To read an ebook borrowed from your library on your iPad or iPhone, which uses Apple's iOS operating system, follow these steps.

If your tablet or smartphone uses the Android mobile operating system, go to the Android (Google) tablets and smartphones section.


Using the mobile app


The mobile app allows you to browse, borrow and read ebooks from your library all within the application itself. No file transfer is required. It supports Licensed Content Protection (LCP) DRM and not the Adobe Content Server (ACS) DRM to protect ebook files. No Adobe ID is required to use it.

While the vast majority of ebooks are protected by LCP, some ebooks, due to their format or the distributor that supplies them, are protected by ACS. In such cases, you will need to use another application to read them (see Reading with another application).


Step 1. Install the mobile app

To install the mobile app:

  1. Go to the application page on the App Store
  2. Tap "Install."
  3. Once the installation is complete, tap "Open" to start the application.


Step 2. Connect to Your Library

To borrow ebooks, you will first need to add your library to the application.

  1. Go to the "Catalogs" section.
  2. Tap the "+" button.
  3. Find your library by browsing the list.
  4. Tap the "+" icon to the right of your library's name to add it to your catalogue.
  5. Press "Browse" in the rectangle that contains your library's name in the Catalogs section.
  6. Authenticate yourself with your library account ID and password.

Please note that authentication systems vary from library to library. Depending on the system used by your library, you may not be required to authenticate when you add a catalogue. This will only need to be done later when making a loan or reservation. If you encounter a problem during the authentication process (for example, if you have forgotten your password), please contact your library.


Step 3. Browsing Your Library's Catalogue

Now that you have added your library, you can browse through its catalogue.

  1. Tap "Browse" in the rectangle that contains your library's name in the Catalogs section of the application.
  2. Go to your library's home page.
  3. Navigate through the catalogue from the home page or the "Browse" menu, or tap the magnifying glass to search by keyword.
  4. Tap on the cover image of a book to access its detailed record.


Explore

Your library's home page gives you quick access to the latest releases added to the catalogue, the most popular ebooks, as well as different sections put forward by your library. You can also use the "Browse" menu:

  • Ebooks: Tap to browse the digital book collection.
  • Audiobooks: Tap to browse the Audiobook Collection.
  • Thematic Selections: Tap to browse and view book selections created by your library.
  • Categories: Tap to browse the different categories of books offered by your library.
  • Available Now: Click to only see titles that are currently available now and immediately available to borrow from your library's collection of recent additions.


Use the search bar to search the catalogue by keyword. You can use different filters to help you refine your search:

  • Availability
    • All: All the ebooks in the collection, whether they are available or not.
    • Available now: Only the ebooks immediately available for borrowing.
  • Sorting
    • Recent Acquisitions: The latest ebooks added to the library collection, regardless of when they were published.
    • Recent releases: The most recently published books added to the library collection.
  • Language
  • Type of media
    • Ebooks: Show only ebooks, excluding audiobooks.
    • Audiobooks: Show only audiobooks, excluding ebooks.
  • Category: Allows you to select a specific category you would like to explore.

To remove a filter, go back to "Filter" and deselect the checked filter.

Step 4. Borrow an Ebook

Should you find a book that interests you while browsing through your library's catalogue, click on its cover image. You will have access to the detailed record of this book. This record contains various information about the publication (such as format, language, publisher, date of publication, and more), a summary and, if applicable, other titles by the same author and publisher in your library's catalogue.


Borrow

If the book is available, you will see a "Borrow" button. 

  1. Tap the "Borrow" button.
  2. Tap the "Read" button once the borrowing process is complete to begin reading. You can also access the book in the "Home" and "My Books" sections of the application.


Placing a Hold

If the ebook you wish to borrow is not available, the "Place Hold" button will be displayed instead of the "Borrow" button.

  1. Tap the "Press Hold" button to place a reservation.
  2. In the confirmation window, take note of the estimated date on which the ebook will become available.
  3. When the ebook you have reserved becomes available, you will receive an email notification.
  4. Tap on the cover image of the book from the "Home" or "My Books" section of the application.
  5. Tap the "Download" button to activate your loan.

If you do not open the ebook within your library's specified timeframe to activate the loan, the ebook will vanish and become available again to the next user on the waiting list.


