The fact we are all in our separate homes does not mean we can’t get together to engage in one of life’s great pleasures, talking about books. It is something we have always supported, either through our own book clubs like New Futurians, Short & Sweet and Literary Bites, or through the 30+ private groups we supply books for. We’ve gone online, using downloadable eBooks and videoconferencing software such as Zoom, to continue to hold our Book Groups. You can too, and we’re here to help.
Reference staff regularly checks emails sent to larchmontlibrary@wlsmail.org. We man the line (from our homes) at 914 734-5362 on weekdays between 10am and 4pm. We can help you choose a book, make sure there are enough copies and we can help the more technologically challenged members of your group get started on eBooks.
If you want to strike out on your own, here are some considerations:
- Hoopla and Freading have no checkout limitations. If you can find a book in one of those services, you can be sure there are enough copies, but:
- There are no Kindle formatted books in either of these two services.
- Generally, the books are older and more obscure (though not always)
- Overdrive/Libby usually has the newer, more mainstream titles and books downloaded there should work on all devices, including Kindles, but:
- Usually it is one copy per user at a time, so there might not be enough copies for everyone in your book group, particularly newer, more popular books, but:
- For certain titles we can activate unlimited copies, but:
- Those unlimited copies are for Larchmont cardholders only.
- For certain titles we can activate unlimited copies, but:
- Usually it is one copy per user at a time, so there might not be enough copies for everyone in your book group, particularly newer, more popular books, but:
As you can see, it gets a little complicated. That’s why we suggest contacting us before you select a book. Have your group pick several titles as it will increase your chances. You should also figure out what devices people use in your group. If someone can only read books on a Kindle Paperwhite, for example, you are limited to Overdrive/Libby. Drop us an email or give us a call and we’ll see what we can do for you.