What is an eBook?

An eBook is an electronic (or digital) version of a book which can be checked out and viewed on an eBook reader (such as a Kindle or Nook), other portable devices (such as an iPad or smartphone), or your PC.

Can I download eBooks to my Nook, iPad, or other device?

Yes, Gloucester County Library System (GCLS) has suscribed to both the Overdrive (South Jersey Audiobook and eBook Download Center) and Freading eBook services.

Can I download eBooks to my Kindle?

Kindle users can checkout and download eBooks from Overdrive (via the South Jersey Audiobook and eBook Download Center) to your Kindle device or app. At the moment, Freading ebooks are not viewable on any Kindle device.

Where can I get help with Overdrive?

Extensive Help Documentation is available on the Overdrive (via the South Jersey Audiobook and eBook Download Center) website. This Help section describes how to use the site, the Adobe Digital Editions software, the Overdrive Media Console, which devices are compatible with Overdrive eBooks, and more.

For more information about the Overdrive Media Console™ and compatible devices and eBook formats, see the Overdrive Media Console website.

If you require technical assistance, you can also contact library eBook tech support at ebooks@gcls.org.

Where can I get help with Freading?

Extensive Help Documentation is available on the Freading site. This FAQ describes how to use the site, the Adobe Digital Editions software, what devices are compatible with Freading eBooks, and more.

If you require technical assistance, you can also contact library eBook tech support at ebooks@gcls.org.

How does the Freading token system work?

Access to books on Freading is controlled by tokens. Each user is given a weekly allotment of 4 tokens which appears in the upper right hand corner of the home page after login.

There are three different token costs of a book, downloads cost 4, 2, or 1 token(s) depending on the value assigned by the publisher.  In most cases newly published books are 4 tokens, then after a time period they drop to 2, and then after another time period they drop to 1.  So in general, the token value is based on how new a book is.  In some cases though, a publisher may have chosen a different criteria such as popularity.

Unused tokens roll over each week until the end of the month.  At the end of the month, unused tokens are cleaned out of the user's account, except for your original weekly allotment. 

Are there other sources for free ebooks?

Baen Free Library (http://www.baen.com/library/)
Free Fantasy and Science Fiction books from Baen.
Formats available: MOBI, ePUB, Sony, HTML, and others

Feedbooks (http://feedbooks.com)
Feedbooks offers thousands of public domain and original ebooks from new authors.
Formats available: MOBI, ePUB, PDF

Internet Archive (http://archive.org)
Internet Archive is a non-profit dedicated to offering permanent access to historical collections that exist in digital format. Provides over 2.5 million free ebooks to read, download, and enjoy.
Formats available: MOBI, ePUB, PDF, and others

ManyBooks.net  (http://manybooks.net)
ManyBooks.net provides free ebooks as a service to the Internet community at large.
Formats available: Kindle, MOBI, ePUB, Sony, HTML, and others

Munseys (http://www.munseys.com)
Offers over 20,000 titles in twelve formats
Formats available: Kindle, MOBI, ePUB, Sony, HTML, and others

Project Gutenberg (http://gutenberg.org)
Project Gutenberg, one of the original sources of free ebooks, is dedicated to the creation and distribution of eBooks.
Formats available: MOBI, ePUB, PDF, and others

What are the major ebook stores? (Paid and Free Content)

Amazon Kindle Store (http://www.amazon.com)
eBooks in Kindle eReader file format that can be read on some other devices (iPad, iPhone, PC, Mac, Android, Blackberry, Windows Phone 7) using the Kindle Reader software.

Barnes & Noble Nook Store (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/nook)
eBooks in Nook eReader file format that can be read on some other devices (iPad, iPhone, PC,  Android) using the Nook Reader software.

Google ebookstore (http://books.google.com/ebooks)
Offers ebooks for Android, iPad, iPhone, Nook, Sony. eBooks can also be read on the web.

Sony ReaderStore (http://ebookstore.sony.com/)
eBooks in Sony Reader format.

What are the most common eReader file formats and how do I know which ones my reader supports?

eReader	eBook File Formats Supported
Amazon Kindle	Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC Through conversion: HTML and DOC Other eBook file types (e.g., ePUB) can be converted to MOBI for use on a Kindle by using the free Calibre eBook management program (http://calibre-ebook.com)
Apple iPad	ePUB, PDF, DOC, DOCX, HTM, HTML, TXT, RTF using Apple Bookshelf Additional software can be installed onto the iPad to read and purchase other eBook types. Examples are Kindle Reader, Barnes & Noble Reader, Bluefire Reader, and Stanza.
Barnes & Noble Nook	ePUB, eReader, PDF, PalmDOC (PDB)
Sony Reader	ePUB (Adobe DRM protected), PDF (Adobe DRM protected), ePUB, PDF, TXT, RTF, DOC (requires conversion and Word installed on your PC)

What other kinds of eBooks does the library currently offer?

Gloucester County Library System offers three additional collections of electronic materials. These collections are available from the GCLS eReference Center (http://www.gcls.org/eReference)

• Gale Virtual Reference Library is a collection of reference books that can be searched like a database.  They cannot be downloaded or transferred to a reading device.
• Safari Books Online is a digital library of technology and business books.  The books can be viewed on your computer, but cannot be downloaded or transferred. Some content can be printed, but the number of pages is limited by the publisher.
• A collection of eBooks and eAudiobooks is available on EBSCOhost. The eBooks are mostly nonfiction reference books. Most EBSCOhost eBooks are read online and cannot be downloaded or transferred. The ebooks that are available to download are in Adobe Protected PDF format, and can be transferred to a Sony Reader or Barnes & Noble nook.

How long can I keep EBSCOhost ebooks?

EBSCOhost eBooks can be “checked-out” for seven days. 

Do I need a library card to checkout eBooks?

Yes, you need a Gloucester County Library System library card.

Do I have to download software to access eBooks?

Yes, the Adobe Protected PDF format requires a software download on your computer.  The software is free and available on the eBook site and takes only a few minutes to download and install.

When it comes to eBooks, there's NOT eNOUGH Ever wonder why many of your favorite authors aren’t available in an eBook or eAudiobook format from New Jersey libraries? The answer might surprise you. The policies of the major publishers concerning selling eBooks to libraries are all different. Your library has to deal with policies like: • Publishers who refuse to sell eBooks and/or eAudiobooks to libraries; • Publishers who charge libraries as much as 5 times more than consumers for the same digital content; • Publishers who embargo their content and will not sell to libraries any newly published digital content; • Publishers who make digital content available in only some formats (ePub but not Kindle for example). See http://savemynjlibrary.org/notenoughebooks for more information.