Even before the Current Situation began, we had been spending more money on eBooks than ever before. Since we closed, however, we’ve almost doubled our spending. Even so, some people are having a hard time getting the eBooks they want. Below are a few pointers. More detailed explanations will be posted on our FAQ page.
- Ask for help. Reference staff monitors (914) 734-5362 from their homes every weekday from 10am to 4pm. You can email us any time, larchmontlibrary@wlsmail.org.
- Many titles are available in formats other than Kindle. Unless you are using a black-and-white Amazon eReader like a Paperwhite, you are not stuck with Kindle books.
- Different services have different collections. Overdrive/Libby is usually the newer, more popular titles. Hoopla and Freading are best for backlist and/or more obscure titles (but they may have new ones, too). Note: Overdrive/Libby is the only service with Kindle formatted books.
- Overdrive/Libby has too long a wait?
- Don’t have what you want? Tell us about it. Call Reference or email Liam Hegarty (whegarty@wlsmail.org). We’ll see if we can buy it.
- Want to pick a book for a book group? Call Reference or email Liam. We can make available, unlimited copies of certain titles. It would be best if you have several choices.
- Don’t forget that, just like with real books, there will always be a wait for the newest, hottest book.
A final note: eBooks can be much more expensive than regular print books. Our increased eBook spending is partially funded by a generous gift from the Friends of the Larchmont Public Library.