EBook Lending Libraries

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This page lists places where you can borrow modern and classic eBooks, audiobooks, and other digital content free of charge, or for a periodic fee. Be sure to check your local library's website too: if they have ebooks or audiobooks 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 the eBooks and audiobooks are purchased using local tax dollars or other funding sources specific to that institution or jurisdiction. In some cases, you can just download an eBook or audiobook and keep it, but most of the time you have to actually check it out. For digital content that must be checked out, many libraries use a DRM system in conjunction with time limited licenses, so you do not need to return the book to the library. Instead, it will just time out, unless you renew or check it out again. Libraries generally own a limited number of licenses per book and manage them exactly like tangible, paper books. Once all of the licenses have been used by patrons, libraries won't let a patron check out a copy until someone else's license expires or is returned. The big advantage is that you can use your PDA, eBook reader, or other device to read the book, and after you have a library card you can do everything from your computer at home or anywhere else you can access the Internet.

Many public libraries' digital collections are hosted by OverDrive. To find a digital library that is not listed in the next section, you can use OverDrive Search to find your library. OverDrive also makes an app, but lots of eBook readers have built in support for the same Adobe DRM used by OverDrive. OverDrive in the US also supports Kindle DRM for Kindle formats and audiobooks at some libraries. For more information see Library DRM and Devices.

However there are other suppliers that also provide eBooks. Some libraries use 3M Cloud Library, Axis360, Enki Library from MARINet, Freading.com from Library Ideas, Hoopla, or RB Digital (previously OneClickdigital), in addition to or instead of OverDrive. When lending libraries use multiple service providers, they make different book collections available though each.

As a library patron, you may not have a choice in the apps you use for library checkout or reading. You will need to check with your library and determine which reading applications and checkout systems they support.

There are also Internet eBook libraries. Because they need money to purchase new books and build their collections, some charge a periodic 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.

The Worldcat article, "Find & Get Items From Other Libraries" (accessed July 15, 2016), provides the following list of digital libraries:

Generally, libraries offer eBooks in one of three formats, since these formats are popular and have DRM that supports time limited checkouts, i.e.: ePUB, MOBI, and PDF. In 2011, Amazon removed MOBI from most or all US libraries, and replaced it with AZW and its variations to support Kindle eBooks. At this time only OverDrive supports Kindle eBooks.

There are also specialized libraries that provide eBook to people with disabilities. The one with the largest collection available globally is Bookshare, which as of April 2014 had over 100,000 accessible eBooks available globally and over 225,000 available in the United States, but only to people with disabilities related to reading printed materials that qualify under copyright exceptions. Many countries have nationally-focused specialized libraries, an increasing number of which are offering eBooks.

Finally, there are also for-profit eBook and audiobook lending services that charge a periodic membership or subscription fee to borrow digital materials, such as Amazon Lending Library, Oyster Books (which following its acquisition by Google Play Books in September 2015 shut down its existing service in early 2016), and Scribd.

[edit] Widely Accessible Libraries and Subscription Services

[edit] Free

  • HathiTrust - HathiTrust is a partnership of academic & research institutions, offering a collection of millions of titles digitized from libraries around the world.
  • Library of Congress - Free. The main library for the USA; the Library of Congress contains lots of manuscripts and other historic documents owned by the US government. In particular, see the manuscript reading room for online reading from a web browser or downloads. Downloads are generally available in GIF and TIFF images, and in TXT and XML document formats.
  • Open Library - Free. A source for more than a million classics. The books are in ePub and PDF from participating libraries. Classics can be downloaded or read online. Copyrighted books can be borrowed using OverDrive. This site is connected to the Internet Archive.

[edit]

  • Kindle Unlimited is a subscription service that provides access to 1 million Kindle Books. Audio books are offered as well. Also includes Magazines.
  • Mera Library - Paid. Ebooks in a wide range of Indian languages - Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam - and in English. This is a subscription service that permits checkout (rental) for 1 month, maximum 2 books at a time.
  • Mofibo - Mofibo is a leading subscription service for ebooks and audio books. For a fixed price per month, readers can enjoy as many eBooks and audio books as they want. They are currently available in the Danish, Swedish and Dutch markets. It has apps for iOS and Android.
  • Scribd - A monthly fee-based reading service that streams books to one's device using the Scribd app or a web browser. The app is available for many devices.
  • World Public Library - An annual fee-based membership ($8.95 as of June 2015) to "the world’s largest aggregator of eBooks" that offers over 3,000,000 PDF ebooks to read online or download and save for later", as well as edocuments and MP3 audio books.

[edit] Libraries that offer cards online or by mail, to non-residents

These libraries currently allow non-residents to obtain cards without appearing in person. They offer non-resident cards by mail or online.

