Staff Picks: Ebooks And Eaudiobooks

Returning OverDrive eBooks AND Audiobooks early.
Updated for Audiobooks downloaded using Apps!

Since you are limited to having 6 OverDrive items at a time this can be a very useful trick to know and it is also a neighborly thing to do to help others get items they are waiting for sooner. A classic win/win scenario!

One caveat, OverDrive does not allow you to change formats once an item is checked out. For instance, returning a Kindle book checked out by mistake won't enable you to re-download the title as an ePub book right away unless there is no waiting list for that title.

For Kindle:

It's all done on Amazon's Manage Your Kindle page.

For Nook, Sony Reader, and other devices that use Adobe Digital Editions:

1. Open the Adobe Digital Editions program on your computer.
2. In the upper left corner, select the Library View icon which looks like three books.
3. Below, under the Bookshelves heading, select Borrowed.
4. Click the eBook you want to return.
5. Click the Item Options arrow (in the upper left corner of the selected eBook).
6. Select Return Borrowed Item. Selecting Delete Item will not return the item, but selecting Return Borrowed Item will both delete and return the item.
7. Click Return to verify that you want to return the title.
   
   That's all it takes! The eBook is returned to the library collection for others to enjoy and you've opened up a download slot in your OverDrive account.
    

For Tablet & Smartphone Apps (now includes returning Audiobooks!):

OverDrive Media Console apps for tablets and smartphones have recently added this capability so if you read on an iPad, Android Tablet, or anything else that downloads eBooks or Audiobooks directly to the device, you will want to update your app to version 2.4 or higher to enable these features.

Device-specific instructions:

• BlackBerry
• Android
• Windows Phone 7
• iOS (iPhone / iPad / iPod touch)

For Audiobooks downloaded to computers & Disney Online Books:

OverDrive hasn't yet provided a way to return these materials early, so unfortunately they stay on your account until their loan period is over and they are automatically returned. To keep from running into the 6 item limit, here are three suggestions:

1. Select shorter loan periods. For Audiobooks you can choose 1, 2, or 3 weeks. For Disney Online Books the checkout periods can also be as short as 7 days and since they are always available, you know you'll be able to check it out again right away if it's one of those "Again! Again!" titles.
2. Pick Downloadble Audiobooks more carefully by listening to the online previews that many titles feature. You'll quickly learn whether the title is engaging and if you like the narrator or he or she makes you grit your teeth every time they begin talking!
3. Avoid getting Audiobooks by mistake if you want an eBook to read. Take careful note of the format of the book you've selected before checking it out. Otherwise you might end up with an unwanted and un-returnable Audiobook or an eBook with the wrong format on your account until its due date.

I hope you find these tips and learning how to "check in" eBooks useful. Please let me know in the comments below if you do or if you have additional questions!

Happy reading (and many happy returns!)