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Oakland Public Library E-Books

What are E-Books? The Oakland Public Library has purchased approximately 3,000 electronic books (E-books) from netLibrary, a commercial provider of online books in full-text. This E-book collection includes subjects such as computers, business, resume and careers, study guides and exams, travel, science projects and more. Cliff Notes are also available. The E-books are full-text, fully searchable, and are accessible from any Web browser. A netLibrary account is required if you wish to check-out any of the titles you find. You do not need an account simply to view an item.


How do I create an account? Anyone with an Oakland Public Library card can have an account. If you are creating your own account, you can include letters, numbers, spaces and standard punctuation. User names are not case-sensitive, but each user name in the netLibrary system must be unique. To open a netLibrary account, click here--in the upper right corner click on "Create a Free Account"


Do I need to be at the Library to create an account? You do not have to be inside the Library to create an account. Anyone with a valid Oakland Public Library card can create an account from outside the Library. Make sure that the Oakland Public Library logo is visible throughout the netLibrary registration process to ensure that your account will have access to OPL's collection of E-Books.


Are E-Books listed in the Library's catalog? E-Books are displayed in the catalog under the status of E-Book and On-Line Title. E-Books can be accessed through the library's catalog by clicking on the Web Address that will appear in the record for the title you selected. Choose either Browse or Checkout. If necessary, you may create an account after selecting checkout.


How long can I check out an E-book? You can check out an E-book for up to 24 hours. After 24 hours, the book automatically checks in. You may check out the book again, after the first 24 hours are up.