Unlimited Access E-Books Available to Everyone in Illinois at No Cost
Through a service provided by RAILS, every library in Illinois has access to free, simultaneous use e-books via the BiblioBoard Library. The BiblioBoard Library has a robust collection of educational materials, independently published e-books, classics, primary source materials, and so much more. This event is hosted by the Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Project (STBF) and BiblioBoard’s Indie Author Project. Join Sarah Hawkins, of Minnesota's MN Writes MN Reads, and Denise Raleigh, of STBF, for this great discussion. Head to illinois.biblioboard.com to access these materials. If you see a login screen, click on the “BiblioBoard Library of Illinois” button. It looks like the image to the right. There is no need to sign up to access BiblioBoard Library! Just add the link to your website to provide your users with access to these resources. There is no additional cost for the library. If you are looking for something to read and don't have a library card then BiblioBoard is for you! Or if you have a library card, but are just looking for one econtent. All items on BiblioBoard are available with no holds, no waits, and no library card required. See more about RAILS’ partnership with BiblioLabs and all our digital offerings. Unlimited Access E-Books Available to Everyone in Illinois at No Cost Q: Did you know? A: Every library in Illinois has access to free, simultaneous use e-books via the BiblioBoard Library. Q: What content is available on BiblioBoard? A: The BiblioBoard Library has a robust collection of educational materials, independently published e-books, classics, primary source materials, and so much more. Q: How do users access these materials? A: Just click on this link: https://library.biblioboard.com/welcome. If you see a login screen, click on the “BiblioBoard Library of Illinois” button. It looks like the image to the right. The Great Gatsby Now Available via the BiblioBoard Library RAILS added The Great Gatsby to the Recovering the Classics collection, available via the BiblioBoard Library. There are over 150 recovered classic books available in the BiblioBoard Library. We recently expanded this collection to include titles like Oliver Twist, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The House of Seven Gables, and more. The Recovering the Classics titles are available to everyone in Illinois, with no library card or login required, courtesy of RAILS. illinois.biblioboard.com The BiblioBoard Library is a Great Place to Discover Short Stories December 21 is Short Story Day! Check out the BiblioBoard Library for a robust collection of short stories, including the Break out the Shorts curation, as well as the Plympton module for even more shorts. 500 Simultaneous Use Titles Now Available via eRead Illinois Axis 360 RAILS recently added 500 simultaneous use e-books to the eRead Illinois Axis 360 shared collection. The Indie Author Project Select collection represents the best of the best independently published e-books. Vetted by Library Journal, these titles include recent Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Project winner The Bone Shroud. MORE EBOOKS ON THE WAY FOR K-12 RAILS (the library system that we are under) has received a grant of $125,000 for e-books through the Illinois Office of the Secretary of State. In early August, we were notified by the Illinois State Library that a portion of the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act) grant funds for Illinois libraries would go directly to library systems for the purchase of e-books. RAILS will purchase e-books and audiobooks for K-12 users for the eRead Illinois shared collection. We will add both recreational and educational materials to supplement the high-demand titles that are the focus of the collection. The COVID-19 pandemic has sharply increased demand for e-books at RAILS libraries and this demand continues to grow. At area schools, new remote and hybrid learning models have created an urgent need for reading materials that can be accessed remotely. Over 50 schools have joined eRead Illinois since mid-April 2020. Public libraries also face the challenge of providing educational and recreational e-resources for students, as they are not able to access materials in the library in many cases and are spending a lot more time at home. This grant will enable RAILS to meet these very important needs for both library types. Overdrive Changes Beginning November 20, 2020, we will remove the OverDrive app from the Chrome Web Store. This will prevent future downloads of the application. We will also update relevant help materials to direct users on devices running ChromeOS to the Google Play Store. Users who have already downloaded the Chrome Web Store’s version of the OverDrive app can continue to use it, though OverDrive’s ability to troubleshoot and resolve any reported issues will be limited. Going forward, new users on ChromeOS devices can access the Google Play Store directly to download OverDrive apps, including Libby and Sora. In alignment with security best practices, and