Downloading a Kindle eBook from the Alcona County Library The instructions below will walk you through the process of downloading a Kindle ebook to a Kindle ereader using the Alcona County Library’s website. Recent versions of the Amazon Kindle have a Web browser that will allow you to accomplish the whole process directly on the Kindle; however, it is sometimes easier to start the process on a computer – the screen is much larger, allowing you to see more ebooks at a time during your search, and a regular keyboard is easier to use for most people. In this document we will concentrate on using a computer rather than the Kindle itself to download an ebook to the Kindle, although the process is the same. You will need to have Internet access to find the ebook(s) you want to download. If you have a Windows computer, it is highly recommended that you use either Firefox or Google Chrome for this process, as some versions of Internet Explorer appear to be incompatible with the Overdrive digital download website. You will need a wi-fi connection to actually download the ebook to the Kindle, or else you will need the USB cable that came with your Kindle. You cannot download an ebook from the Library over a cellular signal. 1. First, open the Web browser on your computer to the Alcona County Library’s website, http://library.alcona.lib.mi.us. 2. Click the Digital Media tab at the top right of the Library home page. This will bring you to the Up North Digital Collection’s web page. This collection of ebooks, audiobooks, etc. is provided free to library patrons by a consortium of Northern Michigan libraries through Overdrive.com. 3. You will see a screen like this. Click the Account icon.

4. On the sign-in screen, click next to [select library] to show the list of libraries, then select Alcona County Library from the list.

5. In the Library card number blank, type your Alcona County Library number with the “ALCO” part in all capital letters, followed by your 5-digit number. For example, if your card number were “575”, you would type ALCO00575. Then click the Sign In button. NOTE: If you are on your own computer (not a public computer) and you are the only one in your household whose library card will be used to download ebooks, you can choose to Remember your login information on your computer. This should eliminate your having to select the library and type in your card number each time you borrow a title -- you’ll just need to click the Sign In button.

6. You are now ready to search for an ebook title. The most efficient way to search is to click the Advanced Search link, found just underneath the white Search blank on the right side of the screen. If you use the “regular” search option, there are more steps to follow ifyou don’t initially get the results you wanted. There is no need to click the Add a Title icon.

7. On the Advanced Search screen, click next to All Formats and then select Kindle Book. (You can also specify search terms such as Title, Author/Creator, Subject, etc. on this screen.) Do NOT press Enter or click Search yet.

8. Next, scroll down to the bottom of the page, check the Show only titles with copies available box and then click Search (or press Enter.)

NOTE: When choosing a book, If a title is not available, the tiny book icon at the top right of the book jacket image will be gray instead of black. While you can place a HOLD on a “grayed-out” book, you cannot borrow it immediately. If you have chosen to view only those titles with copies available in step 8, the book icons should all be black (unless someone has borrowed a title during the brief time you are searching).

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9. Once you find a book you want to borrow, “mouse over” the book jacket image. (move the mouse until it is over the icon for the ebook you want, but do not click the mouse.) A small window will appear; click Borrow.

10. The selected ebook will appear on your Bookshelf. Click Download, then select the Kindle Book format (this step is necessary even though you already specified the Kindle book format) and then click the Confirm & Download link.

11. You will be taken to the Amazon website. Click Get library book. NOTE: If you are not already signed into Amazon, the website may ask you to sign in now. DON’T DO IT until after you have clicked Get library book. Otherwise, you’ll lose any mention of the book you are trying to borrow and you’ll have to start over. 12. Now you will be brought to Amazon’s Sign In screen. Type in the same email address and password you used to register your Kindle, then click Sign in using our secure server.

13. Your Kindle’s name should appear in the Deliver to: field. If you have more than one Kindle, use the drop-down arrow and make sure the correct Kindle is selected, then click Continue.

