I know it seems like there are holidays celebrating everything under the sun, but, to me, that means there’s always an excuse for a party and cake!

March 4-10 is National Read an E-Book Week, and the Indiana Digital Download Center has everything you’re looking for and more! What better way to celebrate than by holing yourself up in the comfort of your own home and plowing through as many e-books as you can throughout the week?

Sometimes you don’t want to leave the house; you don’t want to make yourself look presentable, put on real pants, and drive to the library. I get it. All of the staff at the Aurora Public Library District get it. It doesn’t offend us at all! But sometimes you need a book to read, and you need it now.

If you have a smartphone, computer, e-Reader, or tablet (like an iPad, or something like it), you can download the free app OverDrive right to your device. While you’re downloading apps to your device, you might as well find the free Kindle reading app, too; many books available through OverDrive and the Indiana Digital Download Center are formatted for the Kindle, so having the reading app makes it easier for you to download books to your device without you having to continually read in your browser, which eats up your data or can deter you from reading at all, if you don’t have WiFi.

Once your app is downloaded, you’ll be able to find us under the Aurora Public Library District. It is important that you select this option. Next, you’ll type in your library card number located on the back of your library card, and your pin number. Your pin number is a four-digit number that you would have set up when you applied for a library card. If you’re unsure as to what your pin number is, or if you believe you never set one up, just give us a call or stop in. We can’t see what you set your pin number from our screens, but we can reset it for you.

Then, you’re ready to browse! Browse the collection by what’s available now, search for specific titles, and even browse specific reading levels, like teen, children, and mature adult. When you’ve made a selection, just click to borrow the title or put it on hold. You can download the title as a PDF to your computer to transfer to your other devices, read from your Internet browser, or download the title directly to your device with the Kindle reading app or as an ePub with iBooks. In your settings, you can customize your lending period for 7, 14, or 21 days. The best part about that? After your lending period is up, the title automatically disappears, which means no late fees!

Despite the convenience offered to you with OverDrive, this process can be a little confusing. If you get stuck, please feel free to give the library a call and we can walk you through the process. Or stop in and bring your device and we’ll go through each step together. We would love to help you!

Happy Reading!