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Free Audiobooks/eBook Using OverDrive/BorrowBox with a City Council Library Card

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Free Audiobooks/eBook Using OverDrive/BorrowBox with a City Council Library Card
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Saturday on 07/09/2017 - 12:16 brisyprl.overdrive.com (741 clicks)
Last edited 07/09/2017 - 17:18 by 1 other user

I think i'd better share this with book lovers or book lovers to be.

I started listening to audiobooks with mobile apps: OverDrive and BorrowBox, using my city council library membership late last year and went through up to 5 books each week, e.g. the whole set of Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, A Brief History of Time, The Theory of Nearly Very Thing, Sapiens etc. I am really enjoying it.

All you need is the app on your device (Android or iOs and Windows Mobile) and your library card number and password, then this free resource is available totally FREE!

The link provided is Brisbane city council library on OverDrive to give you an idea what's available.

Edit: Put this up as a rush before lunch, and now i have bit more time to add some details :-)

  1. BorrowBox is another app with a different collection of titles:
    To download the app, click here
    To check out the collection (Brisbane), click here

  2. Mod: Removed copyright circumvention information. I now have a local audiobook library of over 30 titles.

  3. For those of you have a Kindle, if you can get someone's library card info from US, you would be able to borrow ebooks in Kindle format. I got a friend's US library card info and have been able to borrow Kindle ebooks :-)

Books & Magazines Audiobook eBook

Related Stores

The Libby App by OverDrive
The Libby App by OverDrive

Comments

  • GaelicAU on 07/09/2017 - 12:20
    -1

    Not really a deal. Libraries around Australia have offered these services for a few years now.

    Might be better of posted in forums.

    +1 for letting people know all the same.

    • Who is she on 07/09/2017 - 12:39
      +2

      I agree, but I've given it a plus for letting people know.

      People like me who have been using these free services for ages forget that others might not know. Also available for Tasmanian library card holders is Freegal, which allows five free (to keep forever if you download them) weekly music downloads, single tracks of all music types. Probably available to library card holders Australia-wide.

    • ozlab on 07/09/2017 - 12:52
      +1

      You should have shared such a great offer to many of us who are not aware of it for the last few years. Thanks OP.

    • rygle on 07/09/2017 - 15:09

      Some libraries use a different but similar system. See your library or council website. Some allow downloading audio books as MP3s.

      Lots of libraries also have lots of eBooks, comics, magazines, and music downloads and streaming using the Freegal service.

      In my area Freegal allows free music streaming for 2 or 3 hours a day, plus downloading 3 MP3 files per library card per week.

      • rygle on 07/09/2017 - 16:14

        See Wombat81's comment below about Bolinda Digital, which is what my library uses.

  • Bargain Seeker on 07/09/2017 - 12:40
    +6

    I vote it a deal. How many people actively search the forums. Many but not all. I don't.

    • syousef on 07/09/2017 - 15:49
      +1

      I vote it a 3 legged ostrich. Doesn't make it so.

      Perhaps if you like this "deal" you should frequent the freebies forum more.

  • WARvault on 07/09/2017 - 12:44
    +1

    Does this service require the Adobe DRM thing? I am super frustrated that so many free ebooks are unavailable to my because Linux…

    • shavi on 07/09/2017 - 13:07

      Yes, it requires Adobe Digital Editions. I use it with Calibre (which has a Linux version), but that doesn't help you if you cant get Adobe DE on Linux :/

      • Rifraf on 07/09/2017 - 13:52

        I've a macbook air.

        I've just spent over an hour trying to deal with someone at my local library over the phone who first language isn't english, to no avail.

        I've typed audiobooks into my ap-store link page but its just hanging.

        I tried Adobe Digital Editions and also got no luck.

        Any ideas?

        I'm looking to be able to listen to some of the available books.

        My library has easy to find instructions for an iPad but I'm failing to find how the audible books thing works for a macbook air.

        • Saturday on 07/09/2017 - 13:59

          Are you talking about audiobooks in OverDrive? I don't think it is available on OSX. Can you use a mobile device (Android or iPhone, or ipad, even Windows Mobile)? If so, just download the app on the device and sign in with your library membership and you can borrow/download/listen.