following suit with other technology industry leaders like Apple, Google, and Microsoft, OverDrive will end support for TLS 1.0 and 1.1 on October 30, 2020. After October 30, the OverDrive app and OverDrive websites will no longer work on devices that don't support TLS 1.2. This change is most likely to affect Android devices that cannot upgrade to at least Android version 5, including early Kindle Fires, early Samsung Galaxy tablets, and Kobo Arc devices (all of which were released in 2014 or earlier). Based on our analytics, usage of these devices has been declining and currently accounts for approximately 0.5-1% of users across all OverDrive libraries. Most devices that don't support TLS 1.2 are also no longer supported by their manufacturers, cannot access other modern apps and websites, and currently offer a substandard experience with many apps and websites, including your OverDrive service. To keep using the OverDrive app and OverDrive websites, affected patrons will need to either update their device's operating system (if possible) to a version that supports TLS 1.2 or switch to a device that supports TLS 1.2. Users can also choose to only update their device's browser to a version that supports TLS 1.2, which will allow them to use OverDrive websites in their browser (though they won't be able to use the OverDrive app). Users of early Kindle Fires and other ereaders that don't support TLS 1.2 will still be able to read library ebooks that are delivered or transferred to their Kindle Fire or ereader from a supported device. Current Libby users on Android devices should not be affected, as Libby’s minimum system requirements were already raised to Android 5 in June 2020. User messaging Beginning September 1, 2020, the OverDrive app and OverDrive websites will display a message on devices currently using TLS 1.0 and 1.1 to alert affected users of the upcoming change. This message will link to a help article that explains the change and provides information about the system updates that will be needed to access your OverDrive digital library after October 30. We understand the inconvenience this may cause for you. This change is necessary to uphold our standards of security and patron privacy, and our commitment to delivering a quality experience to all OverDrive users. New Book Club Opportunity for eRead Illinois Axis 360 Member Libraries eRead Illinois Axis 360 member libraries, you have a new opportunity to join a digital book club program this summer. For the month of July, libraries can purchase simultaneous use access to The Last Flight by Julie Clark. eRead member libraries can opt in on an individual basis. More information and sign up. For more information on joining eRead Illinois Axis 360 and gaining access to a shared collection of over 46,000 popular e-books and audiobooks, visit ereadillinois.com. Ebook simultaneous use This New York Times bestseller published in January 2020 is based on the viral #meandwhitesupremacy Instagram challenge and provides a framework for readers to dismantle the privilege within themselves. Upcoming titles: So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijemoa Oluo Audiobook simultaneous use Ijeoma Oluo guides readers of all races through subjects ranging from intersectionality and affirmative action to “model minorities” in an attempt to make the seemingly impossible possible: honest conversations about race and racism, and how they exist in almost every aspect of American life. About Black Lives Matter: Community ReadThe titles included in Black Lives Matter: Community Read are provided at no cost to your library and you will be able to use these like any other OverDrive titles for curation or promotion in various reading rooms, featured lists, and other programs at your discretion. Be sure to also visit the Resource Center to get a marketing kit that you can use to promote these titles to your community. Library partners looking to add more Black Lives Matter and social justice-related titles to their digital collections can visit Marketplace, where our team has put together lists for you to shop from. These lists include age-appropriate titles for kids and young adults so you can help everyone in your community read, listen, learn and grow. Antiracism Bestsellers Available in the eRead Illinois Axis 360 Collection eRead Illinois members, your users have access to many titles on the current bestseller list via Axis 360. Find these titles and more in your eRead Illinois Axis 360 collection:
Libby updates 6/1/20 We’re delighted to announce that Libby is now available in the following languages: • Spanish • Simplified Chinese • Traditional Chinese • French • German • Russian • Italian • Japanese • Swedish Notes about additional languages: If your device is set to one of the languages above, Libby will automatically display in that language. You may toggle Libby’s display by updating the language setting on their device.
With this release, we’ve also made improvements to Libby's reader and audio player in all languages, including more intuitive controls for playback speed and the sleep timer. Watch a brief tutorial here.
