eBooks

Electronic books and readers – known as eBooks and eReaders – have generated a lot of buzz lately, as the sales of these portable reading devices have skyrocketed. More and more people are showing interest in these lightweight, inexpensive, and convenient alternatives to printed books and magazines.

Do you have a Kindle, Sony eReader, Barnes and Noble nook, or another eReader? Are you thinking about purchasing one for yourself or a family member? Did you know that the Troy Public Library has eBooks available free-of-charge for you to download to your eReader or smartphone?

If you are interested in the eBook revolution, attend All About eBooks and eReaders sponsored by the Troy Library. This 90-minute session will answer all of your questions, and show you what resources are available to you from the Library. We will demonstrate some of the more popular eReaders, purchased courtesy of the Friends of the Troy Library. And if you have an eReader, bring it, and we will show you how to set up an account.

All About eBooks and eReaders will be offered at 6:30 pm on the following dates (click on the date to register): Wednesday, January 11; Thursday February 2; and Tuesday, February 28. Questions? Call the Library's Technology Center at 248.524.3542 or email techroom@troymi.gov.

Finally Kindle users can enjoy Troy Public Library's eBook collection through Overdrive.

Go the the Download eBooks, Audiobooks link on the left side of the Library's home page (under Library Links), click on OverDrive, and then on Library Books for Kindle. This will bring you to a list of titles available for Kindle. Check out the book using your Troy Library card, click on the Get for Kindle button, log onto your Amazon account, and the book will be wirelessly downloaded to your Kindle. If you see a title that you like, but it is not immediately available, click Place Hold to be notified when that title becomes available.

Don't have a Kindle? Overdrive is also compatible with the nook, Sony Reader and many other eBook readers, mp3 players, Android phones, Apple iPads, Macs and PCs. Check the list to see if your device will work with Overdrive.

The Friends of the Troy Public Library are excited to announce the three-day Grand Re-Opening of the Friends Book Shop on Thursday, September 8, from 4-7 pm; Friday, September 9, from 10 am-1 pm; and Sunday September 11, from 1-4 pm. The Book Shop, located in the Library's lower level, closed in April due to the impending Library closing, but with the passage of the August millage the Book Shop is back in business.

During the Re-Opening Celebration, Library visitors will receive discount coupons for the Book Shop. The Friends will also be holding a drawing of a nook eReader as a way to thank Library supporters. eReaders are a great way to use the Library's growing eBook collection. Stop by the Friends Gift Shop in the Library's lobby or the Book Shop to enter. (You must be 16 years old to enter and you need not be present to win.)

The Friends have supported library services in Troy for over 53 years. The Friends have funded the highly successful Job Seekers programs, children’s summer reading programs, the Special Needs collection, and many cultural and educational programs. In addition, the Friends provide tens of thousands of volunteer hours to the Library and offer a place for students to gain necessary community service hours.

Membership in the Friends is just $10 a year for an individual, and a great way to support this vital community library. Members receive updates on Friends' activities, and discounts on the shops. Information is available in the Gift Shop and Book Shop, and at the Friends website, friendstpl.org.  Join the Friends and continue the great community support for our nationally ranked public library.

The Troy Public Library's NetLibrary eBook collection has switched to a new platform called EBSCOhost. All of our eBooks that were available through NetLibrary are still available on the new platform. The NetLibrary name has been retired, replace by eBooks on EBSCOhost.

eBooks from EBSCOhost will function just like NetLibrary did. The titles will not be downloadable. Instead, you will be able to view them directly from within your browser. They are non-holdable and cannot be used on eReaders, but are always available for viewing.

If you are a regular user of NetLibrary eBooks, your account is no longer available. Any information that is associated with your account (such as notes you have taken in specific eBooks) has been deleted with your account. To use our new eBooks, simply log in with your Troy library card number.

For more information about this change, please see our blog post.

Troy Public Library's Adult Summer Reading Program starts Wednesday, June 22. You can register online here for a chance to win a weekly prize (a $25 gift certificate to the Somerset Collection) or our grand prize (a $50 gift certificate to the Somerset Collection).

If you have not read an eBook nor listened to an eAudiobook yet, the Summer Reading Program is the perfect time to try these popular collections available from the Library. These items can be downloaded to your Windows or Mac computer, transferred to many popular eReaders, or downloaded directly to your smartphone. Get started by clicking the "Download eBooks, Audiobooks" link under the Library Links menu at left, then click on OverDrive.

Interested in technology? The Library has several new books related to technology available, including Idea Man: A Memior by the Co-founder of Micorsoft by Paul Allen, Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other by Sherry Turkle, Final Jeopardy: Man vs. Machine and the Quest to Know Everything by Stephen Baker, and Kingpin by Kevin Poulsen.

Whether it is an eBook, eAudiobook, or paper book, enroll in the Adult Summer Reading program and start reading!

OverDrive, a provider of downloadable eBooks and eAudiobooks to the Troy Public Library, has recently released a version of its OverDrive Media Console app for Windows Phone. Now Windows Phone users can directly download OverDrive MP3-format eAudiobooks and EPUB-format eBooks to their device. This new app also has the same features of other OverDrive apps for smartphones, including the ability to return eBooks early and the ability to link Troy's OverDrive site to the app directly with the Get Library feature.  

Download the OverDrive Media Console app for Windows Phone here.

For more information, including a video demonstration of this app in action, see this blog post from the Library's Technology Department.