OverDrive is a database which includes a large digital collection of e-books, audiobooks, magazines, videos and music. Thanks to our partnership with the Harris County Public Library System, Lone Star College students and employees can access this collection with a current library barcode number!
Update: There's now an app called Libby. It accesses the same collections and uses the same accounts, but has an updated interface. (Plus some nice features to help you manage your holds, instead of getting everything at the same time so you don't have time to read it all!)
| Users: | Unlimited to browse, but individual book availability depends on the number of copies checked out. |
| Contains: | Current popular titles in fiction and non-fiction (books and audiobooks); magazines |
| Best for: | Leisure reading |
| Download: | Check out periods for 7 and 14 days, depending on the title. |
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In order to access OverDrive Ebooks, you will need:
Additionally, you will need special software to view downloaded books. See the tab for your device to find out more.
OverDrive is available to us through our partnership with Harris County Public Library. You can link to OverDrive from our research databases tab and selecting "eHCPL". Alternately, you can go to the Harris County Public Library page and click on the "eBooks" blue icon.
In order to download OverDrive eBooks to read offline on your PC or Mac, you'll need to download Adobe Digital Editions. This free software will allow you to read ACSM (Adobe Content Server Manager) files on your desktop.
You will need to authorize Adobe Digital Editions on your computer. If you wish to use your OverDrive eBook across multiple viewing platforms, for instance on your computer and on your iPad, you will need to use an Adobe ID for this authorization. Adobe IDs are free and easy to set up. Use an email address you will remember and have access to, as this will also be your Adobe ID. Once you have authorized your devices using your Adobe ID, your checkouts and bookmarks will remain across devices. You may also authorize your computer without an Abobe ID; simply choose to authorize without a vendor ID and continue reading.
Download the OverDrive Media Console app to your device.
Or try Libby, which is the same collection but a newer interface!
OverDrive allows you to download a title to your Kindle from the PC/Mac platform and also from the mobile OverDrive app.
You must have registered your eReader device with Amazon.com. One you log in to your account, Amazon.com will prompt you to select the device to which you want to send the eBook. You will then be able to read the title on your eReader for the specified check-out period.
Search or browse to find a book you like that's available to borrow. (If it's currently checked out, you can place a hold to get in line to borrow it as soon as it's checked back in.)
Check the book out, and then you'll have the option to either read in the app or download. Most books are available in both epub and Amazon formats.
1. Once you've downloaded the app (or on the site), cick "Sign Up" to create your account.
2. You can choose to sign up with your library card, log in with Facebook, or enter information manually. (Even if you don't choose the library card option here, you will still have to provide it later.)
3. Search for the Harris County Public Library by name.
4. Enter your library barcode number (Lone Star's barcodes will start with 23136......).
Lone Star College-University Park • Student Learning Resource Center
20515 SH 249 • Building 12, 8th Floor • Houston, TX 77070
This work by Lone Star College-University Park Library is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 