The much improved app makes it easy to manage your account, search the catalog, renew checkouts, and place holds. You can also scan the ISBN barcode on the back of a book to see if we have a copy, receive notifications for holds or fees, or search for nearby libraries. The RSAcat Mobile app also features improved accessibility for VoiceOver and larger text sizes. Brand new features include the ability to link multiple accounts and manage them from the app, so that a parent can link their children’s accounts. Patrons can now also pay fines or bills directly from the app. 4,000 Simultaneous Use E-Books Available via eRead Illinois Axis 360 eRead Illinois Axis 360 members, you now have access to 4,000 simultaneous use e-books. These e-books include a range of pre-K through grade 12 titles perfect for e-learning and classroom reading assignments. These e-books will be available in the eRead Illinois Axis 360 collection through June. For more information on joining eRead Illinois Axis 360 and gaining access to a shared collection of over 46,000 popular e-books and audiobooks, visit ereadillinois.com. Candid Discussion on Race and Writing with Ran Walker Learn from national award-winning author Ran Walker about speaking your mind through writing. Watch the discussion here. This event was hosted by the Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Project (STBF) and BiblioBoard’s Indie Author Project. Sarah Hawkins, of Minnesota's MN Writes MN Reads, and Denise Raleigh, of STBF, moderated this discussion. Racial Justice and EDI E-Books Available via RAILS Check out RAILS e-content resources for access to e-books about racial justice and equity, diversity, and inclusion. BiblioBoard:
The Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Project Is Now Accepting Submissions! Enter your independently-published work of adult fiction or young adult fiction into this year’s Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Project contest. Submissions must be written by an Illinois resident, and available as either an ePUB or PDF file. The contest will close on May 31. You can find last year’s winning books in the BiblioBoard Library.
New Popup Picks Have Arrived! Our rotating collection of hand-curated, frontlist e-books has been updated to include timely materials you can share with your patrons. This new collection includes a celebration of Pride Month, books and comics that follow this year’s summer reading theme, “A Universe of Stories,” and the winners of the statewide Indie Author Project competitions. There are no holds or waiting for items in this community collection, and titles can be read by multiple users at the same time via BiblioBoard. Developed through a partnership between RAILS and BiblioLabs, Popup Picks are available to everyone in Illinois free of charge and without the need of a login or library card. See more information on Popup Picks and all our BiblioBoard offerings. OverDrive Launches Big Library Read Early OverDrive has decided to kick off our Big Library Read Program a week early. Funny, You Don't Look Autistic is now live in ebook and audiobook format until April 13th. The title is available with unlimited access to all of our patrons. It’s a great way to bring the community together through reading and discussion. Get readers talking Check out this reader guide and discussion board designed to encourage conversation and help people get the most from Funny, You Don't Look Autistic. Readers also have a chance to win a Samsung Galaxy tablet when they use #biglibraryread on social media. Audible Offers Free eBooks For as long as schools are closed, we're open. Starting today, kids everywhere can instantly stream an incredible collection of stories, including titles across six different languages, that will help them continue dreaming, learning, and just being kids. All stories are free to stream on your desktop, laptop, phone or tablet. Explore the collection, select a title and start listening. It's that easy. https://stories.audible.com/start-listen?mi_cmp=98ba55cbab885926&mi_ecmp=486885180&mi_sc=t&mi_u=amzn1.account.AGFV6G425MSKVW7B4LWGSZLBZJWA https://openlibrary.org/subjects/in_library#ebooks=true Name Change for LJ's SELF-e Select You may have noticed that the collection of Library Journal vetted, self-published e-books on BiblioBoard has a new name: Self-e Select is now Indie Author Project Select. There are new Indie Author Project Select titles available. Check out the latest and greatest independently published e-books on BiblioBoard, which includes Indie Author Project winner Ran Walker. Like everything in the BiblioBoard Library, these titles are available to everyone in Illinois through RAILS; no library card or login required. Self-published authors interested in submitting their work for inclusion in the Indie Autor Project Select collection can do so on the Indie Author Project web page. For more information on submitting your work to Indie Author