If you are looking for something to fill up your electronic device, be it an iPad, a Kindle, a Nook or whatever, this is the place. As laid out below, there are five different sources for your materials. Each one works differently and provides different materials, so if you are unfamiliar with the source, be sure to look for the help on each page.
- Libby (eBooks, eAudiobooks, magazines and videos) Only service that works with Kindle. Note: the Libby app is now the only way to access content provided by Overdrive, the company.
- New York Times (online newspaper) Now you can read the entire paper (well, except for puzzles and cooking) with a click of a button. Go to this web page, click on the “redeem” button, create a NYT account and start reading. Note that it won’t work if you already have a paid subscription. Sponsored by the Friends of the Larchmont Public Library.
- Freading (eBooks)
- ComicsPlus (comics for all ages)
- Hoopla (movies, television, eBooks, audiobooks, music and comics) Note: when signing up for the first time, scroll down to “Westchester Library System” instead of looking for “Larchmont Public Library.”
- Kanopy (movies)
A Little More Explanation
Caveat — This is a very new, rapidly evolving technology which is changing the way publishers and libraries do business. Policies and technologies are changing continuously. We try to have the most recent information, but be aware things may have changed. Update: (2023) This caveat was first posted in 2013. It is still true today, unfortunately.
Libby can be used to download both eBooks and Audiobooks for all platforms including Kindles as well as thousands of magazines in many languages such as The New Yorker, Fortune, Paris Match and Vanity Fair. Libby also provides access to videos such as Great Courses and Kanopy. As of May 1, 2023, the Overdrive app (another, older way of accessing the content provided by the company, Overdrive) will no longer work. If you are still using the Overdrive app, you must switch to Libby.
As its name implies, Freading is for eBooks. Freading uses Adobe Digital Editions to mediate the downloads so Kindle users are out of luck (See Caveat). While it does not limit the amount of patrons who can check out a particular title, it does limit patrons to three checkouts or renewals a week.
ComicsPlus features thousands of digital comic books available with a click of your mouse or a tap of your finger. All you need is your library card and a web browser to get started. You can even download the Comics Plus: Library Edition app for iPhone and iPad to take your borrowed comics on the go!
Hoopla lets you access and enjoy nearly half a million titles, from six different formats: Movies, TV, Music Albums, eAudiobooks, eBooks, and Comics/Graphic novels.
Kanopy also has a wide collection of movies and television programs, particularly classics. Want some Fellini, Kurosawa or Godard? This is the place. Or you can scratch your documentary itch with every Frederick Wiseman ever made (except the new one about New York Public Library).