Join Early Retirement Today
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Overdrive for books and audio books
Old 07-04-2015, 10:39 PM   #1
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Ally's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: West Tx
Posts: 1,392
Overdrive for books and audio books

I've discovered Overdrive from my library and have been borrowing free e-books and audio books for listening while walking. I never knew how nice this service is! Our library also has Zinio for free magazines. I haven't used it yet, but will soon. I thought I'd share in case someone else hadn't heard of this.


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum
Ally is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 Early Retirement and Financial Independence Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 07-04-2015, 10:55 PM   #2
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 11,401
Overdrive is great. I'm reading a library book on it right now.

My local library system is part of a Provincial network that used to have a single contract with Overdrive. This meant that everyone in BC had access to an enormous selection. However, Overdrive's business model has changed (they want to make more money), which reduces the selection available to me.

News & Events - Okanagan Regional Library
"In late 2011, OverDrive, the company that licenses our access to eBooks and eAudiobooks through the collection, changed its business model and required all libraries serving populations of over 100,000 people to negotiate individual contracts with them, resulting in the creation and launch of the ORL eBooks collection in 2012."
Meadbh is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-04-2015, 11:48 PM   #3
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 7,746
We're on overdrive at our library too. I never really used it until we set off on this 7 week trip through Mexico. It's been a big help since we only packed a few tablets for the kids and a phone for me plus 1 laptop for the whole family to share. I've checked out a number of fairly new releases. Then download them to my kindle reader that's installed on all tablets and my android phone. It keeps track of where I am in each book so I can grab any device and pick up where I left off.

It's also nice to have my book handy wherever I am. 3 year old spending 15 minutes taking a dump? Boom - read a chapter or two. 30 minute subway ride back home - there's another few chapters. 4 hour bus ride - recline and enjoy some reading. I'm curious if I'll revert back to physical books once I get back home (their physical book collection is far superior to their ebook collection right now).
__________________
Retired in 2013 at age 33. Keeping busy reading, blogging, relaxing, gaming, and enjoying the outdoors with my wife and 3 kids (8, 13, and 15).
FUEGO is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-04-2015, 11:48 PM   #4
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Ally's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: West Tx
Posts: 1,392
We are a city of 245,000, so are probably in the same boat.


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum
Ally is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-05-2015, 06:18 AM   #5
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
donheff's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 11,313
I have downloaded hundreds of books on Overdrive. The selection is getting better every year. Still a few holdout publishers.
__________________
Idleness is fatal only to the mediocre -- Albert Camus
donheff is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-05-2015, 06:43 AM   #6
Full time employment: Posting here.
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: San Diego
Posts: 709
I've been using Overdrive for books for several years, but I just tried my first audiobook. Once I paired it with the Bluetooth on my car's radio, it starts and stops automatically when I start and stop the car which I thought was cool.

I'm amazed at my capacity for tedious work when I've got an audiobook going to ease the pain.
AllDone is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-05-2015, 08:02 AM   #7
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
kcowan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Pacific latitude 20/49
Posts: 7,677
Send a message via Skype™ to kcowan
We have gone through the same process with Overdrive. Because we live in a district with 42000 people, the selection and availability is now limited. And wait times are long. But it used to be a great tool before 2011.
__________________
For the fun of it...Keith
kcowan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-05-2015, 10:13 AM   #8
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
zinger1457's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,221
Quote:
Originally Posted by kcowan View Post
We have gone through the same process with Overdrive. Because we live in a district with 42000 people, the selection and availability is now limited. And wait times are long. But it used to be a great tool before 2011.
I'm in the same boat as you, live in a low population county with limited library ebook availability. In my state (AZ) the larger population counties offer either free or reasonable cost library access to other AZ residents. I now belong to 3 different library districts and the number of ebooks available is about 10X what I originally had.
zinger1457 is offline   Reply With Quote
Overdrive
Old 07-05-2015, 11:01 AM   #9
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 106
Overdrive

I used to have trouble getting books until I added our snowbird library location and my parents home location in Mi. I had to show a bill in Mi. so I used the tax bill which had my name on it. Usualy can find something in one of the three.
14thMed is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-05-2015, 11:04 AM   #10
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 9,358
Another Overdrive fan here. In California state residents seem to be able to get free cards at any city / county public library system. So I collect cards from within California and also sometimes pay for one or two non-resident public library cards for library systems with a lot of ebooks or other online resources that are outside the state:

MobileRead Wiki - EBook Lending Libraries

Our in-state libraries even have free passes for plays, gardens, a mine tour, museums and many other cultural attractions. I use Freegal for music and music video downloads. Those are even ones we get to keep, not just borrow. I haven't spent hardly any money on iTunes since I found Freegal.