Library Cost Total Overdrive Overdrive eBook Fiction* Overdrive eBook Non-Fiction* Overdrive Audiobook Fiction* Overdrive Audiobook Non-Fiction*
Los Angeles Public Library, CA Los Angeles only online, All of CA in person 480452 227428 114643 51708 32273
Sno-Isle Libraries, WA All of Washington 372941 125497 89725 59208 39812
National Library Board Singapore, Singapore PAssion card members 295805 88422 122912 18621 22234
CLEVNET, OH All of Ohio 286404 120119 68110 40317 17090
Auckland Libraries, Auckland $165 AUD/year 282229 116484 63464 30174 19719
MELSA, MN $60/year but must be in person 280148 103153 66009 29094 13195
King County Library System, WA Reciprocal Memberships in WA 272468 95704 56423 36723 18800
New York Public Library, NY All NY residents and if going to a NY college or work for an NYC company but not physically located in the city/state 266790 91397 70388 31611 19248
Brooklyn Public Library, NY All NY residents and if going to a NY college or work for an NYC company but not physically located in the city/state 262792 135835 78383 33222 21035
Toronto Public Library, ON $120 CAD/year 258862 98731 61273 22098 12136
Metropolitan Library System, OK $70/year 245593 107192 36411 41099 15897
The Ohio Digital Library, OH All of Ohio and neighboring counties in WV + $50/year 241989 97248 45996 26303 12582
Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative, FL $100/year + various reciprocal memberships 237227 97767 38793 23262 8570
Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library, OH $90/year 231890 90890 38562 32500 13610
Multnomah County Library, OR $180/year and free in some other OR/WA counties 215785 78304 47219 31865 14717
Seattle Public Library, WA $25/three months, $85/year for outside Seattle WA residents 197092 70380 43220 26965 18846
SAILS Library Network, MA Can get a card for a fee 195849 67801 65132 13291 7639
Nashville Public Library, TN $10/year (but must pick up in person) 193742 80164 34461 25602 13118
Austin Public Library, TX $120/year 189082 65051 32997 29351 16145
Harris County Public Library, TX All of Texas 188857 73520 24329 30023 10418
Digital Downloads Collaboration, OH $25/year 178586 73186 30651 22127 10015
Cuyahoga County Public Library, OH All of Ohio 167657 67137 30062 25843 11767
Greater Phoenix Digital Library, AZ $40/year 166734 63382 28887 21373 11282
San Francisco Public Library, CA All of CA, must pick up in person 164175 68938 41983 15197 10965
Mid-Continent Public Library, MO $70/year 162287 66719 17797 29777 8082
Orange County Library System, FL $125/year 157736 78050 22370 16889 8750
Ocean State Libraries eZone, RI $185/year 152810 50714 35567 16426 11101
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA $30/year 133897 46792 29040 13609 6483
Kentucky Libraries Unbound, KY $20/year 114897 54520 15601 13522 4357
Dallas Public Library, TX $250/year 108071 31760 16123 9131 5107
Queens Public Library, NY $50/year and All NY residents 102794 38725 12690 4314 2677
Westchester Library System, NY $75/yr for patrons up to age 64, $35/yr for patrons aged 65 and over 96084 40709 16554 7713 4328
Fort Worth Public Library, TX $50/year or free for nonresident K-12 students, plus free for reciprocal members in TexShare 85455 29344 10981 15580 5935
Houston Public Library, TX $40/year or free in TexShare 81500 39871 6185 12176 3798
New Orleans Public Library, LA $50/year 59985 15647 10358 12292 7902
Fairfax County Public Library, VA $27/year 56150 19633 8926 10260 4941
Barrington Area Library, IL All of IL (must be in person) 43750 16575 3417 2975 1048
Maryland's Digital Library, MD $50/year 40369 14293 5072 6204 2616
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, NC $45/yr, Seniors 62+ $35/yr 39178 15145 7827 3889 1561
Skokie Public Library, IL Suburban IL residents 38436 12711 5955 3929 1800

NOTE: *eBook numbers on the table above were taken on 2022-07-16.

[edit] Limited Access USA

Note that some of the libraries listed below have non-resident library cards available for sale. Most libraries that offer non-resident cards require an in-person application for validation, such as Washington, DC, Hawaii State Public Library, and the New Orleans Library, in contrast to the USA Libraries that offer cards online or by mail, to non-residents.

[edit] Alabama

[edit] Alaska

[edit] Arizona

  • Greater Phoenix Digital Library -- Over 18,000 titles available; 7092 epub, 1347 mobi, and 17,383 pdf titles.
    • Member libraries are: Apache Junction, Arizona State Library, Casa Grande, Chandler, Glendale, Mesa, Peoria, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe
    • If you do not live in the Phoenix area, you can apply for a library card in person at any branch library. Non-Maricopa County residents may purchase a card for $40. Non-Arizona residents are not eligible for cards.

[edit] California

  • San Francisco Public Library -- Available to residents of the state of California. Apply in person at any branch library.
    • As of April 2011, the collection includes 4604 epub, 388 mobi, and 1460 pdf, 1565 wmv video, and 293 music titles.
    • As of February 2015, the collection includes 53,000 epub titles.
  • San Jose Public Library -- Available to residents of the state of California. Apply in person at any branch library.
    • As of April 2011, the collection includes 2104 epub, 912 mobi, 3671 pdf, and 1172 music titles.
  • Santa Cruz Public Library -- Has books from 5 sources: Netlibrary, the Northern California Digital Library/Overdrive Download Center, Safari Computer eBooks, Tumblebooks for Kids, and the Gale Virtual Reference Library. They have eBooks, audio books, and music available.

