City of Torrance - E- Books

The City of Torrance announces a new service available at the Torrance Public Library: E-books!

Electronic books are now available to Torrance Public Library cardholders, through the Library's new ebook portal!

Once they've downloaded the Blio software, card holders can use their library cards to check out e-books for up to three weeks through the Axis 360 service. The e-books will run on iOS, Android, Windows tablets and smartphones (including iPads and iPhones), PCs, Kindle Fires, and will soon work on other e-readers such as Nook and Sony as well. Clicking on the Axis 360 E-books icon on the Library's website links readers to the Magic Wall, which displays titles for all ages, from color picture books for children to books for young adults to fiction and nonfiction for adults. Readers can browse by subject or audience, read book reviews, and consider recommendations for further reading.

This new service is made possible through the generous support of the Friends of the Torrance Library.

For detailed instructions, click here!

The Lodi Public Library created an instructional video on Blio and Axis360 that does a great job of explaining how to use Blio. The video can be accessed here!

You may borrow up to 4 eBooks at a time. Minimum loan period is 1 day; maximum is 21 days.
Books cannot be returned before their due date.

At this time, the service is not compatible with the original Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite, Sony, or Nook devices. The service is also not compatible with Macbook or iMac devices.

Step 1: Download and install the Blio reader

To download eBooks from the library, you first need to download the Blio reader software or application onto your computer or device, create a Blio ID & password, and then check out the eBooks from Axis360. You can download by clicking on get The App on the TPL Axis 360 site and selecting your device, or find your device below and follow the directions. You must have a card issued by the Torrance Public Library to borrow ebooks via Axis 360.

For Kindle Fire

1. From your device, tap Settings, then More
2. Tap Device and then Allow Installation of Applications
3. Toggle switch to ON and tap OK
4. Open your web browser
5. Go to: http://bits.blioreader.com/update
6. Choose the link named KNFB Blio 3.0.1 PROD.apk
7. Tap the number in the upper left of the Kindle KNFB Blio 3.0.1PROD.apk
will begin downloading
8. Tap on the word Install in the grey area under the permissions. Tap done when Install is Complete.
9. From the homepage carousel, tap Blio to launch the app
10. Tap Create an account
11. Fill out registration to create a Blio ID & password
12. When done, tap Create account

For Windows PC and Netbooks

1. Go to http://www.meetblio.com/download/
2. Click Windows PC (or Netbooks)
3. Click Run and follow the download instructions
4. When done, click Finish
5. Open Blio reader on your computer
6. Click Create an account
7. Enter your email & create a password
8. Click Create an account

For Android Devices

1. From your device, tap on Google Play Store
2. Search for Blio eBooks and then tap Install
3. Follow the download instructions
4. When done, open the Blio eBooks app
5. Tap Create an account (if you're a new user)
6. Fill out registration to create a Blio ID & password
7. When done, tap Create account

For iPad and iPhone

1. From your device, open the App Store
2. Search for Blio and then tap Install
3. Follow the download instructions
4. From your device, go to http://www.blio.com/
5. Tap New Account (top right)
6. Register for a new Blio ID & password
7. When done, tap Continue
8. Tap Sign Out and close the web browser
9. Tap the Blio app and then Log In
10. Enter Blio ID (email) & password and then tap Go

Step 2: Download eBooks from Axis360

1. Go to http://tpl.axis360.baker-taylor.com
2. Select eBook title, click on book cover and then on one of the following options:

# Checkout Now: Check out the book immediately. This option results in an automatic checkout period of 21 days.
# Add to Checkout List: Use this option if you want to select more than one book, or if you would like to select a loan period of between 3 and 21 days.
# Add to Wish List: Use this to save titles that you want to remember, but don't plan to check out immediately.
# Place on Hold: This option will appear if a book is checked out to another user. Select it to place yourself on the list for the next available copy. You will be prompted to enter your email address so that you can be notified when your book arrives. Titles will be held for 3 days.

3. If you have created a Checkout List, click on Shopping Cart (top right) and slide bar to select loan period.
4. Click Confirm Checkout
5. Complete Axis360 user profile (1st time only)
6. Enter your library card & PIN numbers (same as used to log in to your library account), and then click Login
7. Enter your Blio ID & password, and click Login
8. Click OK (the title will be delivered to your device)
9. To read, open Blio reader on your device
10. To sync title, tap Book Archive (Android), or Get Books (iPad);

Forgot your pin?

1. Click "Log-in" on the Magic Wall (upper right corner)
2. Enter your library card number-just adding an extra number at the end
3. Put in whatever pin you'd like (perhaps your last name)
4. On the next screen, please enter your pin (the one you used in step #3), user name (whatever you'd like), and e-mail address
5. That's it! You'll just need to put in your Blio user name and password the next time you check out a book

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Additional e-book and e-reader information

eReaders

All About E-Readers
eReaders come in a variety of forms. They can be devices designed specifically for eBooks and other digital content, or software applications used on computers and smartphones. All are innovative in the same way - by giving users access to full-length electronic texts. This guide helps you understand the major platforms.

The following websites offer free eBooks or ways to borrow eBooks online.

Learning Express ebooks
Through our LearningExpress link on our website, many (200+) test prep eBooks are availablefro free with your Torrance Public Library Card.

Free-ebooks.net
Free-ebooks.net provides a search tool for discovering free ebooks and magazines to download. The site requires a membership, however there are several membership levels including a free one. The site also supports a method of self-publishing and sharing your own work online.

Google eBookstore
Search for ebooks in a variety of formats. Downloading requires a Google account. Beyond simply searching, the eBookstore also provides a way to organize your eReader content, as well as a central place to access your downloads from anywhere. Browse free ebooks by clicking on the "Best of Free" section from the main page.

Inkmesh
Inkmesh is a search engine for eBooks that covers multiple sites including Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, the Internet Archive, Powells.com, Project Gutenberg, Sony eBook store, and many more. You can search for free eBooks, compare prices of those for sale, or browse by subject.

Internet Archive
With over 2,500,000 items and counting, the Internet Archive Text Archive has a variety of fiction, children's books, and historical works that are either out of copyright, or have a Creative Commons license. View titles online or download for eReader devices or applications. All content is free.

MobileRead Wiki - EBook Lending Libraries
This page is maintained by a community of users and provides a list of sites where you can find eBooks to borrow. You will also find information on online eBook stores and how to find free eBooks.

Lending Library from Open Library
Borrowing requires free membership and a user profile. Open Library is an online cataloguing initiative linked with the Internet Archive, and together they have partnered with Overdrive to provide a searchable online eBook lending library.

Project Gutenberg
The first collection of free eBooks for download online. Find eBooks in a variety of formats. No fee or membership is required.

Modern English Collection
Features fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama from 1500 to the present.

Just Free Books
JustFreeBooks searches the content of more than 700 web sites, including gutenberg.org, wikibooks.org and archive.org. With JustFreeBooks you can find all sorts of free books: public domain texts, open books, free audio books, ad-supported books and more. Just type in the search box the book title, author or theme you want to find.

Alex Catalogue of Electronic Texts
A collection of public domain documents from American and English literature, as well as Western philosophy.

English Server
Features e-texts mainly in the humanities.

Internet Public Library - Reading Room
Online books, newspapers and magazines from around the world.

Perseus Digital Library
A digital library focused primarily on humanities topics, such as English Renaissance literature and Classical literature.

Online Books Page
Find over 20,000 free e-books by author, title or subject.

Revised: 03/05/12