Learn how to get the most out of our tablet or eReader at Mentor Public Library

Learn how to use your eReader or tablet to check out free books, movies and more at Mentor Public Library.

Did you get an eReader for Christmas or Hanukkah but have no idea to use it?

That’s OK. We can help you turn your digital doodad into a repository for the books, magazines and even movies you love.

The Mentor Public Library is holding a series of free tutorials in January where we’ll show you how to get the most out of your tablets, eReaders and smartphones.

These classes are free and open to everyone.

The first session is for those with tablets (including iPads) and smartphones. It’s 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 16, at our Main Branch. If you want to learn how to download books and audiobooks onto your tablet or smartphone, this session is for you.

The second session is 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 20, at our Main Branch. It’s specifically for those with Kindles and Kindle Fires. Learn how to check out eBooks and more on your new eReader.

Mentor Public Library offers a lot of digital services that are always available, even when our buildings are closed; and you can use them from the comfort of your own home.

Once you know how to do it, you’ll be able to check out library eBooks, stream audiobooks and even watch movies (depending on what kind of device you use) on your eReader, smartphone or tablet from home.

No excuses: You’re never too old or old-fashioned (or too young, for that matter,) to learn something new.

If you’re pretty tech savvy and think you can figure out how to use your eReader without too much help, we’ve posted a bunch of how-to’s for each device on our website.

But if you want a little more help, feel free to register for one of our classes. Or you can bring your device to the library and one of our reference librarians will show you how to get the most out of it.

Digital Bookmobile coming to Mentor Library

Remember the old bookmobiles? They would come to your neck of the woods and you could check out a book or two?

The OverDrive Digital Bookmobile is kind of like that... except it's going to show you how you can download as many eBooks as you want from Mentor Public Library for free whenever you like.

It will also show you how to stream video via OverDrive to your computers, phones and devices—once again, for free, as long as you have a Mentor Library card.

You can even test out different kinds of tablets, smart phones and eReaders in the Digital Bookmobile's gadget gallery.

At 74-feet long, this bookmobile is also a little bit bigger than its predecessor. But it takes an 18-wheel tractor-trailer to house all this cool stuff.

You can check out OverDrive's Digital Bookmobile (and all of Mentor Public Library's digital services) when it visits from 2 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 19, at our Main Branch.

The vehicle is equipped with Internet-connected PCs, high-definition monitors, premium sound systems, and a variety of portable media players, all of which help you explore MPL’s digital services.

It doesn't matter if you use a Kindle, iPad, Nook, smartphone or even your computer. You can use it to stream video or music, download songs, read your favorite magazine or check out a book from Mentor Library.

Come by MPL's Main Branch Tuesday, check the Digital Bookmobile out and learn how you can get even more out of your library card.

Mentor Public Library adds OverDrive streaming video

Mentor Public Library has added another way for you to enjoy streaming videos.

Now anyone with a MPL card can stream videos via OverDrive to their smartphones, tablets and computers.

If you browse OverDrive’s video collection, you'll find everything from The Adventures of Paddington Bear to cooking classes to award-winning foreign films and documentaries.

You can “check out” as many as five videos at a time and stream them at their convenience for the next three days. All videos will automatically expire at the end of the lending period so there are no late fees.

You can stream video on iPhones, iPad, Androids and any other mobile device that supports HTML5. Here's link to a step-by-step explanation from MPL Librarian Mary Pelton how to use the new streaming service.

(One note: Streaming video can consume a lot of data; so, if you have a data cap on your mobile plan, you should use a Wi-Fi connection when streaming.)

By the way, this new streaming service isn't replacing Hoopla or IndieFlix. You can still stream movies and music from Hoopla and watch feature-length and short films from film festivals all around the world with IndieFlix.

And I know I've said this before but it bears repeating: All of these digital services and more are available for free with a Mentor Public Library card. 

Get your kid a library card this Christmas

Maybe you're the type of person who spends a lot of money on your kids, grandchildren, nephews, nieces, siblings et. al. around the holidays.

Maybe you're not.

Either way, the most important gift you give your kids (or grandchildren etc.) might be free. Better than free--it could probably save you money.

A Mentor Public Library card gives you access to more than 200,000 books, audiobooks, movies, video games and albums, as well as hundreds of thousands of more materials from libraries throughout the state via OhioLink.

And, if you're borrowing instead of buying, you could be saving hundreds or even thousands of dollars each year. (If you want, you can use this online calendar to tabulate how much money a library card can save you.)

And that's just a fraction of what your library card allows you to do.