[edit] Colorado

[edit] Connecticut

[edit] Delaware

  • Delaware's ebook collection Available to Delaware residents using their local library card. No PIN required. Catalog for all library items is statewide. Out of state cards Library cards to non-residents are available but you must obtain a library card in person.

[edit] District of Columbia

UPDATE: They no longer issue download only cards. You must go IN PERSON to get a non-resident card.

[edit] Florida

  • Lee County Library System aka Download Depot -- Available to Lee County, FL residents.
    • Library web site
    • Also available to residents of participating SWFLN reciprocal borrowing libraries in Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hendry, Lee and Monroe Counties. Eligible SWFLN libraries include: Ave Maria University, Charlotte County Library System, Collier County Public Library, DeSoto County Library, Edison State College, Florida Gulf Coast University Library, Florida Keys Community College, Fort Myers Beach Public Library, Glades County Public Libary, Hardee County Public Library, Hendry County Library Cooperative, Highlands County Library System, Hodges University Library, Lee County Library System, Okeechobee County Public Library, Rasmussen College Library, Sanibel Public Library, Southwest Florida College Library, St. Johns County Public Library System
    • A non-resident card is available for $15 (valid for 3 months) or $60 (valid for 1 year). The card must be obtained in person. Obtaining a Library Card
    • As of October 2011, the collection includes 13,167 ebook titles.
  • Pinellas County Library Cooperative -- See About PPLC for list of member libraries and residency requirement. You can check out and download the following types of digital materials from the PPLC Digital Media Catalog: Adobe® EPUB eBooks, Adobe® PDF eBooks, OverDrive WMA Audiobooks, OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks, OverDrive Music.

[edit] Georgia

  • Cobb County Public Library -- Available to residents of Cobb County, people who own property or businesses within Cobb County, schools and businesses in Cobb County, and current Cobb County government employees. Non-county residents can obtain a library card; the fee is $25 per person (via cash or check) and are valid for one year. All applications must be presented in person. As of January 27 2013, the collection includes 2104 Kindle, 2260 Adobe epub, 1165 Adobe pdf, and 119 Open epub titles.

As of February 6,2018 it is $40 per person for non residents of Cobb County.

[edit] Hawaii

  • Hawaii State Public Library -- Available to residents of the state of Hawaii and military personnel (with copies of orders). Non-resident cards are available; the fee is $25 and the cards are valid for 5 years. A pdf application form is available online, but the application must be presented at a library branch in person. As of July 2011 the collection includes 1188 epub, 6713 pdf, and 584 mobi titles.

[edit] Idaho

  • Boise Public Library --Available to [1] Boise Public and Garden City Library cardholders. Serves all patrons of Boise and Garden City library branches.

[edit] Iowa

  • Metro Library Network -- Serves registered patrons of either Cedar Rapids, Hiawatha or Marion Iowa libraries.

[edit] Illinois

  • Chicago -- Available to residents of the Chicago area and some other residents of the state of Illinois.
  • My Media Mall -- Available to card holders of participating suburban libraries in Illinois. Participating libraries include:
    • Alsip-Merrionette Park Public Library District
    • Antioch Public Library
    • Arlington Heights Memorial Library
    • Aurora Public Library
    • Barrington Public Library District - serves residents of all or part of:
      • Algonquin
      • Barrington
      • Barrington Hills
      • Deer Park
      • Fox River Grove
      • Hoffman Estates
      • Kildeer
      • Lake Barrington
      • Lake Zurich
      • North Barrington
      • Palatine
      • Port Barrington
      • South Barrington
      • Tower Lakes
      • some unincorporated areas
    • Benton Public Library (Only if you are a city resident)
    • Bloomingdale Public Library
    • Bloomington Public Library
    • Bradley Public Library District
    • Brookfield Public Library
    • Cary Area Public Library District
    • Cherry Valley Public Library District
    • Cook Memorial Public Library District
    • Crete Public Library District
    • Des Plaines Public Library
    • Booth Library - Eastern Illinois University
    • Elk Grove Village Public Library
    • Elmhurst Public Library
    • Evanston Public Library
    • Flossmoor Public Library
    • Fox Lake District Library
    • Fox River Grove Memorial Library
    • Fremont Public Library District
    • Gail Borden Public Library District
    • Glencoe Public Library
    • Glenside Public Library District
    • Glenview Public Library
    • Grayslake Area Public Library District - serves residents of all or part of:
      • Avon Township
      • Grayslake
      • Hainesville
      • Highland Lake
      • Round Lake
      • Round Lake Beach
      • Round Lake Park
      • Third Lake
    • Highland Park Public Library
    • Huntley Area Public Library District
    • Itasca Community Library
    • CLC Libraries and Instructional Services - College of Lake County
    • Lake Forest Library
    • Lincoln Trail Libraries System
    • Lincolnwood Public Library
    • Morton Grove Public Library
    • Mount Prospect Public Library
    • Niles Public Library District
    • Northbrook Public Library
    • Palatine Public Library District
    • Plainfield Public Library District
    • Prairie Trails Public Library
    • Riverside Public Library
    • Rockford Public Library
    • Rolling Meadows Library
    • Schaumburg Township District Library
    • Vernon Area Public Library District
    • Villa Park Public Library
    • Warren-Newport Public Library
    • Wauconda Area Library
    • West Chicago Public Library District
    • Westchester Public Library
    • Wilmette Public Library
    • Winnetka-Northfield Public Library District
    • Wood Dale Public Library
    • Woodstock Public Library
    • Zion-Benton Public Library
  • North Suburban Digital Consortium -- available to cardholders at the following libraries:
    • Algonquin Area Public Library District
    • Crystal Lake Public Library
    • Dundee Township Public Library District
    • Ela Area Public Library District
    • Indian Trails Public Library District
    • McHenry Public Library District
    • Park Ridge Public Library
    • Skokie Public Library

