eBooks and eAudiobooks

Read or download eBooks and eAudiobooks from this website for FREE if you are a full Kent Library member

Our entire eBook and eAudiobook collection is accessible from our online library catalogue (you can restrict your search to 'eResources') as well as on our individual providers' sites.

Used our eBook services before?

Click on the image for the relevant provider below, otherwise scroll down the page to learn more about the service.

New to our eBooks services?

Check out our eBooks and eAudiobooks facts and read on.

Overdrive

A collection of popular fiction and non fiction eAudiobooks and eBooks for library users to borrow. You can download eBooks and eAudiobooks onto your own PC/Mac computer, smartphone, eReader or MP3 player with your normal Kent Library card number and PIN. Check the list of supported devices.

Since our eLending site upgrade, you can now also read some eBooks directly from your device's browser (on and off-line). See the video below for an introduction to the new site and Overdrive READ.

The new website makes use of web technologies such as HTML 5 and CSS 3. If you use Internet Explorer 9 or older, you will be prompted to complete a one-time install of the Google Chrome Frame plug-in on your computer. The plug-in is free and only takes a few seconds to install. If you use the latest versions of Firefox, Chrome and Safari you will not need to.

We are working to get the plug-in loaded on our public PCs but until then you will need to download the plug-in each time.

You can help Overdrive improve their interface by completing their survey form.

Please note

Kindles - Due to Amazon's restrictions in the UK, Overdrive eBooks can currently only be downloaded on Kindle Fire series eReaders. Customers wishing to do so need to download Overdrive Media Console for Android (not Kindle) via Google Play or our Overdrive website onto their Kindle Fire. For more details on how to do this, go to the OverDrive Help page.
Library computers - Due to technical and licensing issues, eAudio downloads are not currently permitted on library computers.

For more details view the Overdrive FAQs. We recommend you read through the Quick start guide and/or 'Digital Help' section in the 'Getting started' box on our eLending library site before attempting to download any content.

Dawsonera

This is our main non-fiction eBook collection. It is particularly suited to students, researchers and users interested in a particular subject.

To use the collection you first need to create an account. To do this either visit a Kent Library and register on one of our public computers (call your library in advance to make a booking to avoid disappointment) or call Ask a Kent Librarian. Please have your Kent library card handy.

Once the account is created, you can sign on to view or download eBooks using your login and password from any internet-enabled computer, including at home and in the library.

For more details view the dawnsonera FAQs and the terms and conditions of use.

Dawsonera News

The Dawsonera site is live! Enhancements will include:

A new graphic interface
Improved searching and saved searches
New - My Bookshelf, Recently Viewed, My Account facilities
Custom user alerts
Social media integration
Improved navigation and searching within an eBook.

Important

Not all books are currently available as eBooks or eAudiobooks, or may not be available to us via the above providers.
Publishers may restrict the titles available for purchase by libraries for loan. This may mean that we have access to some but not all titles in a series or by a particular author, or that some titles get withdrawn after a time.
A title may only be available to us in a certain format (e.g. EPUB but not PDF; WMA but not MP3).
For licensing reasons, only people who live, study or work in Kent can access our online resources and eBooks/ eAudiobooks remotely. You will need to confirm your online registration in a library and provide some proof of the above prior to doing so.

Need some help finding your way round any of the above? Having technical difficulties? Contact Ask a Kent Librarian.