You can take online classes with Learn4Life. (The classes include everything from computer programming to English as a second language to fiction writing. It's worth a look.)

You can download eBooks and eAudiobooks with OverDrive and digital magazines with Zinio.

You can download free music and even music videos from Freegal -- more than 7 million songs are available from more than 28,000 record labels, including Sony. And once you download a mp3 or mp4, you can keep it forever. Put it on your iPod, listen to it from on your phone, burn it to a CD, whatever you want. It's yours.

You can stream thousands of independent films via IndieFlix and soon you'll be able to stream even more movies, music and audiobooks to your mobile devices and computer via Hoopla.

So how do you sign up your kid for a Mentor Public Library card?

It's easy. You can do it at our circulation desk.

Adults, you're going to need a current photo ID, such as an Ohio Driver’s License or State of Ohio ID card, with your current address. If your photo ID doesn't have your current address, a personal check, utility bill, envelope or post card with a recent postmark showing your current address will do.

Meanwhile, kids need their guardian's signature to get a card. Adults assume responsibility for their children's borrowing privileges.

One quick note: If you're not an Ohio resident, you must give a $10 deposit to get a card. You will receive the deposit back once you produce an Ohio form of photo ID. Or, if you aren't moving to Ohio, you will receive your deposit back when all materials and the library card are returned.

You can also get a temporary card online that allows you to place up to five holds on items in the Mentor Public Library catalog.

If you have any questions, visit any of the Mentor Public Library's branches and you'll find people eager to help you get your library card.

And, if you already have a card, get out there and give it a workout.

For more information on Mentor Public Library and its services, visit www.mentorpl.org.

Oh, and Merry Christmas.

Mentor Library offers streaming movies, music and audiobooks with Hoopla

If you like streaming services like NetFlix, YouTube or Spotify, then Mentor Public Library just signed up for a service that should make you very happy.

It's called Hoopla, and it allows patrons to stream more than 300,000 movies, TV episodes, audiobooks and music albums to their smartphones, tablets and computers.

It's also free and lets you borrow media without even setting foot in a library.

All you need is a library card to use it.

Hoopla is fantastic with several smartphones and tablets and is compatible with:

• any iPhone 3G or newer
• iPad 2 or newer
• iPad mini 
• iPod Touch 4 or newer
• any Android 4.0 and above. 

To use Hoopla, you need only download its app from the Apple or Android store.

If you prefer to stream onto your computer, you can visit www.hoopladigital.com and the site offers all the same videos, music and audiobooks as the app. The Hoopla web site is compatible with browsers Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Internet Explorer.

Once the app is downloaded (or you're on the Hoopla web site,) you only need to provide an email address and your library card number. Then you can browse and borrow from Hoopla’s extensive library and watch or listen wherever they are.

If any of that sounded confusing, MPL Librarian Mary Pelton made a video that walks you through the sign-up process.

On Hoopla, you can borrow a video for three days, a music album for seven and an audiobook for 21 days.

Using cloud computing, you can even borrow titles with your home computer, begin watching on a tablet and resume watching with your smartphone – anywhere there’s an Internet connection.

If you are going somewhere without an Internet connection, then you can download a title using the Hoopla app and watch or listen to it later. (For DRM reasons, downloading is only available on the app – not on Internet browsers.)

MPL patrons can borrow up to five items per month using Hoopla.

In addition to Hoopla, Mentor Public Library also offers several other digital services. You can stream independent films from festivals around the globe using IndieFlix, you can download mp3s using Freegal, borrow eBooks and eAudiobooks using OverDrive, take online classes with Learn4Life or borrow digital versions of magazines using Zinio.

You also have access to dozens of databases with information on topics from auto repair to local history to case law.

And -- once again, it should be noted -- all of these services are free with a Mentor Public Library card.

Why You Should Have a Library Card

All a library card needs to be good is a little exercise.

September is Library Card Sign-Up Month. And I encourage anybody who doesn't have a library card to get one. But just as important, if you already have a library card -- use it.

A card gives you access to the more than 200,000 books, audiobooks, CDs, DVDs and video games in the Mentor Public Library's collection.

But that's just a fraction of what your library card allows you to do.

You can take online classes with Learn4Life. (The classes include everything from computer programming to English as a second language to fiction writing. It's worth a look.)

You can download eBooks and eAudiobooks with OverDrive and digital magazines with Zinio.