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14. After clicking Continue, you will see a Thank you screen. If your Kindle is already connected to a wireless network, you’re done with the borrowing process. NOTE: As tempting as it may be, DO NOT click the Download now bar. This bar is only used if you are getting the ebook using a USB cable, not if you got it wirelessly. 15. If you have not already done so, enable wi-fi (wireless Internet) on your Kindle. If you don’t have a wireless connection available, you should be able to use your USB cable to download the ebook (see Appendix 1). Remember, you cannot download an ebook over a cell phone signal. 16. After connecting your Kindle to wi-fi, your ebook should appear on your Kindle within a few seconds. If it doesn’t appear after about 30-60 seconds, you may have to “sync” your Kindle. The syncing option is usually found in Settings, but it is located in different places on different Kindles. If your Kindle has tabs for “Cloud” and “Device,” you may have to select the Cloud tab and then select your ebook to have it download to the Device (your Kindle) itself.

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Appendix 1: Downloading a Kindle eBook Using a USB Cable If you have Internet access at home but do not have wi-fi, or if a Kindle eBook that you wish to borrow is only available for download with a USB cable (some publishers require this), you can use an Internetconnected computer and the USB cable that came with your Kindle to complete the download. If a publisher requires USB download, you will see a small notice like this when you attempt to borrow a book. After you have followed steps 1-13 above, if you then see this notice, follow these steps: 1. Plug your Kindle’s USB cable into both your computer and your Kindle. Wait until your computer recognizes that the cable is plugged in. (If you see a dialog box asking if you want to perform some automatic function, just cancel it.) 2. Click Borrow. 3. If you haven’t already done so, log in to your Library account as shown in steps 3-5 above. 4. On your Bookshelf, click Download (select one format). 5. Check Kindle Book and then click Confirm & Download.

6. You will be taken to the Amazon website. Log in to Amazon if you haven’t already done so (see step 12 above). 7. You will see the Get Your Digital Library Loan screen. Note that in the Deliver to: section under the Get library book bar, it says Transfer via Computer. If Transfer via Computer is not the option that appears, click the drop-down arrow and choose it. 8. Click Get library book. 9. You will see this screen. Make sure the correct Kindle is selected, then, click Continue.

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10. You will see a dialog box asking what you want to do with the file. Select Save File if it is not already selected, then click OK. This should automatically save your ebook to the default download location. NOTE: The “default download location” depends on how you have your Web browser set up. If your Web browser is set to ask where you want to download the file, navigate to the proper place (explained in step a. below) and save the file there. If the computer automatically puts the file in your Downloads folder, you will need to copy or move the file from there to the proper location (explained in b. below). a. If you are given a choice of where to save the file: i. Make sure your Kindle is plugged in to the USB port on your computer and to your Kindle (if you haven’t already). ii. You may see a screen like this. If you don’t, then double-click the Computer icon on your desktop to bring up the screen at right.

iii. On the drive list on the left side of the screen, single-click the drive your Kindle is on (usually E:).

iv. Within the Kindle drive, look for and double-click the documents folder. This is the documents folder within the Kindle drive, not the Documents folder at the top level of your computer. NOTE: In some versions of the Kindle, the documents folder will be at the level directly under the Kindle’s drive name (as shown here); in other versions of the Kindle, you will have to double-click a folder called Internal storage first, and then the Documents folder within that one. Again, be very careful that you are selecting the Kindle’s Documents folder (not your computer’s Documents folder). v. Click Save, then go on to Step 11 on the next page.

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b. If you are not given a choice of where to save the ebook file when you clicked OK to Save file in step 10 above, it will probably have been saved to your Downloads folder. In this case:

i. Find the file (it will end in .azw or .azw3). ii. Right-click the file and select Copy (safer than Cut in case something goes wrong). iii. Navigate to the Kindle’s documents folder as shown in steps 10.a.i through 10.a.iv above, then click Paste and go on to Step 11.

11. Eject your USB cable properly. To do this, a. If you have Windows XP, at the far right of your computer’s task bar, click the icon that allows you to “Safely Remove Hardware,” then click the appropriate drive name (E:, F:, or whatever drive your Kindle is on) to eject your Kindle. b. In Windows 7, click on the “Show Hidden Icons” arrow in the task bar, then click on the “Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media” icon and select the drive the Kindle is on to eject it. 12. Once the Kindle is ejected, you should see the eBook title on the Kindle’s Home screen.

July 2014

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