Nooks, Libraries, and the Digital Revolution

As a storyteller, I love to read.  As a geek, I love new tech.  My two worlds collide in the Barnes & Noble Nook.  Before purchasing my Nook, I compared and contrasted it to other eReaders on the market – namely, the Amazon Kindle and the Sony eReader.  Obviously, there are similarities and differences between all three; pros and cons, but that’s not quite what this blog is about.

The most unforgiving downside to the eReader platform has been its struggle to maintain a relationship with library systems.  Libraries needed to find a way to offer eBooks without files being copied and shared.  Libraries aren’t Napster; they aren’t a bit torrent.  This isn’t peer-to-peer sharing and they certainly won’t encourage digital piracy.  They are a legal institution upholding the publishing industry’s copyright laws.

Where does that leave eReaders?  In good hands.  The publishing industry has taken steps to ensure their digital books are protected (perhaps a lesson learned in watching the failures of the music industry).  Smart publishers know that providing their product in formats which paying customers desire is going to increase their sales; smarter publishers do so after ensuring their client’s concerns are safe-guarded.  Lucky for us, this is possible.

Unfortunately, I have been unable to find any single reliable source on the interwebs supplying clear instructions on How to Read a Library-borrowed eBook on the Nook.  I have heard conflicting rumors from “it’s not possible” to “they’re testing it” to “it’s rather simple”.  I decided to run a little trial-and-error on my own and found it’s not only possible, but it is rather simple.  It does, however, require a middle-man.  Here’s how:

• Download Adobe Digital Editions.  Don’t worry, it’s free!
• Open your new, shiny copy of Digital Editions.
• It will prompt you to log in to your Adobe.com account to authenticate and authorize your computer with your copy of Digital Editions.  Yes, you can use Digital Editions without this step, but you can’t transfer your eBooks to your Nook without it.  Authorize your computer.  Sign up for an account at this point if you don’t already have one.  Just like the software, the account is free.
• Connect your Nook to your computer.
• Once your Nook is connected, Digital Editions should recognize your device and ask if you want to authorize it to use Digital Editions as well.  Your answer should be yes.
• Go to your public library’s website and browse their eBook selection.  For example, I use the Johnson County Library.
• When selecting a book, keep in mind it has to be in one of the two following formats: Adobe ePub or Adobe PDF.
• Download your book and open it in Adobe Digital Editions.
• If your Nook is not connected to your PC, connect it.
• You’ll notice in Adobe Digital Editions a bookshelf labelled Nook.
• Select your downloaded eBook and drag it to the Nook bookshelf.  This will copy it to the corresponding folder on your Nook’s drive.
• Eject your Nook from your computer.
• Select Library in your Nook’s touchscreen window.
• View My Documents.
• You should see your library eBook in the list.  Select it, read it, enjoy.

This capability opens up new worlds to my Nook and increases its viability, well justifying the initial cost.

I still purchase and read printed books.  Do I enjoy the feel of a physical book in my hands?  Yes.  Am I able to lose my self in an eBook?  Absolutely.  A good story will sweep your mind into its path whether it’s printed, digital, visual, or oral.  Embrace all forms of story.  Don’t be afraid to try new tech.

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