http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/browse.aspx?browse_by=Type&filter1=11] - The National Library Board Singapore

[edit] Finding Libraries

The software to support Libraries is only available from a few sources. Some of them provide a list of customers which can be useful in determining if your library supports eBooks.

  • Overdrive Search has a list of libraries by country that are using the Overdrive software.

[edit] Library DRM and Devices

To date Libraries are using DRM in one of three formats, PDF, ePUB, or MOBI (some mobi files use a .PRC extension.) This limits the devices that are able to take advantage of the library offerings. The recently added ePUB in some libraries also use Adobe protection so the choices are similar but a subset of the PDF choices. Devices known to work include:

[edit] Additional information

Also see this thread: Where are there ebook libraries??

Also see this thread: Digital Editions and the public library

Libraries may also support audio books or even music formats in WMA that support time limited checkout. Generally this will require a copy of Windows Media player on a PC to support DRM.

100 university libraries you can access from the Internet

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