Galion Public Library now offers electronic book and audiobook checkouts for your Kindle device through the Ohio Digital Library.
Getting Library Books for Kindle
  1. You will need:
    • your Kindle device
    • a computer with internet access
    • your library card
    • your Amazon.com account (the one your Kindle is registered under).
  2. Whenever you want an ebook, visit the Ohio Digital Library ebook website. Click the Sign In link in the header, choose Galion Public Library from the drop-down list of libraries, and enter your library card number to sign in.
  3. Find the ebooks you want. You can either browse through the collection (using the Browse links down the left side of the page) or search for whatever you like. Ebooks come in several different formats (EPUB, PDF, Kindle, etc), and audio materials are available in a couple of different formats as well (MP3 vs WMA), so be sure to choose a format that your device supports. All Kindle devices support the Kindle ebook format.
  4. Just like a regular library book, an ebook may be available right away, or there may be a waiting list. If you join a waiting list, you will receive email when the book becomes available for you.
  5. If a book is available right away, there will be an Add to cart link. Clicking the Add to cart link tells the site that you want to check out the book. If you like, you can add several books to your cart before you check out.
  6. Whenever you add a book to your cart, you can either continue browsing or proceed to checkout. When you click the proceed to checkout link, the site will ask you whether you prefer a 14-day or 7-day checkout. The book will automatically expire from your device after the set amount of time, so you don't have to worry about returning your books on time: it's automatic. The advantage of a 7-day checkout is that you will be able to check out more books sooner. (Due to high demand, there is a limit to how many books you can have out at once.) Select the lending period you prefer and click the Confirm Check Out button.
  7. Once you have checked out, there will be a Get for Kindle link. (If you come back later, you can find this link under your My Digital Bookshelf when you sign in.) Click the Get for Kindle link. This will take you to Amazon's listing for the book.
  8. Amazon's listing for the book should have a Get library book link. Click it, and follow Amazon's instructions. (If you are not already logged into the Amazon website, you will need to do so. Use the username and password for the Amazon account under which your Kindle is registered.) The book will now be associated with your Amazon account.
  9. The next time your Kindle device syncs with Amazon and checks for new books, it will find and retrieve your new library book. (One way to sync your Kindle device is to connect it to a wireless access point. If you do not have wireless at home, you can do this at the library.)
Returning Kindle Books Early
One of the nice things about ebooks is that they automatically return themselves after the loan period. However, it is also possible to return them early. Here's how:
  1. Go to www.amazon.com.
  2. Click on Your Account.
  3. Amazon will ask you to log in, if you haven't already. Use the email address and password for the Amazon account to which your Kindle device is registered.
  4. Scroll down the Your Account page to the section labeled Digital Content
  5. Under Digital Management, click the Manage Your Kindle link.
  6. Now you should see a list of all the ebooks that Amazon has associated with your account. To the right of each title is a button labeled Actions.
  7. Click on the Actions button, and you will see a list of possible actions. One of the actions you can perform is Return Book.
  8. After returning the book, use the Delete from library action to remove it from your Kindle.