How can I access the Library's free ebooks and online audiobooks? 

A St. Lucie County Library card is required. If you don't have a card, please call any of our branches during open hours and our staff will be happy to create a new account for you. Please have your contact information handy when you call, along with a pen and paper you can use to write down your account number if you’d like to use it immediately to check out ebooks. Your new card will be mailed to you.

The Library's free ebooks and online audiobooks can be enjoyed on a phone, tablet, computer or e-reader. We have two sources for online books, Overdrive and CloudLibrary. To see how they differ please see the answer to the next question below. If you need help getting started please call any of the branch libraries listed below and staff will be happy to assist.

Overdrive has information on how to access their content on specific devices here.  For CloudLibrary, get the Android app here, the Apple app here. CloudLibrary has online help videos here. 

Overdrive is where you'll find the most recent, most popular ebooks, including all of our books for Kindle readers (a Kindle Fire can access ebooks and audiobooks from both places). However, there are also plenty of ebooks in CloudLibrary, actually more than in Overdrive, but generally not recent best-sellers. If you're looking for older titles from your favorite author they'll most likely be found in CloudLibrary.

Most audiobooks are in CloudLibrary, including recent best-sellers, though at this time we plan to keep a small collection of audiobooks in Overdrive.

In Overdrive we have access only to content we've purchased. In CloudLibrary, in addition to content we've purchased, we have access to ebooks and audiobooks owned by other libraries in the state, as long as they're not currently checked out by users from the owning library. Because priority is given to the owning library, when an item is checked out by someone from the owning library you won't be able to find it in a search. That's why some titles will seem to disappear from time to time.

The limits in CloudLibrary and Overdrive are the same: 14-day checkout, 6 checkouts at one time and 6 holds. Please note, if you want to be notified by email when a CloudLibrary hold becomes available, you will need to go into your CloudLibrary settings and turn on email notifications. After you log in on a computer click on "Settings," and on the app click on "Account," then "Notifications." You'll need to turn that setting on and enter your email address. When a hold becomes available in CloudLibrary you'll have 3 days to check it out. If you haven't checked it out after 3 days the item becomes available to the next person.

A book I checked out once in CloudLibrary isn't there anymore. Why did it disappear?
We have access to items owned by other libraries only when they're not checked out. When someone else has one of those items checked out it becomes unavailable to us, and you won't find it in a search. If you do a search for it periodically it should show up again eventually. The items we've purchased will always show up in a search, and if they're checked out you'll be able to put a hold on them. 

Why do I have to wait so long for some books?
We routinely purchase one copy per six holds of the most popular titles, but some publishers are beginning to limit the number of copies we can purchase. For instance, Macmillan allows us to purchase only one copy of their best-sellers for the first eight weeks they're available. If you believe there's a problem with a hold please contact us and we'll be happy to check on it. 

Can I use CloudLibrary books on a Kindle?
Kindle Fire yes, Kindle Reader no. You can find instructions for installing the CloudLibrary app on a Kindle Fire by clicking here. Ebooks for a Kindle reader are available in Overdrive. We do not have audiobooks for a Kindle Reader, which only allows audiobooks from Audible.com. 
Can I listen to Overdrive (Libby) or CloudLibrary audiobooks on my MP3 player?
Only if your MP3 player can connect to the internet and install the Libby or CloudLibrary app on it. With Overdrive's switch to the Libby app they have discontinued the use of MP3 files that can be transferred to an MP3 player, due to licensing issues with publishers who objected to making their audiobooks available in a format that can be shared with anyone on the internet. Currently both vendors require use of their app to listen to their audiobooks. 

You can listen to audiobooks from either source on your phone when it's not connected to the internet, or any device that uses a recent Apple (iOS) or Android operating system and lets you install apps on it, like an iPod Touch or an MP3 player like this one. You can also use an Android phone that's no longer on a phone plan. Even if it's not on a phone plan an Android phone with a recent operating system can use a wifi connection to download the Libby or CloudLibrary app and audiobooks, and it will play audiobooks when it's not connected to wifi. There are detailed instructions on how to use an old phone for this purpose here. You will need to make sure your device meets the current specifications for the Libby or CloudLibrary app. Current specifications for Libby are available here. The CloudLibrary app currently requires Android 5.0 or later, or iOS 11.4 or later.