eBook readers continue to be one of the hottest gifts for the holiday season, and the library often receives these two questions:  “Does the library have eBooks to check out?”  and “Can you help me figure out how to use this thing?”  The answers are “Yes” and “We’ll try!”

The James Kennedy Public Library is a member of the North Eastern Iowa Bridge to Online Resource Sharing (NEIBORS), a consortium of libraries that provides eBooks and downloadable audiobooks books to their patrons. There are two requirements to use NEIBORS.  First, you must have a JKPL library card.  Second, due to the contract the consortia has with the eBook provider, access to NEIBORS is limited to any patron who lives within the Dyersville city limits, lives in one of the cities that contract with the library for service, or anyone who has paid for a membership with the library.  If you live in Delaware or Dubuque County you can still borrow eBooks from the library but you must borrow them through the library considered to be your “home” library.  This would be the library in Manchester if you live in Delaware County and the Dubuque County library system if you live in Dubuque County.

To get started borrowing eBooks, just go to www.neibors.lib.overdrive.com or follow the link from the library’s website on the Reading & Writing tab at www.dyersville.lib.ia.us.  Depending on your device, the books are either downloaded to your device directly using a wireless internet connection or are downloaded to a computer using the Internet and the free software Adobe Digital Editions.  Once downloaded to your computer, the book can be read there or transferred to an eBook reader or other compatible device. You are allowed to check out three books at a time and at the end of 14 days, the books will expire from the computer and be automatically returned to the digital collection.  Books can also be returned early so you can check out more. Books can also be placed on hold and you will receive an email letting you know when a title is available for you to download.

To help you get more information about how to borrow eBooks on your device the library has scheduled classes in January.  If you have an iPad or a tablet similar to the iPad, join us on Saturday, January 5 at 1:00pm.  If you have a Kindle, join us on Saturday, January 12 at 11:00am.  If you have a Nook, join us on Saturday, January 19 at 11:00am.  Registration is requested for each class. While the staff at the library is not yet experts on all the eReader devices we are more than happy to try to answer your questions and help you get books to read.  Please feel free to call the library or bring your device and stop in and someone will be able to help you.  Happy reading!