Help - Android Products
On the HCPL Digital Media Catalog, the only eBook formats that will work on the Android devices are the "EPUB" and "Kindle" formats. The PDF format will not work on the Android Device. If you would like to learn how to read our eBooks on your Android device, please see the support topic called "Downloading library books to your Android device using the Overdrive app."
If you wish to listen to eAudio on the Android Device, the only compatible format is the MP3 eAudio. The WMA format will not work on the Android device. If you would like to learn how to listen to eAudio titles on your Android device, please see the support topic called "Downloading eAudio books to your Android device."
A PDF document of these instructions with images is also available.
The first thing that you will need to do is download the Overdrive App from your devices app store. There is no charge for the app. Using the Overdrive App, you can download EPUB eBooks and MP3 eAudio. No other format is compatible with the Overdrive App.
When the app is finished downloading, you will need to open the app. The first time you open the app, you should see an audiobook called “Welcome to Overdrive Media Console.”
In order to read eBooks in the Overdrive app, you will need to register for an Adobe ID. You can create an Adobe ID by going here. If you are only using the app for eAudio, you do not need an Adobe ID.
To enter your Adobe ID, click the menu button of your device. In the menu that pops up, select “App Settings.”
In the app settings screen, you will need to scroll down the screen a little by moving your finger up the screen. You will see an area to enter an Adobe ID and Password. You will need to enter the Adobe ID in order to read eBooks in the Overdrive App.
To start downloading eBooks or eAudio, click the menu button of your device. In the menu that pops up, select “Get Books.”
You will now need to select a library to download eBooks from. Select “Add a Library.”
You can type in your zip code or you can browse for your local branch name or for “Harris County Public Library”. You will need to choose a HCPL branch to access our catalog.
If you click on the star next to the library name you selected, the app will remember your library selection in the future.
Once you have selected a library, you will be taken to our digital catalog.
While browsing the catalog on your mobile device, please be aware that you will only be shown the compatible titles for your device. You will not see the titles that cannot be downloaded to your device.
Next you will need to search the catalog to find and check out a title.
To download a title that you have just checked out, select the “Download” button. To access any title you have previously checked out, click on the link for “My Digital Account.” Then select “My eBookshelf.”
Once you select “download”, the app will open and the download will begin.
To read or listen to the title, select it from the app menu and it should open. While reading the title, you can press the devices menu button to bring up a menu from the bottom of the screen. Select “Reader Settings” to bring up some settings that may enhance your reading experience.
Here you can change the font, color, font size etc.
To return the title early or to delete it from the device, you can either click the menu button while reading the title and press “delete” from the options, or from your bookshelf in the app, press and hold with your finger on the title you wish to delete and then select “Delete” from the options.
After selecting “Delete,” you can make your selection from the next screen to either “Delete” the title or “Return and Delete” the title.
A PDF document of these instructions with images is also available.
To return the title early or to delete it from the device, you can either click the menu button while reading the title and press “delete” from the options, or from your bookshelf in the app, press and hold with your finger on the title you wish to delete and then select “Delete” from the options.
After selecting “Delete,” you can make your selection from the next screen to either “Delete” the title or “Return and Delete” the title.
“Return and Delete” will return the title and delete it from the device, while “delete” will only delete the title from the device, but it will not remove it from your card.
Photo Credit: Reading by Adactio. By courtesy of the artist via Flickr Creative Commons.
For additional help, please go to the following website: Overdrive Help
A PDF document of these instructions with images is also available.
The Overdrive Read format allows you to read an eBook in the browser of your portable device without needing any extra software or Adobe IDs. For the Kindle Fire, you will also not be directed to finish the checkout through Amazon. Please note that the Overdrive Read format works on most Apple products (iPod, iPad, iPhone) and Android devices (Android phones, tablets, Kindle Fire etc), as well as portable devices based on Windows (Windows phones and tablets). It is not compatible with standard dedicated eReaders such as the basic Nook and basic Kindle models.
In order to use this format, please follow these instructions.
1. Go to the HCPL Digital Media Catalog located at http://hcpl.lib.overdrive.com.
2. Either find a title that is checked in or check out an eBook you have on hold.
When searching for titles, you can limit your results to the Overdrive Read format by selecting “Overdrive Read” under the “Format” heading on the left hand side of the screen.
The available format information can also be found on the right hand side of the title display screen. You can access this by clicking on the book jacket.
3. Once you find a title to check out, go to the title detail screen to check it out. To do so, either click on the book jacket or the icon of the book in the upper right corner of the book jacket.
4. Click on the green button that says “Borrow” to continue to check the title out.
5. If you are not currently signed in, you will be asked to sign in with your library card at this time.
6. The next screen will briefly show that the title was added to your Bookshelf and how many checkouts you have remaining for your account. To access your Bookshelf, click on the green “Go to Bookshelf” button.
7. To start reading the title in your browser, select the green option that says “Read (In your browser).”
8. A new tab will open on your device and show the title downloading. Once the eBook has finished downloading you will be able to read it offline as well as when you are connected to the internet. The left hand side of the screen contains basic information on how to read the eBook in the browser.
9. To advance the eBook to the next page, swipe your finger toward the left. To go back a page, swipe your finger to the right.
10. If you swipe your finger up from the bottom of the screen, a slider bar will appear that allows you to quickly advance through the eBook.
11. If you swipe your finger down from the top of the screen, a menu will appear.
This menu contains the table of contents. It also lists any parts of the eBook you bookmarked. The Book mark icon is located in the upper left of the eBook.
12. The menu also contains 4 other icons located toward the upper right.
The first icon brings up the Table of contents. The second icon brings up the bookmarks. The third icon is the magnifying glass and it lets you search the eBook. The fourth icon will allow you to resize the font as well as change the font to something else. You can also change the background color from the fourth icon.
13. If you want to return the Overdrive Read format early, go to your bookshelf on the HCPL Digital Media Catalog and select “Return Title” below the green Overdrive Read button. If you choose a format such as EPUB or Kindle, you will not be able to return the title from the Bookshelf and the Overdrive Read format will no longer be available.