[edit] Indiana

  • Indiana Digital Media - See an up-to-date list of Participating Indiana Libraries here Millions of downloadable eBooks (for Kindle, Nook, PDF & more readers) Audio, Video and Audiobooks. Currently available to members of the following Indiana libraries:
    • Frankfort Community Public Library
    • LaPorte County Public Library
    • Monroe County Public Library
    • Morrisson-Reeves Library
    • Muncie Public Library
    • Speedway Public Library
    • Tippecanoe County Public Library
    • Vigo County Public Library
    • Westfield Public Library
All you need is your library card number and PIN - no charges, no late fees & place holds for free (when your book is ready is available you'll receive an email notifying you that you have 3 days to log-in and check it out).
  • Indianapolis-Marion County - See library web site for residency requirements. Non-residents may apply in person for a library card. Current fee is $65/year or Indiana residents may purchase a PLAC (Public Library Access Card) from their local library system. As of August 2010, the collections consists of over 3800 epub titles.

[edit] Kansas

  • State of Kansas Library - Available to anyone with a Kansas State Library Card which you can ask for at any Kansas Public Library

[edit] Kentucky

  • Louisville, KY Public Library
  • Kentucky Unbound Kentucky Libraries Unbound is a State Consortium and accessible to residents in most counties except for Jefferson County/Louisville

[edit] Louisiana

  • New Orleans -- Available to residents of the metro area of New Orleans. Nonresidents can apply by mail for $50 per year. 268 epub and PDF books.

[edit] Maryland

  • Maryland's Digital eLibrary Consortium Available to Maryland residents using their local library card. The following library systems are participants:
    • Anne Arundel County Public Library
    • Baltimore County Public Library
    • Carroll County Public Library
    • Caroline County Public Library
    • Cecil County Public Library
    • Enoch Pratt Free Library (Baltimore City)
    • Frederick County Public Libraries
    • Harford County Public Library
    • Howard County Library System (5542 Kindle, 5379 ePub, 3870 PDF)
    • Kent County Public Library
    • Lower Shore Library Consortium
      • Dorchester County Public Library
      • Somerset County Library
      • Wicomico Public Library
      • Worcester County Library
    • Montgomery County Public Libraries (4458 Kindle, 4246 ePub, 2970 PDF)
    • Queen Anne's County Free Library
    • Southern Maryland Regional Library Association
      • Calvert Library
      • Charles County Public Library
      • St. Marys County Library
    • Talbot County Free Library
    • Western Maryland Regional Library
      • Allegany County Library System
      • The Ruth Enlow Library of Garrett County
      • Washington County Free Library

[edit] Massachusetts

[edit] Michigan

  • The Library Network --43 libraries in The Library Network a library cooperative in Southeastern Michigan offer free e-books and e-audiobooks for cardholders in participating communities. Library card number and PIN required for download.
  • Midwest Collaborative for Library Services -- There are many participating libraries in the state. For example, it is available to residents of the Dearborn area where nonresidents can apply in person for $80 per year. It is available to residents of the Kalamazoo area where nonresidents can apply in person for $185 per year. It is available to residents of the Grosse Pointe area where nonresidents can apply in person for $100 per year.

[edit] Minnesota

  • Hennepin County -- Available to all residents of Hennepin County. Minnesota residents who live outside of Hennepin County who have a membership at a local library that participates in a regional library network may use their local library card to apply for a Hennepin County library card free of charge.
  • Rochester -- Available to residents of the state of Minnesota. Nonresidents can apply in person for $10 for two months. All library card applications must be made in person at the library, and the applicant must have a photo I.D. with a current address.

[edit] Mississippi

[edit] Missouri

  • Columbia -- Available to residents of the state of Missouri.
  • Mid-Continent Public Library -- There are several types of library cards available which vary based on length and renewal options, not the amount of digital content accessible. MCPL has reciprocal agreements with several library systems in the Greater Kansas City Area. Missouri and Kansas residents from outside of this area may purchase a year-long card in-person from any MCPL branch. Residents of the US from out-of-state may also purchase a 6-month Research Card in-person at the Midwest Genealogy Center, which can only be renewed in-person.