Project Select, and other self-publishing tools available to everyone in Illinois, check out inkie.org. Read the Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Project’s First YA Winner on BiblioBoard You can now read the Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Project’s very first YA winner on BiblioBoard. Check out The Remedy Files: Illusion today! Like everything in the BiblioBoard Library, The Remedy Files: Illusion is made available at no cost to everyone in Illinois without the need for a login or a library card. There are no holds, no waiting, and content can be accessed by everyone in the family at the same time. See more about RAILS’ partnership with BiblioLabs and all our digital offerings. The Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Project is an annual contest to recognize excellence in self-publishing in Illinois. In 2019, a YA category was added. Visit the Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Project for more information. Read a Recovered Classic BiblioBoard is home to dozens of classic novels, including canonical works of American, British, and world literature. These e-books are available for simultaneous use and can be read at any time by anyone in Illinois via the BiblioBoard website or app. Better yet, each classic book in the Recovering the Classics collection has been given reimagined, contemporary cover art. As a RAILS member, you have access to these images to use for programs, promotion, or inspiration for classroom projects. Go to the RAILS website to download any of the Recovering the Classics covers. All items on BiblioBoard are available with no holds, no waits, and no library card required. See more about RAILS’ partnership with BiblioLabs and all our digital offerings. New Titles in eRead Illinois Collection eRead Illinois members, check out these buzzworthy new titles that have been added to the shared collection on Axis 360 in February:
Rebecca Caudill Titles Now in eRead Illinois Axis 360 Good news, everyone! The 2021 Rebecca Caudill books have been added to the collection as e-books and as audiobooks when available. While all the materials available via eRead Illinois Axis 360 are available to one user at a time, we try to maintain a low holds ratio so that your users spend less time waiting for popular e-books. Overdrive Changes- WHAT IS HOLD REDELIVERY? Hold redelivery will allow users to suspend a hold even after it’s made available to them while maintaining their place on the wait list. By enabling users to pass books they don’t have time to read on to the next person in line, hold redelivery will help our library connect more readers to the right book, at the right time.HOW WILL IT WORK? Libby notifications (coming soon) will alert you when your holds become available. We’ll also add a “Notifications” section to the OverDrive website and the OverDrive app. After receiving notification that a hold is available, you can:1) Borrow the title within three days. 2) Suspend the hold (redeliver it) and pass the book to the next person in line. After the suspension period (set by you), you will be able to borrow the book when the next copy is available. 3) Cancel the hold. If you take no action, your hold will automatically be suspended one time for seven days. If no action is taken a second time, the hold will be canceled automatically. New Axis 360 app released Last month Baker & Taylor released a new version of the Axis 360 app. This latest update represents a significant change to the design and usability of the app. Search and browse functions have been streamlined, the option to filter content is easier than ever, and the look and feel of the app has been given a complete refresh. Updates to the app are being released regularly. These updates will continue to improve on the reader, audiobook player, and overall functionality. Macmillan embargo begins On November 1, Macmillan Publishers began embargoing the sale of additional e-book copies to libraries for eight weeks after the publication date. For the eRead Illinois Axis 360 collection, we have decided to delay the purchase of our one allowed perpetual copy until seven weeks before its library release date. There are two Macmillan titles, The Rise of Magicks by Nora Roberts and In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado that were added to the collection before November 1 but published after the embargo took effect. Although they are in-demand titles patrons will wait longer to get them since we are not able to purchase additional copies for several more weeks. RAILS has put together a web page of resources to learn more about the issue. Best Books of 2019 Several best books of the year lists are out. Find these titles and more in your eRead Illinois Axis 360 collection: The eRead Illinois Axis 360 App Gets a Makeover eRead Illinois members, the Axis 360 app was recently updated. This new version represents a significant update to the look and