My Library is dropping Overdrive

Kayne · Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 783

Our state library system is dropping Overdrive due to a price increase of 700% over the next 3 years. They will be using a system called EZ Library (One Click Digital), hopefully soon, for digital downloads of e books. They don't have a contract yet with Amazon for Kindle downloads. I was so excited to finally be reading library books on my Kindle and now its gone. Is anyone else noticing changes at their library?

library addict · Joined: 06 Dec 2008 Posts: 1215

My library just started with Overdrive this summer.

I felt sorry for the librarians as none of them really knew the difference between Kindle, ePub, etc. They were scheduled for a half-day seminar in August and that's all the training they received. So their advice consisted of, "click on the home page and follow the steps" Razz

They've got a pretty good mix of romance, YA, non-fiction, mystery, etc. They add a few hundred books every month so the digital title selection is steadily growing.

willaful · Joined: 02 Jan 2008 Posts: 1468

Sorry to hear about that. My library used to have NetLibrary in addition to Overdrive, but it sucked eggs, so I was glad when they stopped wasting money on it.
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Charlotte McClain · Joined: 04 Oct 2008 Posts: 392 Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE

That's tragic! I don't know what I'd do without Overdrive. My mother's library has NetLibrary and it was so awful that this summer I took her to my library (an hour away from her home but within the same state) so she could get a card to enable her to use Overdrive on her Nook. Is there another library you can get a card to? My country library in Ohio allows anyone who is a legal resident of the state to get a card. Or there are libraries you can pay a fee to for a card. Good luck.
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Tinabelle · Joined: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 853 Location: SE Wisconsin

I think publishers are starting to flex their muscles about loaning ebooks. I own a Kindle and Overdrive has just recently started offering books to us. I am not overly impressed with the Kindle selection as of yet but I am hoping it improves.

BUT, I just read that Penguin pulled all of its books from any loaning program due to a dispute w/Amazon about its new policy of loaning 1 book a month to Prime members. Shades of the pricing war about control of what a retailer does with the books it purchases. I keep reading that publishers are not interested in readers but in selling books to retailers. This is another example of that attitude IMHO. Sheesh!
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Kayne · Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 783

Thanks for your comments and ideas. It looks like the EZ ebook service will be up mid January for the Ipad so I will try that and hope that the Kindle comes back up soon after. If not, as Charlotte suggested, I might use my other possible library connections. Enjoy those free reads!

Charlotte McClain · Joined: 04 Oct 2008 Posts: 392 Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE

Maybe you could become a reviewer for one of the review sites to get more free books.
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