[edit] Nebraska

  • Omaha -- Available to residents of Douglas County. Nonresidents can apply by mail for $75 per year or $25 for 4 months.

[edit] Nevada

  • Las Vegas - Clark County -- Available to residents of the state of Nevada. Guest card for non-residents; expires in three months but is renewable, but does not allow any online borrowing privileges. Apply in person with current ID showing permanent address. As of August 2010 the collection includes 275 epub, 839 mobi, and 3741 pdf titles.
  • Reno - Washoe County Available to Nevada residents as well as some neighboring California counties. Full details for patron cards. Non-resident cards available for $50.00 per year. As of February 2, 2011, collection includes 1,372 fiction titles and 487 non-fiction titles. Of these, 1546 are ePubs and 317 are pdfs.

[edit] New Jersey

  • ListenNJ -- Available to patrons of Berkeley Heights Public Library, Cranford Public Library, Clark Public Library, East Brunswick Public Library, East Orange Public Library, Educational Testing Service/Carl C. Brigham Library, Hoboken Public Library, INFOLINK-CJRLC, Keansburg High School Library, Kearny Public Library, Libraries of Middlesex Automation Consortium, Linden Free Public Library, Mercer County Library System, Middletown Public Library, Millburn Free Public Library, Monmouth County Library, Montclair Public Library, New Jersey State Library, Newark Public Library, Ocean County Library, Princeton Public Library, South Orange Public Library, South Plainfield Public Library, Springfield Free Public Library, Summit Free Public Library, Trenton Free Public Library, West Orange Public Library, Westfield Memorial Library, and Woodbridge Public Library.
  • South Jersey Regional Library Cooperative -- Digital Download Center available to cooperative member libraries (Atlantic City Free Public Library, Atlantic County Library System, Audubon Public Library, Avalon Public Library, Bridgeton Public Library, Burlington Township Libraries, Camden County Library System, Cape May County Library System, Cherry Hill Library, Collingswood Public Library, Cumberland County Library, Deptford Public Library, Gloucester City Library, Gloucester County College, Haddon Heights Public Library, Haddonfield Public Library, Linwood Public Library, Margaret E. Heggan Library, Margate City Public Library, Millville Public Library, Moorestown Library, Mount Laurel Library, The Ocean City Free Public Library, Pennsauken Free Public Library, Pennsville Public Library, Salem Free Public Library, The Free Public Library of Monroe, Vineland Public Library, Washington Township Public Schools, West Deptford Free Public Library, Willingboro Public Library).

[edit] New Mexico

[edit] New York

  • Brooklyn Public Library -- Available to New York State residents. Non-resident cards are available; users may apply online, pay the fee online, and email a valid ID for card activation, allowing access to Overdrive website (as of July 2016). The fee is currently $50/year. As of July 2016, the collection includes 84367 epub, 73342 mobi, and 26211 PDF titles. This changed and non-residents cards are no longer available: "As of July 15, 2022, Brooklyn Public Library is no longer offering its fee-based out-of-state library card".
  • Buffalo & Erie County -- Available to the following: Erie County residents, temporary residents and people who work or own property in Erie County. New York State residents of other counties can apply in person for $20. As of August 2010 the collection includes 1566 epub and 711 pdf titles.
  • Nassau County Digital Doorway -- Available to Nassau County residents, only.
  • New York Public Library (NYPL) -- Available to New York State residents. As of June 2009, nonresidents can no longer apply for a fee-based card. As of August 2010, over 15,000 ebooks are available (1563 epub, 5809 mobi, 13,321 pdf).

[edit] North Carolina

  • Charlotte-Mecklenburg County -- See library web site for residency requirements. Non-residents may apply online for library card and pay electronically to receive a card by mail; fee is currently $45/year (as of March 2013). As of August 2010, collection contains 105 ePub, 59 mobi, and 177 pdf titles.
  • North Carolina Digital Library -- North Carolina Digital Library members include:
    • Buncombe County, Catawba County, CMC Library Consortium, Davidson County, Gaston-Lincoln Regional, Haywood County, Hickory Public, Mooresville Public, Onslow County, Southern Pines Public, Caldwell County, Chapel Hill Public, Cumberland County, Forsyth County, Greensboro Public, Henderson County, High Point Public, New Hanover County, Rowan Public, and Transylvania County
    • As of August 2010, the collection listed 638 ePub, 19 mobi, and 204 pdf titles.
    • Some member libraries may offer non-resident cards (such as Chapel Hill Public Library at $60/year - must apply in person).
  • Wake County -- See library web site for residency requirements. Non-residents may apply in person for a library card at a cost of $25/year. Collection went live August 2010 with 154 ePub titles.