Read an Excerpt

You can read a short excerpt from an ebook, regardless of its availability.

  1. Press the "Free Excerpt" button.
  2. Press the "Read Excerpt" button once the download is complete to start reading. You can also access the ebooks excerpts in the "Home" and "My Books" sections of the application.

Downloaded excerpts do not have an expiry date. They will remain on your device until you decide to delete them.


Step 5. Read an Ebook

You can access the ebooks you have borrowed by going to the "Home" or the "My Books" section of the application.

The "Home" section organizes your ebooks into different lists:

  • Expires soon: Contains the ebooks whose loans will expire in the next seven days.
  • In progress: Contains the ebooks and excerpts that have been downloaded and opened in the application.
  • Recently added: Contains the ebooks and excerpts that have been downloaded to the application but not yet opened.
  • [Library name]: Contains the ebooks that you have borrowed or reserved at the library added to the application.

The "My Books" section displays all your ebooks. Press on the inverted pyramid icon that appears next to the magnifying glass to filter your ebooks according to different criteria or to modify display and sorting options.


Read an Ebook

  1. Tap on the cover image of the ebook you want to read in the "Home" or the "My Books" section of the application. If this is your first time reading this ebook, it will open on the first page. If you already started it, it will open on the last page you read.

  2. To turn the page, swipe from left to right or tap on the left or right side of the page.

  3. Follow your progress at the bottom of the page.

Track your reading progress and use the reading and display functions as needed. To do this, tap the middle of the page to bring up the menu:

  • Bookmark: Tap to add a bookmark to the current page.
  • Display Options: Tap to access display options.
    • Change the brightness of the screen using the slider.
    • Decrease the font size by tapping the small "A" or increase it by pressing the large "A".
    • Change the font by scrolling through the available choices by swiping from left to right. For example, the OpenDyslexic font is designed to make reading easier for people with reading disabilities such as dyslexia.
    • Change the theme: Default (black text on a white background or white text on a black background, depending on your system preferences), light (black text on a white background), sepia (black text on a beige background), dark (white text on a black background).
    • Change margin size by tapping  - or +.
    • Activate the "Double page" option by tapping the switch (turns green when activated) to display the ebook on two pages when using your tablet horizontally.
    • Activate the "Vertical scrolling" option by tapping the switch (turns green when the option is activated) to scroll the ebook by sliding your finger up and down instead of left and right.
    • Access "Advanced Settings" by tapping to change the styles (text alignment, line height, word and letter spacing).
  • Table of Contents: Tap to access the ebook's table of contents and your bookmarks.
  • Back: Press to go back in the application.

Listen to an Audiobook

  1. Tap the cover image of the audiobook you want to listen to in the "Home" or the "My Books" section of the application. If this is the first time you are listening, it will open at the beginning of the audiobook. If you already started it, it will resume where you left off.
  2. Tap the "Pause" button to stop playback if necessary. Tap the "Play" button to resume playback.
  3. Follow your playback progress. A first bar displays your progress for the entire audiobook, while a second one displays your progress within the current audio track. An audiobook is typically made up of several audio tracks.

Use the playback functions as needed: 

  • Timer: Tap to activate a timer so that audiobook playback will automatically stop at a set time.
  • Skip back: Tap to go back 30 seconds.
  • Skip Forward: Tap to advance 30 seconds.
  • Speed: Tap to slow down (down to 0.5x) or speed up (up to 2.0x) playback speed.
  • AirPlay: Press to play the audiobook on another connected device (such as a Bluetooth speaker).
  • Tap to add a bookmark at any time on the currently playing audio track.
  • Table of Contents: Tap to access the book's table of contents and your bookmarks.
  • Back: Tap to go back within the application.


An Internet connection is required to listen to an audiobook.

Returning a Loan Early

  1. In the "Home" or the "My Books" section of the application, long-press the cover image of the ebook you want to return to the "Home" or "My Books" section of the application until a modal window appears.
  2. Tap on "Advance return."
  3. Confirm your choice by tapping on "Advance return" in the pop-up confirmation window.

Read with Another Application

If you prefer to use another application to read an ebook borrowed from your library on your tablet or smartphone, you can do so. You need to download the borrowed ebook file from the Web interface and then open it with your e-reading application. An Adobe ID is also required. Follow the steps below for instructions.

