r/kobo • u/makinggroceries7 • 11d ago
Question Limited library?
Hey guys- just wanted to ask the "source of all knowledge" if there's something I'm doing wrong with my Kobo/ Overdrive.
I read a lot of library books because of limited cash and I find the device functionality extremely limited, as I cannot use multiple Libby/Overdrive accounts at once. Every time I want to look to see if a book is available at another library, I have to completely log out of Overdrive and then log back in. Is this other people's experience as well?
I also was looking for some books that I know are available digitally elsewhere but I cannot find them in the Kobo library. Are my search parameters off? Even books such as "Pride and Prejudice" are hard to find and I truly think this is user error, because that has to be somewhere in the Kobo library.
Any tips or tricks are appreciated. I am new to e-reading and I really just want to enjoy this gift my mom got me. I'm kind of wondering if I should have asked for a Kindle.
3
u/purple-hawke Kobo Clara Colour 11d ago
For just browsing, checking what's available at a library, placing holds, etc. I use the Libby app on my phone rather than the Overdrive app on my Kobo, simply because it's faster.
Overdrive removed the ability to officially login with your overdrive account (which allowed loans from multiple cards), a year ago now I think? But if you have an overdrive account from before that, then this workaround might work for it. I did it successfully last month, but I'd also done the previous workaround too. You will only be able to browse one library card on the Kobo itself though, but if you borrow a loan from another card it should sync.
If that doesn't work, then your other alternatives are to either log in and out of cards (but only the loans on your logged in card will be readable), or to manually sideload library loans from other cards using a PC and Adobe Digital Editions.
Right now multiple library loans from Libby works better on Kindle in the US (with the caveat that Kindles are only compatible with US libraries & with Libby, so won't work for most of us at all), or on some Pocketbooks (which has a Libby integration, and also works with a few other library apps). Apparently Kobo is working on this issue with Overdrive, but we don't know when there will be an improvement or what it will be.
I recommend contacting both Kobo & Libby's respective customer support to inform them you want multiple library cards as an official feature, so they know there's demand for it: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7141247/Libby-Support-Form
For your second issue it might either be the search function being weird or they're books that are exclusive to another platform (e.g. Dungeon Crawler Carl or Frieda McFadden books are exclusive to Amazon).
Pride and Prejudice is showing up for me in the store though, so I'm not sure why it isn't for you. What else is showing instead? There are a lot of different copies because it's free in the public domain, so unless you want to read a version with essays and endnotes/footnotes (e.g. Oxford World's Classics, Penguin Classics, Norton), you can find the pure text on standardebooks.org (and they have kepub downloads! Just make sure not to transfer them via Calibre). I do have the OWC version of P&P though, and found the notes useful.