For those San Jose Public Library customers who need support and assistance with eBook downloads, the following companies have staff available to answer any technical questions:

Axis 360 Help

• by Phone: (209) 720-2280 - 7 AM to 3 PM, weekdays only

EBSCO Help

• by Phone: (800) 758-5995 - press the #3 key after calling in

OneClickdigital Help

• by Email: support@oneclickdigital.com
• by Phone: (877) 77-AUDIO - 4:30 AM to 3 PM, weekdays only

If you have a problem with OverDrive, first please make sure that your account is clear of any issues.  If you have a fine or an expired card, you cannot use OverDrive.  If your account is clear and you are still having download problems, you can contact our eBook support team at: sjplebooksupport@gmail.com.

If you have a Kindle/Nook and need help getting started, please view the introductory videos:

Kindle: http://youtu.be/eS6I7vJKZS0, Nook: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6EKw_yQocM

This detailed tutorial walks users step-by-step through the process necessary to download e-books available free from the San Jose Public Library and read them on the Barnes and Nobel NOOK This video features the NOOK Color, but the same process works for the standard NOOK as well. For additional information, please see New User's Guide to eBooks, eAudioBooks, & eMusic and Frequently Asked Questions about Digital Content.

Full Transcript of Narration:

Introduction

Welcome to the San Jose Public Library’s e-Book tutorial for the NOOK.

Set-Up/Installing Adobe Digital Editions

To turn on the NOOK, first press the Power button, located on the top left side of the device, then, on the touch screen, touch and slide out the onscreen bar to “wake up” your NOOK.

Using the provided USB cable, connect the NOOK to your computer. Once the NOOK is connected, from your computer, go to the library’s homepage (sjpl.org) and click on “Downloads”. From the Downloads page, click on “OverDrive.”

From OverDrive’s homepage, scroll down until you see a section called “Getting Started” on the lefthand side. From here, click “Adobe Digital Editions”. From the following page, click “Download Adobe Digital Editions”. You will be taken to Adobe’s website, where you can click to “Install” Adobe Digital Editions. Click Yes when prompted and the installation will begin. After following the installation prompts and closing the dialogue box, you will be asked to click that you agree with the software’s terms of use. This will open a setup menu. Click next. Here you will be asked to “authenticate” your computer. If you already have an Adobe username and password, enter them at this time. Or, to register, click “get an Adobe ID online” and create an Adobe ID by filling out your information online. However, for our example, we will keep it simple and instead select “Don’t Authenticate” and continue without creating an ID.

Downloading an e-Book

Once Adobe Digital Editions has been installed, you can return to Overdrive's homepage and browse their vast selection of digital titles to find exactly the e-book you are looking for.  Or, for our example, we will click on "Advanced Search" from the top left corner. This allows us to limit the Format to "Adobe EPUB eBook" as well as to "Only show titles with copies available."

After finding a title you want, next to “Adobe EPUB Format”, select "Add to Bookbag." You can then either browse for more titles or "Proceed to Check-Out." You will then be prompted to sign-in using your Library Card number and your PIN. Before confirming checkout, you have an option for the number of days you wish to check out the e-book. Once you are done, press "Confirm Check-Out."

Transferring an e-Book to the NOOK

From the following screen, press "Download." When prompted, select to Open the file. Adobe Digital Editions should automatically open and the book will be downloaded to the program. You can either read the e-book on your computer screen, or, to transfer the e-book to your NOOK, first click on the Library Icon at the top left of the screen. Your library displays a list of the books you currently have downloaded. Click and drag the title you wish to transfer to the folder on the left side labeled “My Nook.”

Once you have transferred the e-book or ebooks you have downloaded onto your NOOK, you may “safely remove” the device from your computer.

Reading an e-Book on the NOOK

After disconnecting your NOOK from your computer, press the arch-shaped Menu button to pull up a menu on the screen. On the menu, touch Library. On the top right of the screen, touch “My Stuff” and then “My Files.” Here you will find the e-books that you transferred to your NOOK from your computer. Touch a title to open it. To flip through pages, touch and slide your finger across the screen. Note that, once you have opened an e-book, the page you left off on will be remember and the title will also appear on your NOOK’s homepage.

Returning/Removing an e-Book Title

While the NOOK is connected to your computer, you can return a book before its due date if you finish early. From your library, click the drop down arrow over the title that you wish to return and then click “Return Borrowed Item.” Once the item is returned, you will no longer be able to read it on your NOOK. To then remove the title itself, click and hold down on the title until a menu appears. From the menu, select “delete.” This same process can be used on the homepage to remove a title by selecting “Remove From Home.” Note that you can remove items just from the homepage without deleting them from your NOOK.

Conclusion

You are now ready to download e-books for free from San Jose Public Library and Overdrive and enjoy reading them in the palm of your hand. For Additional information, refer to your NOOK’s user manual. Also, visit SJPL.ORG to browse e-book titles available from OverDrive.

After months of debating which eReader to buy, I finally decided to go with the new Simple Touch Reader Nook from Barnes & Noble. The reviews so far have been overwhelmingly positive, with sites like CNET & PC Magazine naming it a top pick. It features a featherweight ergonomic design, amazing battery life, and e-ink technology. I personally prefer it to the Nook Color because I find the Nook Color’s LCD screen a bit harder on the eyes for extended reading. The new Simple Touch Nook doesn’t have the bells and whistles of an iPad or other tablet computer, but if you’re looking for something simple, fairly affordable, and hassle-free to use just for reading books, then this Nook might be for you.

Check out some great Nook-specific instructions on how to get started with SJPL’s OverDrive eBook collection, or visit OverDrive's help page. I’m having a great time so far with the many titles available for download. It’s exciting to be able to continue to use the many great (and free!) resources that the library has to offer, but in a brand new way.  

In March, Pearl Ave Library will be offering classes on how to download eBooks for different mobile platforms! Separate classes will be held to show you how to use OverDrive eMedia for:

• Nook - March 1st (1 hour)
• Sony eReader - March 8th (1 hour)
• Android Phones/iPhones - March 15th (2 hours)

This is a great opportunity to take advantage of the SJPL's electronic resources as well as chance to learn something new and fun! 

“Ummm… thanks?” 

If this is what you said when you received a Barnes and Noble Nook for Christmas, then this is the post for you!   First, what is a Nook?  It is a device mainly used to read eBooks.  For all of the details about the Nook, go to the Barnes and Noble website. 

So now you’re probably wondering, how do I get eBooks on this thing?  Luckily it is not too hard to do.   The library’s OverDrive catalog has a large variety of fiction and non-fiction reads for both adults and children. 

• Once you are at the catalog, you will need to download Adobe Digital Editions to a laptop or personal computer.  After doing that, select the books you’d like to read (the Nook can read PDF and EPUB documents), add them to your bookbag, and check them out. 
• You will then download them into the Adobe Digital Editions software. 
• Lastly, connect your Nook to your laptop/PC and just like working with iTunes, the device will show up on the Adobe program and you just drag and drop the books to your Nook.  And now you have reads for 3 weeks!   Happy Reading!

For more information about how to use OverDrive, the help page is extremely useful.

(Please note, this information is for the original Nook, not the Nook color.  This post is only about the Nook because the author uses one; other devices for reading eBooks are also awesome to use with OverDrive!)