Books, ebooks, audio books, magazines, online magazines, music downloads, DVDs, music video downloads, activity passes, online courses, Lynda.com subscriptions, how to videos, used books sales, on site classes and lectures, seed libraries, tool lending - it is all kind of amazing what is available from public libraries either for free or nominal cost. We could stay entertained all year here just between our library cards and public parks, beaches, lakes and hike / bike trails.
__________________
Even clouds seem bright and breezy, 'Cause the livin' is free and easy, See the rat race in a new way, Like you're wakin' up to a new day (Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether lyrics, Alan Parsons Project, based on an EA Poe story)
daylatedollarshort is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-05-2015, 11:13 AM   #11
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Brat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 7,107
I love Overdrive for audio books. I just finished The Monuments Men which is a fascinating story of Hitler's kleptocracy. I am in the middle of Heretic which is an interesting analysis of the theology behind the Islamic State movement and its implications for civil society.
__________________
Duck bjorn.
Brat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-05-2015, 12:47 PM   #12
Moderator
MBAustin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 7,913
Didn't realize Overdrive did audio books as well - will need to try that out. Thanks for the tip!
__________________
"One of the funny things about the stock market is that every time one person buys, another sells, and both think they are astute." William Feather
----------------------------------
ER'd Oct. 2010 at 53. Life is good.
MBAustin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-05-2015, 05:53 PM   #13
Full time employment: Posting here.
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 662
Use overdrive and zinio and enjoy both. I

I Much prefer magazines from the library via the zinio app instead of actual magazines. I have a problem with getting rid of actual magazines in a timely fashion and they end up being clutter. I also like that I am getting the e-magazines for free from the library.

Our library has less of a selection of ebooks compared to regular books, but ebooks are so handy when traveling. I load up my iPad when traveling.


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum
FIYes is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-05-2015, 06:27 PM   #14
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Chuckanut's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: West of the Mississippi
Posts: 17,134
Overdrive is Great for audio books.
__________________
Comparison is the thief of joy

The worst decisions are usually made in times of anger and impatience.
Chuckanut is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-05-2015, 10:34 PM   #15
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Toronto
Posts: 3,320
Yes, love Overdrive for both audio and e-Books. Just listened to William Bernstein's 'The Birth of Plenty' and 'The Intelligent Asset Allocator' while working in the yard. Love them while out walking too. Also have hoopla from another library system which has a good selection but seems to be only a streaming service so not as useful as Overdrive when I don't have data access.
6miths is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-06-2015, 04:02 PM   #16
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Chuckanut's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: West of the Mississippi
Posts: 17,134
Quote:
Originally Posted by FIYes View Post
Use overdrive and zinio and enjoy both. I
I am curious about Zinio. I have read that one cannot fully delete a magazine. Sure, it will no longer be loaded on the reading device, but the graphic for that magazine is there forever, cluttering up the device and making it hard to figure out what one has read, and what remains to be read. Is this true?
__________________
Comparison is the thief of joy

The worst decisions are usually made in times of anger and impatience.
Chuckanut is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-06-2015, 05:29 PM   #17
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
zinger1457's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,221
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chuckanut View Post
I am curious about Zinio. I have read that one cannot fully delete a magazine. Sure, it will no longer be loaded on the reading device, but the graphic for that magazine is there forever, cluttering up the device and making it hard to figure out what one has read, and what remains to be read. Is this true?
I use the Zinio reader on my laptop (Windows), I don't see any trace of the magazine after it's deleted.
zinger1457 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-06-2015, 05:33 PM   #18
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
donheff's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 11,313
IPads are a PITA in this regard. In some apps you need to clear app data to get rid of old junk.
__________________
Idleness is fatal only to the mediocre -- Albert Camus
donheff is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-06-2015, 08:39 PM   #19
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Jay_Gatsby's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,719
Quote:
Originally Posted by AllDone View Post
I've been using Overdrive for books for several years, but I just tried my first audiobook. Once I paired it with the Bluetooth on my car's radio, it starts and stops automatically when I start and stop the car which I thought was cool.

I'm amazed at my capacity for tedious work when I've got an audiobook going to ease the pain.
Certainly makes a 1+ hour commute go MUCH faster.
__________________
He had one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it . . . It faced, or seemed to face, the whole external world for an instant and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. -- The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
Jay_Gatsby is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Anyone use Overdrive for Digital Library Books? TromboneAl Other topics 22 02-19-2011 05:41 PM
Free e-books and audio books online Jay_Gatsby Other topics 2 03-15-2006 12:09 PM
Audio Question Bob_Smith Other topics 10 12-31-2004 03:42 PM
Audio speaker help needed haha Other topics 11 12-07-2004 04:33 AM

» Quick Links

 
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 01:08 AM.
 
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.