If you have a Kindle Fire, you will need to download the Overdrive Media Console App to your device. Overdrive App instructions are available at the Williamson County Public Library Reference Desk or on the Library s website (go to wcpltn.org and then click on the blue elibrary button). SIGN IN TO R.E.A.D.S. ON YOUR COMPUTER Go to http://reads.lib.overdrive.com on your computer to access the R.E.A.D.S. database and then click SIGN IN. Click on the down arrow and choose WILLIAMSON COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY or the name of your branch (BETHESDA, COLLEGE GROVE, FAIRVIEW, LEIPER S FORK or NOLENSVILLE) from the drop-down list. 1
Type your LIBRARY CARD NUMBER in the box (all numbers and no spaces). Click SIGN IN. If you click REMEMBER MY CARD NUMBER ON THIS DEVICE, you won t have to type it every time you sign in. YOUR R.E.A.D.S. ACCOUNT Click on MY ACCOUNT or on the icon to go to your LOANS page. The LOANS page shows all the items you have checked out. Links to your HOLDS, LISTS, and SETTINGS are on the left side of the screen. 2
Click on SETTINGS to choose your default lending period. We recommend choosing 21 days, the longest lending period allowed. You only have to set your lending period once. Click AUTOMATIC HOLD CHECKOUT to have your holds automatically borrowed and placed on your LOANS page when they re available. FIND AN ebook OR eaudiobook Click the SEARCH icon to open the search screen. To browse for books, click SUBJECTS for a list of genres or COLLECTIONS to see broader categories such as ebooks or eaudiobooks. You can also click in the SEARCH box for a quick keyword search or click on ADVANCED to search by Title, Author, Subject, Format, or Availability. After your search results are displayed, you can click the icon that appears on the side of the cover image to get more information about that book. ebooks are designated by a book icon underneath the cover image, while eaudiobooks have a headphone icon. The word AVAILABLE above the cover means the book can be checked out immediately and WAIT LIST indicates the book is currently checked out and you can place a hold on it. 3
PLACE A BOOK ON HOLD If the title you have selected is already checked out, you can be placed on the waiting list for that title. Click PLACE A HOLD. 4
In the pop-up that opens, enter your email address. Then click PLACE A HOLD. When a title you have on hold becomes available or is automatically borrowed for you, you will receive an email. You can then sign in to your R.E.A.D.S. account and go to LOANS to download the title, or if you have not chosen the Auto checkout option, you can go to your HOLDS menu to download the title from there. BORROW A BOOK To borrow a book that is available, click on BORROW. 5
Click on to go to your Loans page. The book will now appear on your LOANS page. Click on the DOWN ARROW next to CHOOSE A FORMAT to select the format. Be sure to choose KINDLE BOOK. If you choose any ebook format other than KINDLE BOOK, it will not download. As soon as you click KINDLE BOOK, you ll be taken to Amazon s website. Select GET LIBRARY BOOK. 6
If you haven t already signed in to your Amazon account, you will be prompted to do so at this point. You may select whether to transfer items to your Kindle, Kindle for PC on your computer, or any device on which you have downloaded the Kindle App. Be sure to turn on WI-FI on your Kindle. If your Kindle does not have WI-FI, you may choose to deliver via USB. This will allow you to save the item to your desktop. You can then transfer it to your Kindle using your USB cord. Deliver the book to your Kindle by selecting the correct Kindle from the dropdown menu box. Choose your Kindle from the dropdown box. If you have multiple Kindles on your account, click the arrow and choose your Kindle from the list. Then click CONTINUE. When you see the following message, your book has been successfully delivered to your Kindle. [Kindle Name]. You only have to click DOWNLOAD NOW if you are transferring a book to your Kindle with a USB cord. You re done! Happy reading! 7
RENEW YOUR LIBRARY BOOK Renewing R.E.A.D.S. titles works differently than renewing physical books. Renewing a R.E.A.D.S title doesn t extend your lending period. Instead, it lets you borrow the title again immediately after your current checkout expires. If there are existing holds, it places you on the wait list again. On your LOANS page, select the REQUEST AGAIN button under the title you d like to renew. This option does not appear until three days before the title is due to expire. Enter and confirm your email address in the pop-up window and then click SUBMIT. As soon as your current lending period ends (or your hold on the title is available), you ll get an email letting you know the book is ready for checkout. Go to your LOANS page and download the book again. 8
RETURNING BOOKS EARLY When the lending period for your book has expired, it will automatically return to R.E.A.D.S., so there are no worries about fines or overdue books. However, once items are checked out and downloaded to your Kindle, you may delete them or return them early by using the Manage Your Content and Devices link at Amazon.com. Sign in to your Amazon account and from the drop-down menu, select MANAGE YOUR CONTENT AND DEVICES. Click on the ACTIONS box next to the book you want to return. The menu is shown below. Click RETURN THIS BOOK. Click YES to return the book. 9
DOWNLOADING AUDIOBOOKS TO YOUR KINDLE Kindle Fire owners must use the Overdrive Media Console App to download audiobooks. If your Kindle ereader has audio capabilities, you can download and listen to MP3 audiobooks. You will need to download Overdrive Media Console software to your computer (http://omc.overdrive.com/). Find MP3 titles the same way you search for ebook titles in R.E.A.D.S. by entering a keyword in the Search Box, by doing an Advanced Search or by browsing through different subjects or collections. If the title you re searching for is already checked out, you may be added to the waiting list by tapping on the book cover and clicking PLACE A HOLD. You will be notified by email when the title is available. If the MP3 title you want is available, tap the book cover and click BORROW. You are ready to download the item. Click DOWNLOAD and follow the prompts to open the title in the Overdrive Media Console software. If you do not yet have the Overdrive Media Console, you can follow the window instructions to download the software for free. Overdrive Media Console will launch and you should see the title displayed in your list. Your audiobook will begin to download in parts. Once you have successfully downloaded all of the parts, you can plug your Kindle into your computer using the USB cable. You should see your Kindle in the Computer menu on a PC or in the Finder window on a Mac. Hit TRANSFER in Overdrive Media Console to move the MP3 audiobook onto your Kindle device. You will then have to move the file into your Kindle DOCUMENTS folder. To do that, click on the audiobook title and drag it to the Kindle DOCUMENTS folder. The audiobook will then appear on your Kindle. 10