You can download free music and even music videos from Freegal -- more than 7 million songs are available from more than 28,000 record labels, including Sony. And once you download a mp3 or mp4, you can keep it forever. Put it on your iPod, listen to it from on your phone, burn it to a CD, whatever you want. It's yours.

You can stream thousands of independent films via IndieFlix and soon you'll be able to stream even more movies, music and audiobooks to your mobile devices and computer via Hoopla.

You can still borrow books, movies and music from libraries all around the state using OhioLINK.

And your card also gives you access to dozens of databases with information on topics from auto repair to local history to case law.

Most importantly, a library card -- and everything that comes with it -- is free.

So how do you sign up for a Mentor Public Library card?

It's easy. You can do it at our circulation desk.

Adults, you're going to need a current photo ID, such as an Ohio Driver’s License or State of Ohio ID card, with your current address. If your photo ID doesn't have your current address, a personal check, utility bill, envelope or post card with a recent postmark showing your current address will do.

Meanwhile, kids need their guardian's signature to get a card. Adults assume responsibility for their children's borrowing privileges.

One quick note: If you're not an Ohio resident, you must give a $10 deposit to get a card. You will receive the deposit back once you produce an Ohio form of photo ID. Or, if you aren't moving to Ohio, you will receive your deposit back when all materials and the library card are returned.

You can also get a temporary card online that allows you to place up to five holds on items in the Mentor Public Library catalog.

If you have any questions, visit any of the Mentor Public Library's branches and you'll find people eager to help you get your library card.

And, if you already have a card, get out there and give it a workout.

For more information on Mentor Public Library and its services, visit www.mentorpl.org.

The Library's Never Closed... Even When It's Closed

You and I are talking in this scenario.

I start by saying, "The Mentor Public Library is like Oscar the Grouch's eyes. Neither ever close."

But you say, "What do you mean the library never closes? Aren't you closed this Sunday and Monday for Memorial Day?"

Then, I say, "Sure, the buildings may be closed. But there's still a ton you can do with your library card -- download music and eBooks, watch indie films and take a class online -- even if all the branches are locked."

And you say, "Tell me more."

"It's all on our web site," I say. "You can still check out eBooks onto your tablets, smartphones, eReaders and laptops using Overdrive. They include books by best-selling authors like Janet Evanovich, James Patterson and Nicholas Sparks. You can even check out that new Dan Brown book everyone's talking about. By the way, this also includes audiobooks that you can load onto your mp3 players."

• Here's a link with step-by-step instructions on how to download eBooks and mp3 files of audiobooks onto your tablets, smartphones, Apple gizmos, laptops et. al.

Next you ask, "Didn't you say something about music?"

And I reply, "Yes, I did. Free music. All you need is a Mentor Public Library card and you can use Freegal to download music from hundreds of artists including Pink, Beyonce and Kenny Chesney. You can download up to three mp3s per week. And they're yours to keep -- load them on your iPod, burn them on CD, play them on loop ad infinitum -- forever. For free."

So you narrow your eyes and say, "But what if I want to watch a movie? I can't check out a movie if the branches are closed."

I smirk and say, "But you can still check out full-length and short indie films from festivals all around the world. (Seriously, no hyperbole, every continent besides Antarctica. I don't know if they have a film festival there yet.) It's called Indieflix. They have thousands of films that you can watch on your computer and it's free if you have a Mentor Public Library card."

"What if I want a magazine?" you ask. "How do I check out a magazine if you're closed?"

"It's called Zinio. It lets you check out digital versions dozens of magazines from Smithsonian to Cosmopolitan to Newsweek to Marie Claire to ESPN..."

"Let me guess," you interrupt. "All I need is a library card."

"That's it," I say, nodding. "It's a free service to anyone with a Mentor Public Library card."

You seem less skeptical now. So you raise your eyebrow and ask, "You talked about taking classes online through the library. How do I do that?"

"I love this service," I say. "It's called Ed2Go. Having a Mentor Public Library card gives you access to hundreds of online courses -- from Accounting & Finance to Writing & Publishing -- for free. Each course runs for six weeks and they're run by expert instructors."

"And I can take the course from home?" you ask.

"From home, from the coffee shoppe, from your kids' soccer practice, wherever."

"Even when the library's closed," you say.

And I smile because you've finally gotten it.

• Here's a step-by-step breakdown on how to use Ed2Go.

Then I say, "What about Breakfast at Tiffany's."

And you say, "I think I remember that film."

Then I say, "I think we both kind of liked it..."

And you say, "Never end on a non sequitur."

Here's a pretty concise breakdown of all the online services and digital materials we offer -- even when the buildings are closed.