[edit] Ohio

  • Clermont County -- Available to residents of Clermont County. Applications from nonresidents are accepted in person for free.
  • CLEVNET -- Available to residents of the state of Ohio.
    • Member libraries include: Cleveland Public Library, Barberton Public Library, Bellevue Public Library, Birchard Public Library, Burton Public Library, Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library, Clyde Public Library, East Cleveland Public Library, Elyria Public Library, Euclid Public Library, Fairport Harbor Public Library, Hudson Library & Historical Society, Huron Public Library, Kirtland Public Library, Lorain Public Library, Madison Public Library, Medina County District Library, Milan - Berlin Township Public Library, Orrville Public Library, Peninsula Library, Perry Public Library, Ritter Public Library, Sandusky Library, Shaker Heights Public Library, Twinsburg Public Library, Wayne County Public Library, Wickliffe Public Library, Willoughby - Eastlake Public Library.
    • The following non-public institutions are participating members of the CLEVNET consortium: Cleveland Law Library, Global Issues Resource Center, Hawken School.
    • The collection includes 12,262 Adobe EPUB, 13,717 Adobe PDF, and 5,329 Mobipocket eBooks. (February 2011)
    • See this thread for details.
  • Digital Downloads -- Digital Downloads is a collaboration of multiple libraries.
    • Member libraries include: Bexley Public Library, Columbus Metropolitan Library, Fairfield County District Library, Grandview Heights Public Library, Greene County Public Library, Kenton County Public Library, Marysville Public Library, Pickaway County Public Library, Pickerington Public Library, Plain City Public Library, Southwest Public Libraries, Toledo Lucas County Public Library, Upper Arlington Public Library, Worthington Public Library, Washington-Centerville Public Library.
    • Some libraries may allow non-resident cards. Columbus Metropolitan provides free cards to all Ohio residents.
    • The collection includes 1,890 EPUB, 4,030 Adobe PDF, and 308 Mobipocket eBooks. (February 2011)
  • Ohio eBook Project -- The Ohio eBook Project is a consortium of member libraries.
    • Member libraries include: Amherst Public Library, Archbold Community Library, Ashtabula County District Library, Auglaize County Public District Library, Avon Lake Public Library, The Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County, Clark County Public Library, Clermont County Public Library, Columbiana Public Library, Community Library (Sunbury), Cuyahoga Falls Library, Delaware County District Library, Franklin-Springboro Public Library, Geauga County Public Library, Great Oaks Institute, Herrick Memorial Library, Kent Free Library, Lane Public Library, Lebanon Public Library, Lima Public Library, London Public Library, Louisville Public Library, Mansfield-Richland County Public Library, Marion Public Library, Mary L. Cook Public Library, Mason Public Library, Massillon Public Library, Muskingum County Library System, North Canton Public Library, Norwalk Public Library, Owens Community College, Portsmouth Public Library, Public Library of Mount Vernon and Knox County, SEO Library Consortium, Shelby County Libraries, Sinclair Community College, Stark County District Library, State Library of Ohio, Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library, Wadsworth Public Library, Westerville Public Library, Wright Memorial Public Library.
    • Some libraries may offer non-resident cards. One example is the Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County which allows you to apply in person for a fee of $25/year.
    • The State Library of Ohio issues free cards to all Ohio residents.
    • The collection includes 1,574 Adobe EPUB, 2,189 Adobe PDF, and 469 Mobipocket eBooks. (February 2011)
  • SEO Library Consortium -- The SEO Library Consortium is comprised of the same member libraries as The Ohio eBook Project. Both web sites link to each other with the message "Didn't find what you need? Click here for more titles."
    • The collection includes 1,077 Adobe EPUB, 4,892 Adobe PDF, and 854 Mobipocket eBooks. (February 2011)

[edit] Oklahoma

  • Metropolitan Library System -- Oklahoma City Metro Area library system; See the library web site for residency requirements. Non-residents may apply in person; the current fee is $40/year. As of August 2010 the collection includes 1218 epub titles.

[edit] Oregon

  • Oregon Digital Library Consortium -- A multiple member library system.
    • Member libraries include: Albany Public Library, Astoria Public Library, CCRLS (Chemeketa Cooperative Regional Library Service), CRSN (Coastal Resource Sharing Network), Coos County Library Service District, Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, Cottage Grove Public Library, Creswell Library, Crook County Library, Curry Public Library District, Douglas County Library System, Eugene Public Library, Fern Ridge Library, Gorge LINK (Hood River County Library and The Dalles Wasco County Library), Jackson County Library Services, Josephine Community Libraries, Junction City Public Library, Klamath County Library District, Lebanon Public Library, LEO Listens. Libraries in Clackamas County. Oakridge Public Library, Seaside Public Library, Siuslaw Public Library District, Springfield Public Library, St. Helens Public Library, Washington County Cooperative Library Services
    • Several of the libraries offer non-resident cards; users must apply in person. Fees vary (Corvallis-Benton $90/yr; Eugene $120/yr; WCCLS $95/yr; Multnomah $180/yr). Multnomah County Library no longer participates in the consortium but offer both Overdrive and Hoopla services.
    • As of April 2017 the collection includes 39,919 total items, of which 23,360 are epub titles, 21,087 are Kindle titles, and 10,144 pdf titles. There are also 11,000+ audiobooks.

