"Returning" Library EBooks

[Kycha]

When you borrow ebooks from the library do you "return" them when you are done reading them? Or do you just let the book expire at the end of your lending period?

 

[NotUrsula]

You let them expire. You may delete them early from your device via the OverDrive manager software if you want to reduce the clutter on your device screen, but doing so before the expiration date will not remove them from your library account, so it won't re-set your title count until the expiration date.

 

[momof1princess]

i always return them as soon as i'm finished reading them. don't want to make the next person wait longer than necessary.

 

[Kycha]

You let them expire. You may delete them early from your device via the OverDrive manager software if you want to reduce the clutter on your device screen, but doing so before the expiration date will not remove them from your library account, so it won't re-set your title count until the expiration date.

Well, that is not true. I just "returned" a book(Adobe EPUB) early. My library's lending period is 21 days. I finished the book in 5. And once I returned it my total # of books checked out went from 9 to 8. The following is directly from Overdrives help section.

Can I return items early? Due to publisher licensing agreements, OverDrive formats cannot be returned early. They are automatically returned at the end of the lending period.
Due to publisher licensing agreements, Mobipocket titles cannot be returned early. They are automatically returned at the end of the lending period.
Adobe® eBooks may be returned early using Adobe Digital Editions. Follow these steps to return an Adobe eBook early …

1. Open Adobe Digital Editions.
2. Select the 'Library View' icon (in the upper left corner).
   The Adobe Digital Editions library is displayed.
3. Under the 'Bookshelves' heading, select 'Borrowed'.
4. Select the eBook you want to return.
5. Click the 'Item Options' arrow (in the upper left corner of the selected eBook).
6. Select 'Return Borrowed Item'.
7. Click 'Return' to confirm that you want to return the title.
   The eBook is returned.

 

[momof1princess]

same with my library. they use overdrive too. once i return the book, it's no longer listed among my "books checked out".

 

[NotUrsula]

Well, yes, but that is Adobe PDF, which is a much less common format for popular materials lending at most public libraries. Overdrive is the most common system by far, so I made the mistake of assuming that you meant the usual case, which is normally OverDrive, which as you can see, cannot be returned early.

FTR, if we are speaking of OverDrive or Mobipocket, deleting the title early does not free it up immediately for another patron to take.

"Returning" early does work for Adobe Digital Editions pdf format books, but again, those are not in nearly so many libraries. (The business model for them is a very cumbersome one to deal with from the library POV.)

 

[Kycha]

Well, yes, but that is Adobe PDF, which is a much less common format for popular materials lending at most public libraries. Overdrive is the most common system by far, so I made the mistake of assuming that you meant the usual case, which is normally OverDrive, which as you can see, cannot be returned early.

FTR, if we are speaking of OverDrive or Mobipocket, deleting the title early does not free it up immediately for another patron to take.

"Returning" early does work for Adobe Digital Editions pdf format books, but again, those are not in nearly so many libraries. (The business model for them is a very cumbersome one to deal with from the library POV.)

My library uses the Overdrive system and all the ebooks are either in Adobe EPub or PDF format. I don't know what other libraries use or what is the most common format libraries use. It doesn't matter to me anyway. My question was not if you could return the ebooks early. What I wanted to know was if people do return early.

 

[RitaE]

Originally Posted by NotUrsula View Post
Well, yes, but that is Adobe PDF, which is a much less common format for popular materials lending at most public libraries. Overdrive is the most common system by far, so I made the mistake of assuming that you meant the usual case, which is normally OverDrive, which as you can see, cannot be returned early.

FTR, if we are speaking of OverDrive or Mobipocket, deleting the title early does not free it up immediately for another patron to take.

"Returning" early does work for Adobe Digital Editions pdf format books, but again, those are not in nearly so many libraries. (The business model for them is a very cumbersome one to deal with from the library POV.)

"Overdrive" is a distribution company that sells the eBooks to the libraries - also audiobooks. Adobe DRM'd ePub/PDF are file types. Overdrive checks the books out to the library user, but Adobe DRMs the files and restrict them to account holder for the check-out period. Most Public Libraries in the US now are utilizing Adobe Digital Editions ePub files for check-out.

For DRM'd epub/PDF files it utilizes Adobe Digital Systems DRM.

If you go into Adobe Digital Systems on the computer and select the book in the library, there is an option to return the eBook early.

I don't know of any way to return a Mobipocket eBook early. Those you just have to let expire as far as I know.

 

[Imzadi]

My library uses BOTH Overdrive and Adobe Digital Editions.
Audiobooks that are downloaded to the Overdrive Media system cannot be returned early. But, people can choose a certain amount of days to download them for.

PDF eBooks can be can be returned early following the directions in red that Kycha gave above.

Most of the eBooks I check out have long waiting lists. I like to be considerate of the other people waiting and return eBooks as soon as I am finished.

 

[RitaE]

As for the question, yes I return as quick as I can. Wait Lists are getting horrific. I was looking at on the other day and there were 67 people on the Wait List and the Library owned 2 copies.

 

[Kycha]

As for the question, yes I return as quick as I can. Wait Lists are getting horrific. I was looking at on the other day and there were 67 people on the Wait List and the Library owned 2 copies.

Holy cow! What book are they waiting for? I thought my being #9 on a wait list was bad.

 

[Darcy03231]

I return them. As soon I return them the next customer can check them out and it frees me up for more books right away. Since my library only allows 3 ebooks at a time I like to make sure I get them back ASAP.