        • atticusOsullivan on 07/09/2017 - 14:02

          For me, the process was as follows:
          Create an account with my local library so that I can login and browse the library online
          Download the Overdrive app from google play
          Add my library from within the app
          Look for a book from my library from within the Overdrive app
          "Borrow" said book
          Download to device
          Listen
          (Did not copy mp3 files - they are free to borrow)

          Much of the above can be done from the Overdrive website AFAIK

          Hope that helps

        • Saturday on 07/09/2017 - 14:03

          @Saturday:
          Well, there is a way around it. If you download and hack on an Android device as i said in the post, you will be able to copy those mp3 files to your Macbook, then it is just a matter of finding an audio player designed for audiobooks. I am using Smart Audiobook Player on my phone for those local audiobooks.

      • rygle on 07/09/2017 - 15:10
        +1

        Some libraries allow downloading MP3 files. Check your library or council website for details.

  • wombat81 on 07/09/2017 - 14:04
    +1

    I've found that if I log onto the Bolinda Digital site via a PC (I haven't tried with a mobile phone browser) with my library details and I can 'borrow' audiobooks and download the mp3s. Then when your loan expires you still have the mp3. You can borrow your maximum number of audiobooks, download the mp3s, then return your audiobooks, borrow more, download etc. I have noticed recently that they are limiting the amount of returns you can make over a short period of time, presumably to limit this type of behaviour. I use it to download audiobooks for the kids to listen to on road trips.

    • superm86 on 07/09/2017 - 15:19

      link please? What I found dont have any option of logging in.

      • rygle on 07/09/2017 - 16:15

        Depends on whether your library uses Bolinda audio for their audio books. Many do but not all.

        • superm86 on 07/09/2017 - 16:45

          it does - on bolinda app am able to login. But on the pc website i see no option to login. Can you share the link where you can login, thanks.

        • rygle on 07/09/2017 - 16:50
          +1

          @superm86:
          I can't say for your library, but for mine on the pc I go to my library website and then they have a section for ecollections (electronic media including audio books, text based eBooks, comics and music.) These separate links take me to the relevant site and I login with my library card number and the password I setup at my library.

          For my library the audio book section is provided by Bolinda audio, the music section is provided by Freegal and the magazines and comics are provided by another provider that I can't remember at present. But these are all accessed from my library website which directs me as appropriate. Your library may use different providers such as overdrive that are different, but mine will allow downloading audio books as MP3s. If yours uses overdrive then it is possible that the audio files are copy protected and therefore may not be able to be kept.

          If that doesn't help you, you might have to look on your library website or contact your library for more information.

        • superm86 on 07/09/2017 - 20:32

          @rygle: It did. I was trying to directly to the site; did not know i have to go through my library's site. cheers

        • rygle on 08/09/2017 - 05:50

          @superm86:
          Happy to help!

  • yoyo6 on 07/09/2017 - 14:24
    +4

    I have been doing this for years. If you have a title you want go to this website: https://www.overdrive.com/ where you can search for the one you want and it will show you which libraries carry the book (audio or ebook). I live in Victoria and if I find the book at a library I can often join online without going to the library. Geelong library for example let me join online. Otherwise, I take a ride over to the library and get a card and over the years, I have developed a great collection. You can waitlist books if they are not yet available and you can even recommend books to the library for them to buy at some libraries but not all.

  • battler on 07/09/2017 - 14:25
    +1

    my local library also offers DRM free MP3 music to download from freegal - 5 songs per week. Collection isn't huge, but is butter than zero.

  • unelectric on 07/09/2017 - 15:26
    +1

    I don't want to encourage anyone to do anything illegal but there are ways of putting the eBooks on your Kindle, a Google search should tell you how. I always delete the books afterwards because it feels wrong to keep them, even if they are 1's and 0's paid for by taxes.

  • fez on 07/09/2017 - 17:57

    Thanks
    I knew about this but haven’t used it for ages
    Need to find my library card or get a new one…

  • zebra on 07/09/2017 - 18:38
    +2

    eastern regional library also offers full access to lynda.com

  • Robin2012 on 07/09/2017 - 20:07

    good

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