[edit] Pennsylvania

[edit] Tennessee

  • R.E.A.D.S. -- R.E.A.D.S. is the Regional eBook & Audio Download System of Tennessee. It is comprised of most of the public libraries in Tennessee but excludes the major city libraries (Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville-Knox County, and Chattanooga-Hamilton County). Some of the libraries allow non-residents from surrounding areas to get a free library card. As of May 2018, the collection includes 45,747 ebook titles.

[edit] Texas

  • Harris County - See library web site for residency requirements. No information for non-resident applications was found on the web site. As of August 2010 the collection includes 659 epub, 795 mobi, and 3034 pdf titles.
  • Lubbock Public Libraries - See library web site for library card application. Must be a resident of West Texas to get a library card. Must send in card application with picture ID/Texas address. Non-residents of Texas are not eligible to receive a library card. As of January 2011 the collection includes 894 epub, 279 mobi, and 255 pdf titles.

[edit] Utah

  • Pioneer - Utah's Online Library -- Pioneer is a multi library system which includes most, if not all, Utah public libraries with the exception of Salt Lake County. Some libraries offer non-resident cards such as Park City ($40/year), Logan ($100/yr), and Orem ($80/yr). As of August 2010 the collection includes 250 epub, 234 pdf, and 52 mobi titles.
  • Salt Lake County -- See library web site for residency and application requirements. Out-of-county or out-of-state residents may purchase a card for $80/year or $40/6 mo. The collection includes 9123 epub, 5243 mobi, and 5795 pdf titles. (Accurate as of 2/9/11)

[edit] Virginia

  • Alexandria.lib -- ePUB, PDF, MP3 for portable devices.
  • Arlington County -- Available to residents, students, and workers in Arlington as well as residents of reciprocal library jurisdictions.
    • District of Columbia
    • Virginia
      • City of Alexandria
      • City of Falls Church
      • Fairfax County - Available to residents, students, and workers in Fairfax County as well as residents of reciprocal library jurisdictions.
      • Fauquier County
      • Loudoun County
    • Maryland
      • Frederick County
      • Montgomery County
      • Prince George's County
  • Fairfax County -- See library web site for residency requirements. Non-residents can apply by mail for a library card; the current fee is $27/year. As of August 2010, the collection includes 879 epub, 269 mobi, and 1892 pdf titles.
  • Loudoun County includes Overdrive, Netlibrary, and Safari IT books -- Available to residents, students, and workers of Loudoun County, as well as residents of reciprocal jurisdictions including not only the D.C. Metropolitan area but also Clark and Frederick Counties of Virginia, the Thomas Balch library in Leesburg, Virginia, and Charles County of Maryland.
  • Virginia Beach -- See library web site for residency requirements. Non-residents may apply in person for a library card. The current fee is $35/year. As of August 2010 the collection includes 3134 epub titles and 1869 pdf titles.

[edit] Washington

  • King County -- Available to residents of King and adjoining counties. Patrons visiting longer than one month but less than six months may be issued visitors’ cards with a two-item limit. Non-resident cards apparently not available to anyone from out of the area. As of August 2010, the collection includes 244 epub, 2790 mobi, and 3900 pdf titles.
  • Seattle Public Library -- Available to residents of Seattle, and have reciprocal agreements with certain nearby libraries. Nonresidents who live in the state of Washington can apply for $85/year. As of May 2020 the collection includes 114,063 OverDrive EPUB titles. Temporary cards are available for visitors, $25 for three months.
  • Washington Anytime Library -- Available for free to the patrons of any of the participating libraries (nearly forty libraries at last count).

Many of these systems also have reciprocal agreements so if, for example, you're a patron of Timberland Regional Library you can also get cards at King County, Kitsap, Pierce County, and Seattle Public library. For more information check out the Reciprocal Borrowing Agreements.

[edit] Limited Access Outside of the USA

[edit] Asia

[edit] Israel

  • Israel Digital Access is granted to card owners of one of the many public libraries in Israel. Uses the overdrive platform. Offers over 10,000 titles (as of 8/10/2020), as epub, pdf and audiobooks, principally in English and Hebrew, though 11 other languages are also represented.
  • Weizmann Institute of Science Access only with WIS credentials. Overdrive platform, offers currently (8/10/2020) 117 English titles, topics in science and popular science.

[edit] Singapore

  • The National Library Board Singapore Requires a valid National Registration Identification Card (NRIC) or library card number to register.
  • Singapore Public Library - This Library used to have access from anywhere in the world. Sign up as "Foreigner without FIN" They have more than 1 million eBooks. Recently this library has been terminating non-resident accounts with a message stating that the library is only for use of alien residents in Singapore.