The reading application used must be compatible with the EPUB and PDF formats and must be able to read files protected by Digital Rights Management (DRM). See the Compatible Devies and Applications section for a list of compatible applications.

The following procedure presents the PocketBook Reader application, but the instructions are essentially the same if you are using another reading application that supports ACS.

Digital Rights Management, or DRM for short, is a security measure integrated into an ebook designed to protect it from copyright infringement. It controls various parameters in regards to digital lending, including its duration. Two types of DRM are used for digital lending.

To read an ebook protected by the Adobe Content Server DRM, or ACS for short, you must have an Adobe account (available for free) and use a compatible reading application (see Compatible Devices and Applications 1).

The Licensed Content Protection DRM (LCP) is an open solution developed by the Readium Foundation, a group of more than 80 members of the publishing industry. If you are using 

 on your iOS or Android mobile device, it is this DRM that is used.

An Adobe ID is a free account that allows you to open DRM secured ebooks and view them on multiple devices. Each device must be authorized with the same Adobe ID to be read on multiple devices.

Step 1. Create an Adobe ID

If you already have an Adobe ID, skip this step and head to Step 2. Install PocketBook Reader.


Step 1. Create an Adobe ID

If you already have an Adobe ID, skip this step and head to Step 2. Install PocketBook Reader.


An Adobe ID is a free account that allows you to open ebooks protected by ACS. This DRM controls various parameters of e-lending, such as loan duration.

  1. Go to the Adobe login page at https://accounts.adobe.com/.
  2. Click on "Create an account."
  3. Fill out the form and jot down the email address and password you used to sign up. Read the terms of use and click "Create an Account."

Your Adobe ID is the email address with which you signed up. Please remember to write it down along with the password you chose. This information will be required to configure all applications and devices that require an Adobe ID to read ebooks.

Step 2. Install the PocketBook Reader Application

If you have already installed the e-reader application and entered your Adobe ID, skip to Step 4. Borrow and Download an Ebook.

Install the PocketBook Reader application.

  1. Access the PocketBook Reader application page on Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.obreey.reader.
  2. Tap "Install."
  3. Once the installation is complete, tap "Open" to launch the application.

Please note that the PocketBook Reader application does not allow early returns of borrowed ebooks. The ebook will automatically be returned at the end of the borrowing period. The application also does not support audiobooks borrowed from your library.


Step 3. Enter Your Adobe ID in the E-Reading Application

To read ebooks borrowed from your library, you must enter your Adobe ID in the PocketBook Reader application.

  1. Go to the "Settings" section.
  2. Tap "Accounts."
  3. Tap "Adobe DRM."
  4. Enter the email address and password used in Step 1. Create an Adobe ID.
  5. Tap "Log in."

Your application is configured to read ebooks borrowed from your library. You will not need to repeat the previous steps.

Step 4. Borrow and Download an Ebook

Visit your library via your device's web browser.

  1. In your device's Web browser, browse your library's catalogue to find the book you want to borrow.
  2. In the search results page or the book's detailed record, press the "Borrow" button.
  3. Press the "Confirm Borrowing" button.
  4. Press the "Download" button to download the digital book file. You can also download this file by following the link sent to you by email or in the "Borrowing and Reservations" section of your profile.

The downloaded file will have a .acsm extension due to the DRM.


Step 5. Open the Ebook in the E-Reading Application

Now that the PocketBook Reader application is configured on your device, you can open the ebook you borrowed from this application.

  1. Once the ebook is downloaded, a display will ask you to open the file with the .acsm extension. Press "Open".
  2. Tap "Copy to PocketBook" in the pop-up menu that appears to open the ebook in the PocketBook Reader application. If you do not see the PocketBook icon, tap the "More" icon.

If the message suggesting to open the downloaded file does not appear, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Files application on your iPad or iPhone. This application contains all of your downloads.
  2. Long-press the file with the .acsm extension that you just downloaded.
  3. Tap "Share" in the pop-up menu.
  4. Tap "Copy to PocketBook" to open the book in the PocketBook Reader application. If you do not see the PocketBook icon, tap the "More" icon.