usability of the app. The search and browse functions have been improved, the visual elements of the app have been refreshed, and the overall performance has been enhanced. Have you heard the news? @OverDriveLibs + @ALALibrary have teamed up to create #LTBookPick, a book club that also offers unlimited digital access to its picks! The first pick is @kassandra_m7's AFTER THE FLOOD. Get downloading at https://bit.ly/2ZWPMrh. Read and share the joy of reading in your community! OverDrive, one of the our library's ebook vendors, is promoting Everyone Reads. This literacy campaign takes the beautiful message that people from all walks of life read and recreates it for a digital age. At everyonereads.com you’ll find short video public service announcements (PSAs) from celebrities and authors explaining what reading means to them, as well as recommendations for books they love. New videos and book recommendations will be added frequently, discussing the joys of reading regardless of format. You’ll find celebrations of physical books, ebooks, and audiobooks, as well as book recommendations across all reading levels and genres. #eBooksforAll During a press conference yesterday, ALA launched a national campaign in response to recent efforts to limit library access to e-books. ALA debuted an online petition for members of the public and the library community to urge Macmillan Publishers CEO John Sargent to reverse the proposed embargo on e-books sold to libraries. ILA released a statement last month regarding the embargo on e-books and we join ALA in urging you to denounce Macmillian's embargo and take action by signing the online petition and posting on social media using the hashtag #ebooksforall. We have audio books available in a variety of formats. We have books on CD in the library to checkout or you may borrow one through Inter Library Loan. We subscribe to two E-book services the Alliance Digital Media Library commonly known as ADML is from the vendor, OverDrive and eRead Illinois which is from the vendor, Baker & Taylor. We are part of a consortium that allows our library patrons to checkout out materials with your library card and PIN. You may download E-Audio books and E-books onto a variety of devices. Please click on the RSA Catalog link below and the information about the Audiobooks/E-books is on the right side of the page. These are the options you will see on the home page of our RSA Catalog. BookMyne: Search using the RSAcat app from your mobile device. BookMyne allows you to search RSA Libraries, place items on hold, manage your account and more. Libby for ADML: The newest app from Overdrive to download eBooks and audiobooks from ADML directly to your mobile device. You need a valid library card and PIN from a participating RSA Public Library. OverDrive for ADML: Download eBooks and audiobooks from ADML directly to your mobile device. You need a valid library card and PIN from a participating RSA Public Library. Kindle ebook reader: Read ebooks borrowed from your library's ADML collection. Reads Kindle, and mobi formated files. You need a valid library card and PIN from a participating RSA Library. Axis 360 app for eRead Illinois (Baker & Taylor): Search your library's eRead Illinois collection and download eBooks and eAudiobooks. You need a valid library card and PIN from a participating RSA Library. For Libby users-PLEASE BE AWARE There is an issue in which an item shows as an ADML/Overdrive eAudiobook in RSACat, but when it’s held and checked out it’s only available in Overdrive and not Libby. Within the app it can’t be discovered in Libby at all, only Overdrive. This is the response from Overdrive: Libby can only show and access titles with an OverDrive Read/Listen format available. If a title does not have an OverDrive Listen format available it will not display in Libby. The title can still be accessed in the OverDrive app. Introducing inkie.org! We are thrilled to introduce inkie.org, a suite of self-publishing resources for authors, readers, and libraries. Through RAILS' partnership with BiblioBoard, inkie.org is available to everyone in Illinois free, without the need of a library card. Inkie.org has three main audiences – authors, readers, and libraries.
Amazon’s Self Publishing http://www.amazon.com/gp/seller-account/mm-summary-page.html?e=UTF8&ld=AZFooterSelfPublish&topic=200260520 Barnes & Noble’s Self Publishing https://press.barnesandnoble.com/ CrimeSpace: A place for Readers and Writers of Crime Fiction to Meet http://crimespace.ning.com/ Grammar Girl: Quick & Dirty Tips for Better Writing http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/ Merriam-Webster Dictionary http://www.merriam-webster.com/ National Novel Writing Month http://www.nanowrimo.org/ Writers Write: Your One-Stop Resource for Information about Books, Writing & Publishing http://www.writerswrite.com/ Writing.com http://www.writing.com/ |
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