[edit] Turkey

  • Turkish University, Mimar Sinan

[edit] Canada

[edit] Alberta
[edit] British Columbia
[edit] Manitoba
[edit] New Brunswick
[edit] Newfoundland/Labrador

Newfoundland & Labrador Public Library (eLibrary NLPL)

[edit] Northwest Territories
[edit] Nova Scotia
[edit] Nunavut
[edit] Ontario
[edit] PEI
[edit] Quebec
[edit] Saskatchewan
[edit] Yukon Territory

[edit] Europe

[edit] Denmark

The Royal Library. Public libraries

[edit] Finland

Helmet Web Library, Vaski Web Library.

[edit] Germany

Onleihe.net


[edit] Ireland

[edit] Italy

  • MLOL Media Library Online, access with library credentials (public, university and IIC libraries subscribing to the network)
  • openMLOL Free subscription, gives access to free media
  • MLOLplus Lends to paying subscribers, various offer of cards for monthly/year/credit fee.

[edit] The Netherlands

[edit] Norway

[edit] Spain

[edit] Sweden

[edit] United Kingdom

[edit] London and City of London

32 Boroughs plus the City of London


[edit] England

[edit] Wales

[edit] Northern Ireland

[edit] Scotland

[edit] Oceania

[edit] Australia

Australia has an excellent Public Library System, mostly based on local government areas. Whilst some limit memberships to their particular area and perhaps some surrounding ones, many offer memberships to residents of their particular state. Some also offer memberships to interstate residents. At the time of making this entry I have not come across any Australian libraries offering paid memberships or memberships to residents of other countries.

There are some libraries which allow those eligible to join online without physically visiting the library. Such memberships normally allow access to Databases and borrowing of ebooks through Overdrive and other services. There does not appear to be any list of such libraries, so I'm starting one here with two initial entries. If you come across more please add them.

[edit] Libraries allowing online memberships without physical visit
  • City of Port Phillip Library (Victoria) This library seems to accept interstate members. Online applicants are provided a temporary membership number, immediately. (Applicants choose their password/PIN during the application process.) Need to physically visit after online application with verifying documents


  • Warringah Council Library (New South Wales) Policy is not clear but this library does accept NSW residents. Applicants receive a welcome email immediately upon applying, indicating their card will arrive in the mail. Need to physically visit after online application with verifying documents
[edit] Libraries by State
[edit] Western Australia
  • Western Australia Public Libraries -- As of February 2014, the collection includes over 14,000 titles in epub and PDF formats. Free access available to members of over 230 WA public libraries. Some member libraries may have access to audiobooks and additional ebook titles.

[edit] New Zealand

[edit] South America

[edit] Ecuador

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

[edit] Finding Libraries

Library software used to support libraries is only available from a few sources. Some of them provide a list of customers (i.e., participating libraries and other providers of digital material), which can be useful in determining whether or not your library supports eBooks from that source.

  • 3M Cloud Library's "Find My Library" search tool, located in the bottom left corner of this page, allows users to "Lookup your library" in Canada and the USA
  • Axis 360's "Find a Library" tool allows users to "Discover the libraries who are part of the Axis 360 community"
  • Freading's "Chooser/Find Library" tool is accessible by clicking the Login button on the home page, selecting country, and then clicking "Find Library"; using additional drop-down menus facilitates more refined searches
  • Hoopla Digital's "Choose Your Library" page automatically displays nearby libraries (based on a reading of the IP location of the device used to access it) as well as a drop-down menu one can use to browse and search for participating libraries
  • "Overdrive Search" allow users to find their library by name or location; libraries that are using the Overdrive software are listed by library system/consortium

[edit] Additional information

[edit] Audio Books

Libraries may also support audio books or 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, although some portable devices include this support. Some libraries lend MP3 files that do not have DRM.

[edit] Preservation

Government and private libraries are also concerned with the preservation of electronic documents‎‎.

[edit] Most downloaded eBooks

Most Downloaded eBooks from Libraries

[edit] North American Libraries with the largest collections

As of August 2010, the following libraries from the USA and Canada seem to have the largest ebook collections:

  • CLEVNET Consortium, Northeast OH -- over 18,000
  • Greater Phoenix Digital Library, AZ -- over 18,000
  • Seattle Public Library, Seattle, WA -- over 15,000
  • New York Public Library (NYPL), Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, NY -- over 15,000
  • Orange County, FL -- over 11,000
  • Salt Lake County, UT -- over 9,000
  • Lee County, FL -- over 8,000
  • Oklahoma City, OK --over 7000
  • District of Columbia Public Library (DCPL), Washington, DC -- over 7,000
  • Oregon Digital Library, OR -- almost 7,000
  • British Columbia, Canada -- over 6,000
  • Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn, NY -- over 6,000
  • Los Angeles, CA -- over 6,000
  • R.E.A.D.S. (Tennessee) -- over 6,000
  • Calgary, Canada -- over 5,000
  • Virginia Beach, VA -- 5,000
  • Columbus, OH -- almost 5,000
  • Clark County, NV -- over 4,000
  • King County, WA -- over 4,000
  • Manitoba, Canada -- over 4,000
  • San Francisco, CA -- over 4,000
  • San Jose, CA -- over 4,000
See also

[edit] Threads to review for more information

[edit] References

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