Just as you can borrow printed books from libraries, you can borrow NOOK books as well. You don’t have to go to your local library to borrow the book; instead you head to the library’s Internet site.
Not all libraries have NOOK books available for lending, and the way you borrow may vary from library to library. This section, though, covers the most popular way, and should go a long way to help you borrow whatever is available. Before you borrow, here’s what you need to know:
You can borrow a book for 14 days. As with books you borrow from friends, at the end of the borrowing period, the book automatically gets returned to the library.
Not all books can be borrowed for the NOOK. Publishers make far fewer books available for lending for the NOOK than they make available in print. They worry that it’s easier to borrow a NOOK book than a print book, because it doesn’t require going to the library. So don’t be surprised if you can’t find your favorite book for the NOOK at the library, or if there are fewer copies for the NOOK than there are for the printed version.
Only one copy of a library eBook can be borrowed at a time. Just as with a physical book, only one copy can be out at a time. Libraries typically have far fewer copies of a book in eBook format than in print, so you may have to wait to borrow an eBook you want.
You need a library card to borrow books. Want to borrow a NOOK book from the New York Public Library? You need a New York Public Library card. You can’t borrow books from libraries that let only residents borrow books if you’re not a resident. Check with your local library for details.
There may be limits on how many eBooks you can borrow at one time. Your local library may limit you to a maximum number of eBooks—five, for example.
Look for eBooks in the EPUB or PDF formats. Those are the common formats your NOOK Tablet can read, so when browsing or searching, look for them.
As mentioned previously, libraries may have different methods for lending out eBooks, and for you then to transfer them to your NOOK. Typically, though, you must download the free Adobe Digital Editions software, and then register it. Without first doing so, you may not be able to borrow books.
Head to www.adobe.com/products/digitaleditions and install the software. You must also register for an Adobe ID to use the software and borrow books from a library. If you don’t have one, head to www.adobe.com/account.html and create one. Then, when you’re asked to activate your computer after the Adobe Digital Edition software is installed, enter that ID and password.
Now that you’ve got the software activated, it’s time to borrow a book. Ask your library for the website it uses to lend eBooks, and ask to have a user name and password set up. Also check for any special lending policies, and whether the library offers online help.
Once you do all that, you’re ready to go. Head to your library’s eBook-lending website. Different libraries organize their eBook collections differently; you may be able to search and browse or only one of the two.
Look for the NOOK section. If there seems to be one, look for books in EPUB and PDF formats. Those are the ones you can borrow.
Tip
For excellent all-around help with borrowing eBooks, head to the NOOK eBook Central site run by Google and the New York Public Library (https://sites.google.com/a/nypl.org/ebook-central/home/device/nook). Although much of what’s there is specifically for borrowing books from the New York Public Library, it’s a good overall resource for advice about how to borrow books from any library using your NOOK Tablet.
Once you’ve found a book you want to borrow, follow these steps:
Follow the site’s instructions for downloading the book. Typically, you’ll click the book’s link, follow a checkout procedure, and then download the book. Make sure you remember where you saved the downloaded book. It will end in .acsm, such as DombeyandSon9781775410713.acsm, or in .pdf.
Double-click the file. The book opens in Adobe Digital Editions. If you want, you can read the book in that program.
Connect your NOOK Tablet to your computer. A screen on your computer appears, telling you that you need to authorize the NOOK to use Adobe Digital Editions. Click Authorize Device. After a moment, your NOOK is authorized.
A new shelf appears on the Adobe Digital Editions screen titled My NOOK.
Drag the book you just borrowed to this shelf.
Disconnect your NOOK Tablet from your computer. The book won’t appear on a shelf in your Library. Instead, you have to open it as a file. In the Library, tap “my stuff”→My Files, and in the My NOOK section, you’ll see a Digital Editions folder. Tap it.
Look for the file name of the book you just transferred, for example, Dombey_and_Son.epub. It will end in .epub or .pdf. Tap it.
The book opens. You can now read it just as you can any other book on your NOOK.
Remember, you can borrow the book for only 14 days. After that, it automatically gets returned to the library.
