Ebooks

  • No Wait? No Way! Always Available Digital Collections

    No Wait? No Way! Always Available Digital Collections

    One of the library’s best kept secrets is our collection of always available digital books and audiobooks. They can be checked out simultaneously, and checkouts are unlimited. Perfect for book groups or reconnecting with a personal favorite, these collections provide 24/7 access to timeless classics alongside brand new releases. The library just added “Mysteries and Thrillers… Continue reading

  • Digital Book Bonanza

    Digital Book Bonanza

    Are you an ebook reader? An audiobook convert? The Library’s collection of digital books (OverDrive if you’re on the web, or Libby if you’re using the app) just grew by the thousands in December. Here are a few highlights: Nearly 300 new audiobooks have been added to our Always Available Audio collection – no holds,… Continue reading

  • New Always Available eBook Collection

    I love living – and being a librarian – in a city of readers, but I won’t lie: the eBook hold queues can be intense. New this month are 170 eBooks that are always available – no holds, no wait! Here are some highlights to get you started. Book Club Picks Continue reading

  • Nuevos títulos en español en la Biblioteca / New Spanish books in the Library

    La Biblioteca Pública de Seattle, como muchas otras bibliotecas durante la pandemia; siguió comprando libros en español, dándole énfasis a otro formato, los ebook o libros electrónicos. A muchos usuarios de la biblioteca no les gusta leer libros en formato electrónico. Y yo soy una de ellas, me gusta el olor a libro nuevo, a… Continue reading

  • Short Stories on a Theme

    There are times when it may be hard to focus on a long novel, so a short story might be a better choice. You can pick up a book of short stories and read one or all. Many compilations feature different authors coming together to focus on one theme and giving you a selection of… Continue reading

  • Fiction eBooks – Available NOW!

    Hundreds of Always Available fiction eBooks are now available until June 30th due to the generosity of several publishers and distributors. Check some out while you wait for your holds to be filled and for the library to reopen. This collection is particularly a boon for fans of translated fiction. Some highlights include Sayaka Murata’s… Continue reading

  • Noteworthy Nonfiction eBooks – Available NOW!

    Thanks to the generosity of several publishers and distributors, The Seattle Public Library now provides access to hundreds of Always Available nonfiction eBooks until June 30th! While you wait for your holds to be filled and for the library to reopen, check some of these out. Five National Book Award nominees are available, including two… Continue reading

  • Meditation for Tough Times

    We live amongst our stressors and our struggles. Anxiety manifests as feelings, physical symptoms, and in how we connect or disconnect with the people around us. We so often think “I’ll be more relaxed when-” but there is always the journey of getting to “when.” Mindfulness is the practice of finding peace wherever we are,… Continue reading

  • Speculative Short Stories to Read or Listen to Online

    Friday the 13th of March was a dynamic scene at the Central Library, with patrons queuing for help to find good books to read during the library’s closure, and the DVD aisles packed with browsers. I miss assisting patrons in person in finding a great story to read or watch – though do visit my… Continue reading

  • Outdoor Escapes: Digital Edition

    Need to escape your house? Looking for some peace and quiet? Enjoy the spring weather and get outside for a walk or bike ride. For lovely walking in Seattle, I would suggest you get a hold of a digital copy of Seattle Walk Report. You can find a walk for every neighborhood. Some other digital… Continue reading

  • Stay Home, Stay Healthy. Stay Sane with the Library.

    Stay Home, Stay Healthy. Stay Sane with the Library.

    March 13th, 2020 was notable for two reasons. One, it was Friday the 13th, but hardly anyone at the Seattle Public Library noticed for the second reason: it was the last day we were open before closing our doors for a month because of COVID-19. It was a frantic and stressful day full of uncertainty… Continue reading

  • Always Available Travel Guides

    Seattleites love to travel (or at least love to read travel books). While the library has a large collection of travel books in print, they are not always available when you want them. OverDrive, our ebook provider, had a small collection with limited destinations. Until now. Continue reading

  • Welcome W.W. Norton to OverDrive!

    ~posted by Frank W.W. Norton is the latest publisher to make their ebooks available to libraries, and the library has added more than 350 titles to the digital collection in OverDrive. Here are some of the highlights. Continue reading

  • Seattle Cooks…Digitally

    Everyone knows that The Seattle Public Library has an outstanding cookbook collection. But you may not know that you can check out “e-cookbooks” through OverDrive. If you’re a messy cook prone to spilling ingredients on page after page, then this could be the best option for you! OverDrive has more than two dozen cookbooks, food and wine… Continue reading

  • ebooks galore

    This fall, Simon & Schuster became the last of the “Big 5” publishers (joining Penguin/Random House, Macmillan, HarperCollins and Hachette) to make ebooks available to libraries. The Seattle Public Library added nearly 3,000 titles from Simon & Schuster and are now available for checkout in OverDrive. Here are the best of the best that Simon and Schuster… Continue reading

  • SPL Foundation funds 19,000 ebooks!

                            Have you noticed that there are a LOT more ebooks available through OverDrive recently? We hope so! Due to a generous award from The Seattle Public Library Foundation, we were able to take advantage of the recent decision by three major publishers — Penguin, Hachette and Macmillan — to make their ebooks available to… Continue reading

  • Romantic Wednesdays: Happily Ever After on Christmas

    Holidays can be the most stressful time of year. But if you’re stuck at home on Christmas with the in-laws and sugar-crazed children, take heart! You can sneak off for a few minutes and check out some of these Christmas-themed e-books through the Library’s Overdrive collection—you can check them out and add them to your e-reader without… Continue reading

  • Science Fiction Fridays: Filling up your e-reader for vacation

    If I sound unbearably giddy during this week’s column know that I haven’t won the lottery, I’m just going on vacation! I love vacations not so much for swimming in the ocean or stomach-churning rides at an amusement park or camping near some beautiful vista with all of nature’s majesty. No, I love going on… Continue reading