Electronic Resources
Through partnership with the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, the eiNetwork, and NetLibrary.com, we are proud to offer online eBooks and downloadable audiobooks to library patrons free of charge.
Getting Started with NetLibrary
To access any NetLibrary resources, you must register a NetLibrary account using your valid library card. To register, click here to enter your library card number, click "Submit", then click "Create A Free Account" on the NetLibrary home page.
eBooks
- About eBooks
- eBooks are electronic books which can be read at the library or on your home PC. There are more than 17,000 eBooks available through this service that you can access 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Accessing eBooks
- Log into NetLibrary with the account you created earlier. Once you have successfully logged in to NetLibrary, click "eBooks" in the right-hand menu. You can browse and search eBooks from this page. Click "View this eBook" and it will open in your browser window.
- System Requirements
- eBooks can be viewed on any computer with a recent web browser and Adobe Reader software installed. For full system requirements, please visit NetLibrary.
Downloadable Audiobooks
- About Downloadable Audiobooks
- Downloadable audiobooks are digital versions of the latest fiction and nonfiction bestsellers, book club favorites, and more. You can download these audiobooks and listen to them on a Windows PC or Windows Media-compatible audio player.
- System Requirements
- You must have a Windows PC running Windows 98 or later. You must also have Windows Media Player 9 or later installed.
- To listen to audiobooks on the go, you will need a Windows Media-compatible music player. Due to digital rights management, this service is not compatible with iPod or any non-Windows computer.
- Finding Downloadable Audiobooks
- Log in with the NetLibrary account you created earlier. Once you have successfully logged in to NetLibrary, click on 'eAudiobooks' in the right-hand menu to go to the list of audiobooks. From there you will be able to search or browse the audiobook catalog.
- Checking Out Audiobooks
- Audiobooks must be downloaded to your home computer. Due to security restrictions, the library computers cannot receive audiobook downloads.
- When viewing an item on the NetLibrary site, click "Download this Audiobook" to start the checkout process. You can choose from a CD-quality audiobook (this will be a very large file; recommended for patrons who are with broadband access) or a radio-quality audiobook (a smaller file, suitable for patrons on 56K modems). You must select the CD-quality audiobook if you want to use it on a portable media player.
- Choose "Open" or "Save". "Open" will open the audiobook directly in Windows Media Player; choose "Save" to save the audiobook in a folder of your choosing.
- If you have a compatible Plays-For-Sure audio player, you may then use Windows Media Player to transfer the file to your portable player. Refer to your media player's manual for more information.
- Returning and Renewing Audiobooks
- Audiobooks do not have to be returned. The license to the downloadable audiobook will expire after three weeks, but can be renewed once, for a total of six weeks. To renew an audiobook, log into your NetLibrary account, click "My Checked-Out Items", and then "Renew This Audiobook".
- Burning Audio CDs
- The digital rights management used by NetLibrary does not support audio CD burning.