Did you know that libraries lend ebooks now?

[Kablooie]

I just found out that the Pasadena library lends ebooks over the Internet.
After 14 days you can't read it anymore unless you renew, like a regular book.
They also have a limited amount of each book they can lend so there are waiting lists for some books. This is probably to do with arrangements from the publishers since there is no physical reason they must limit the downloads.

I just downloaded Ashfall. A YA book about a 15 year old kid who is alone at home when the Yellowstone volcano erupts and changes the world forever.

Scary.

[mvccd1000]

1. I just read an article yesterday...

... about the publishers pushing back, limiting libraries to fewer lendings per copy of the book they purchase.

Still, it's great news! The publishing world is going through some big changes; it'll be interesting to see how things shake out.

[raccoon]

2. How exactly does that work, if you've already downloaded it?

"After 14 days you can't read it anymore unless you renew, like a regular book. "

would it just disappear from your Kindle or nook?

[mvccd1000]

3. On the Amazon Lending Library...

... I can borrow up to 1 book per calendar month. I can keep it as long as I want, but I can't borrow another book until I return the current book. I'm also curious to see how the public library setup works.

[Kablooie]

5. You can download up to 5 books at a time from my library.

[Kablooie]

4. I'm not sure. I'll keep my book over 14 days and find out.

I'm reading it on the Kindle app on my iPad.

You can also read them on a Mac or PC as well as mobile devices and ereaders.

[dimbear]

7. If I were running that system, I would put a timer that read your system's date.

Last edited Wed Jun 6, 2012, 04:55 AM - Edit history (1)

That is an unbeatable system unless you happen to be so unbelievably computer literate that you know how to set your computer's clock. That would involve clicking on 'date adjust' so is probably beyond almost everybody. (Setting the date back a few days into the window allowed)

You didn't learn this from me.





edit: more proof I cannot (or will not) spell

[dixiegrrrrl]

8. Would the library use YOUR clock or their clock?

[dimbear]

10. They're giving you a file, which reads your clock, just like a free trial of a video game.

Setting back your own clock is an old trick for gamers.

You didn't learn this from me.

I'm just guessing this is the system, somebody needs to actually try this.

[dixiegrrrrl]

11. darn...wish I had thought of the clock idea way back when....

[getting old in mke]

13. Alas for the old gamers' trick,

most devices these days have an internal clock that you can't reset. When you do the reset provided to you, it actually only sets the difference between the internal clock and what time should be displayed. The more solid DRM systems use that internal clock.

I kept an old MP3 player long after it was more or less obsolete because it didn't have an internal clock and once I moved a protected audiobook onto it, it would be good until I finished listening. Used if for Shelby Foote's three volume Civil War: A Narrative, 45 hours each. I wasn't nearly committed enough that I was going to finish each in 14 days...

[dimbear]

14. Sounds like you're probably right, wouldn't hurt anything to try the reset.

Curious tho, how does the device get its original date going after it's sat in its packing box for so long?

Mysteries.

[getting old in mke]

6. Wisconsin Public Library Consortium

covers the state, pretty much.

Can check out ePub, Pdf, Kindle versions of books (Kindle only in the last year, epubs for the last three years, which is why I went nook on the ereader front to begin with), as well as lots and lots of audio books in either mp3 or wma format. Been using it for several years.

The eBooks are handled locally through Adobe Digital Editions and can be dragged to and from your eReader device (or, of course, read on the local computer). Similarly the audio books are handles through Overdrive and can be moved to and from the mp3 player with that. I don't do Apple, so I'm not sure if you use Overdrive or iTunes for an iPod.

Milwaukee County patrons can check out up to 10 items at a time and choose 7, 14, or 21 day check out time.

What happens is a custom DRM is placed on the file that expires after that time. The media remains on the eReader, but is not readable. You need to delete it yourself using one of the programs above, or just your local file system. Because the file is on your machine there is no way to "return early" when you're done--so if you use it a lot and push the 10 item limit, you want to choose the your checkout durations carefully.

Other libraries may vary, though.

[dixiegrrrrl]

9. what is to stop me from copying the book to Calibre

and keeping a copy?
Or making a copy in any other way?

Altho it is just as easy to download a book from a torrent site, no need to bother the library.

[getting old in mke]

12. If you make a copy

or import to Calibre, you'll need to remove the DRM. There are certainly ways to do that, but with Calibre you'll need extra plugins and a Python installation on your machine.

Library copies when available are way more reliable than torrent copies and as an added bonus you get to create demand for a local institution that tends to get slashed when it isn't used enough. Granted this doesn't help the neighborhood library demand, so it's good to balance your reading eBook and Book V1.0. And I'm sure your local library won't consider your using it a bother

I'm much more interested in removing DRM from ePubs that I've purchased than those I borrow from the library. Those I expect to have around for a longer time and no telling what future devices will want.