Visit the Library From the Comfort of Your Couch

I grew up right next to the , so it was never much of hassle for me to pop over and pick up a book. Of course, back then the only thing I had on my to do list was homework, video games and "Hooper." (I've often wondered if that game—a mix of hide and seek and tag with the inexplicable addition of a stick—was played in any other neighborhood than ours.)

Now that my schedule is a bit less reasonable, I find it almost impossible to fit in such pleasantries on a regular basis. Now, I don't have to. The library is bringing the books to me.

The library has contracted with OverDrive, a digital media management company, to provide e- and audio books to library members. There are thousands of titles available in every category, including current best sellers, cookbooks, history, art, children's books, young adult novels and more.

According to the library's Head of Reference Services, Loretta Righter, the library adds 100 or so titles to the catalogue a month on average.

"And that's a mix," said Righter. "We try to select things for children and teens ... we do history and novels, we do travel—I just put in an order right now to pick up a bunch of photo and travel books. It's a real collection."

What's more, the titles are available in multiple formats for hundreds of digital reading devices from smart phones to tablets and most digital readers. Amazon's Kindle isn't currently compatible, but the company hopes to have a deal with Amazon by the end of the year.

I showed up at the library recently with my official Norristown Patch iPad 2 and asked for a lesson in downloading books. After a few minutes, I realized just how easy it was and felt silly for even asking.

If you're a bit of a technophobe, the folks at the library are more than willing to walk you through the process, but if you know your way around your device, this handy step-by-step guide should get you reading the latest George R.R. Martin in no time.

How To Download A Book

1. Make sure you've got your library card handy. You'll need it to sign into the library's website and into the OverDrive portal for the library.

2. Head to the library's website. If you don't use the Norristown branch too often or tend to frequent another branch, you'll be fine. All Montgomery County libraries are connected, and you should be able to follow these instructions from any site. Once there, find the "Download audiobooks e-books" link at the top of the page. This will take you to the library's OverDrive portal.

3. Find the "My Help!" link on the left hand side of the library's OverDrive page. This will walk you step-by-step through deciding what kind of book you want to download (audio or ebook) and which device you want it on.

4. You can read or listen to most books on your laptop or desktop, but if you want to go mobile with your smartphone or tablet, you'll want to download the OverDrive app for your device. The "My Help!" module will help you with that.

5. You'll have to sign into the library's OverDrive portal before you can start searching, but once you do, you'll have thousands of titles at your fingertips. Just select the title you'd like to download, and see if it's available.

6. If you find your title and it's not available, you'll be given an opportunity to "place a request." When the book is available, you'll get an email with a link to download the book.

7. Audio and ebooks can be "borrowed" for 14 days. After 14 days, the file will disappear from your device and be available for someone else. If you're a fast reader, you can "return" the book early or even set the default borrowing time for seven days.

This should put you well on your way to going literally digital, but if you have any questions or problems, call Righter at 610-278-5100, or email her at lrighter@mclinc.org.