expanded library access, maybe

[redbird]

I went to Overdrive to borrow an ebook, in the course of which I saw that I can now use my Boston Public Library card to borrow books from several other library systems, some of which I had to look up. I knew which part of Massachusetts the "Minuteman" library network covers, because I have a Minuteman card; "Merrimack Valley" is straightforward, and the entry for "NOBLE" expands that to "North of Boston library network." I had to poke around to see which parts of the state are in the "Old Colony" network, and it turns out the C in "CLAMS" is for Cape Cod.

The Overdrive help page says that I can borrow from a partner library by signing into my home library in Overdrive, and then searching. I haven't tried this yet.

I have three Overdrive accounts, meaning my computer occasionally tries to use my King County library card number to log in to the Boston or Minuteman system, or vice versa. (The Seattle and King County libraries are linked in Overdrive.)

Comments

[readerjane]

Riches untold!

w00t

[bibliofile]

Is it possible to have access to too many library books? I doubt it, but please let us know.

[calimac]

If you're borrowing an e-book, you probably don't even have to know where the other system is, as long as you have borrowing privileges for it, yes?

[redbird]

Indeed not. If this works the way the Boston and the Minuteman catalogs work, I don't have to know where the physical book is either: I can select a book and tell them where I want it to be, and then go pick it up at Copley Square (Boston) or Brookline or Arlington (Minuteman), and return it to any branch of the relevant library.

I may ask one of those partner libraries for a book just to see how that works.

[ckd]

Having the same library network access you do (thanks to having made the reverse of your move), I find the Libby app (from Overdrive) to be a really convenient interface for finding and reading library ebooks on my iPad. In particular, its ability to check availability across all the systems is really handy for finding which ones have shorter (or no) waiting lists....

[redbird]

I've tried using Libby, but reading on the iPhone Mini doesn't work as well, which I knew when I bought it--having a phone I can hold comfortably seemed more important. [Irrelevant complaint about male-led teams and companies making umpteen phones that are easy for people with large hands, and almost none that are suited for average-sized women.]