Browse the Calendar
Use the calendar below to navigate dates
Digital » eBooks
eBooks
eBooks are now here! Now you can borrow free library eBooks 24/7 through the South Island Downloadable Zone (powered by OverDrive). This is a very new collection that will grow over time, so please check the Downloadable Zone frequently as new titles are added on a regular basis. Remember to sign in as soon as you reach the Downloadable Zone to ensure you can see everything you are entitled to.
Project Gutenberg books now available
OverDrive Advantage
Invercargill City Libraries is now live with OverDrive Advantage. This means we have purchased titles exclusively available to Invercargill library members to go along with the shared titles already available to South Island consortium members.
We have added some Non Fiction, Young Adults, and Children’s eBooks as well as some more Adults’ Fiction. We have also added a few more MP3 eAudiobooks for your listening pleasure. More titles will be added to the collection over time, so make sure you check back regularly.
To ensure you can see everything you are entitled to, please make sure you sign in as soon as you visit the Downloadable Zone. Whenever you see the orange tick symbol, you will know that this is an Advantage title.
Project Gutenberg eBooks now available through OverDrive
Another enhancement to the South Island Downloadable Zone is the addition of a separate collection of
23 000 public domain eBooks which are always available, never expire, and do not count towards your five item limit on OverDrive. These Project Gutenberg titles include works by Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, the Brontës, Bram Stoker, Tolstoy, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and many, many more. There is also the occasional New Zealand title, such as The garden party and other stories and In a German pension by Katherine Mansfield, and Station life in New Zealand by Lady Barker.
To access these books through OverDrive, click on the image towards the bottom of the OverDrive page (as pictured above). Instructions for downloading these titles can then be found at the top of the next page. You do not need to be signed in to access these titles, and they are multi-user, meaning they are always available for you to download. They do not expire from your account, so are yours to keep. Explore some classics today and find your old favourites or discover some new ones.
Please note, as this is separate collection of eBooks, they will not appear in your usual OverDrive search results. You must click on the “Additional eBooks” image to search that collection only.
So, have fun exploring the world of eBooks and eAudiobooks that OverDrive offers, and feel free to contact us with any questions about the service that you cannot find an answer to on the website, and we will do our best to help.
What you need
- A valid Invercargill City Libraries card
- A computer with internet access (preferably broadband)
- Free software available from our OverDrive website: Adobe Digital Editions
- An eReader (e.g. Kobo, Sony Reader), or a mobile device (e.g. iPad, iPhone, Android device) to read your eBook on (see Compatible devices)
Loan period
You can choose seven, 14, or 21 days. Titles automatically expire when the due date is reached, or eBooks can be "returned" early if you finish before the due date.
Holds
You can place a hold on any title that is currently out to someone else and you will be notified by email when it is ready for you to download. You will then have three days to download the title.
Number of items
You can borrow up to five items at a time (this includes eBooks and eAudio), and have holds on a further five items. These do not count against your usual 50 physical item limit at the Library. Project Gutenberg books (see above) do not count towards the five item limit.
Cost
OverDrive is free to users with a valid Invercargill City Libraries card. Items are free to download, and place holds on. Best of all, you will never be charged any overdue fees for OverDrive items as they are automatically "returned" when the due date is reached.
Compatible devices
OverDrive eBooks work with most eReaders and mobile devices, with the notable exception of the Amazon Kindle. At present, Kindle is not compatible with any of the services we offer through the South Island Downloadable Zone (powered by OverDrive). OverDrive users in the United States can now use their Kindles to access OverDrive eBooks, but unfortunately this has not yet been extended to users outside the US. We hope that this will change in time, and we will let you know as soon as it does, so watch this space! The OverDrive site includes a page dedicated to compatible and incompatible devices, so please check it out for full details.
