Checking out Kindle library books with just a cell phone and a 3G Paperwhite?

1964 Views 11 Replies 8 Participants Last post by Ann in Arlington, Feb 21, 2013

Hunterr

Discussion Starter · Jan 6, 2013

Is it impossible to check out Kindle library books without a PC/mac?

I'd like to be able to check out Kindle library books with my Photon Q Android phone. Once a kindle book has been checked out with my mac, I can download it through 3G/4G onto my phone, but I can't finish checking the book out with my phone. When I leave the library site and enter the Amazon site, the book is only available for purchase, not a loan.

I can't use the 3G on my Kindle to download a library book; I understand that. I'm working on figuring out how to use my phone as a wifi hotspot, but so far have failed at that too. I think I need to pay Sprint some more money each month to do that.

I'm a little obsessed with figuring out how to use just my Photon Q phone and my 3G Paperwhite to get library books onto the 3G Paperwhite without the use of a PC/mac. I don't have wifi at home, so I have to carry the laptop to a hotspot, or do something dishonest to check out the library books at home.

I can check out epub versions of the same books and download and read them on the phone, but I really want to read the books on my 3G Paperwhite. I'm willing to pay money for software or a contract or whatever.

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Me and My Kindle

· #2 · Jan 6, 2013

Is it impossible to check out Kindle library books without a PC/mac?

Yes! There should be a way to configure your check-out process, so the ebooks are being sent to your "Kindle for Android" app instead of the cloud reader on your desktop system.

Libraries love this, by the way. So you might want to see if your local library has information about how to do it on on their web site -- or just go in and ask at the reference desk!

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Hunterr

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jan 6, 2013

Me and My Kindle said:
Yes! There should be a way to configure your check-out process, so the ebooks are being sent to your "Kindle for Android" app instead of the cloud reader on your desktop system.

Libraries love this, by the way. So you might want to see if your local library has information about how to do it on on their web site -- or just go in and ask at the reference desk!

I can't even check them out to the cloud. I can download from the cloud on my phone, but cannot put library books there. I see that many libraries are saying to just use a PC if your cell phone won't work. Others just say it will work. No one seems to be offering a solution to cell phones that don't work. I'm thinking there must be a solution though. My phone is sending me to a phone version of the Amazon site. Maybe somehow using a browser or setting that will allow the me to go from the library site to the full Amazon site?

If the Paperwhite is connected to wifi, can the browser check out library books at the overdrive site?

I'm assuming if I could get my phone to send out a wifi signal that the Kindle Fire could connect to, then I could check out and download the library books on the Kindle Fire. Is it the same for the Paperwhite?

Moderator, thank you for moving my thread to the right place. I was stumped about where to put it.

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Ann in Arlington

· #4 · Jan 6, 2013

I don't use the library much myself. When I have I've gone to the library's site on my computer and checked the book out. It's then my archive at Amazon and can usually be sent from there to whichever kindle I want it. Some publishers restrict that so you have to jump through a few extra hoops to get it on to the kindle. Transferring via a physical connection over USB is always an option.

I haven't tried to read the book on my phone, though I do have the Kindle App.

We do have members here who use the library quite a bit. . . .perhaps they'll have some further insight.

And, welcome to the Boards!

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Hunterr

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jan 6, 2013

Thanks!

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Betsy the Quilter

· #6 · Jan 7, 2013

Hunterr said:
Is it impossible to check out Kindle library books without a PC/mac?

I'd like to be able to check out Kindle library books with my Photon Q Android phone. Once a kindle book has been checked out with my mac, I can download it through 3G/4G onto my phone, but I can't finish checking the book out with my phone. When I leave the library site and enter the Amazon site, the book is only available for purchase, not a loan.

I can't use the 3G on my Kindle to download a library book; I understand that. I'm working on figuring out how to use my phone as a wifi hotspot, but so far have failed at that too. I think I need to pay Sprint some more money each month to do that.

I'm a little obsessed with figuring out how to use just my Photon Q phone and my 3G Paperwhite to get library books onto the 3G Paperwhite without the use of a PC/mac. I don't have wifi at home, so I have to carry the laptop to a hotspot, or do something dishonest to check out the library books at home.

I can check out epub versions of the same books and download and read them on the phone, but I really want to read the books on my 3G Paperwhite. I'm willing to pay money for software or a contract or whatever.

Some libraries have their website set so that the books offered are limited to what can be read by the device accessing the site. For instance, the last time I checked, if I accessed my local library (in Virginia) with my iPod Touch, I could only download epub books, but with my iPad, I can checkout the Kindle versions. Or something like that. There was quite a discussion here at one point; I didn't realize that the access differed until I tried each device.

Betsy

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Hunterr

Discussion Starter · #7 · Jan 8, 2013

Betsy the Quilter said:
Some libraries have their website set so that the books offered are limited to what can be read by the device accessing the site. For instance, the last time I checked, if I accessed my local library (in Virginia) with my iPod Touch, I could only download epub books, but with my iPad, I can checkout the Kindle versions. Or something like that. There was quite a discussion here at one point; I didn't realize that the access differed until I tried each device.

Betsy

Thank you. Now if I could just figure out how to find a setting that wouldn't allow the site to recognize what device was accessing it.

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jbs-horn

· #8 · Feb 19, 2013

I'm not sure this is your problem, but the last I saw Amazon would only allow downloading of library books over wifi, not 3G.

Hunterr said:
Is it impossible to check out Kindle library books without a PC/mac?

I'd like to be able to check out Kindle library books with my Photon Q Android phone. Once a kindle book has been checked out with my mac, I can download it through 3G/4G onto my phone, but I can't finish checking the book out with my phone. When I leave the library site and enter the Amazon site, the book is only available for purchase, not a loan.

I can't use the 3G on my Kindle to download a library book; I understand that. I'm working on figuring out how to use my phone as a wifi hotspot, but so far have failed at that too. I think I need to pay Sprint some more money each month to do that.

I'm a little obsessed with figuring out how to use just my Photon Q phone and my 3G Paperwhite to get library books onto the 3G Paperwhite without the use of a PC/mac. I don't have wifi at home, so I have to carry the laptop to a hotspot, or do something dishonest to check out the library books at home.

I can check out epub versions of the same books and download and read them on the phone, but I really want to read the books on my 3G Paperwhite. I'm willing to pay money for software or a contract or whatever.

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Eltanin Publishing

· #9 · Feb 19, 2013

Betsy the Quilter said:
Some libraries have their website set so that the books offered are limited to what can be read by the device accessing the site. For instance, the last time I checked, if I accessed my local library (in Virginia) with my iPod Touch, I could only download epub books, but with my iPad, I can checkout the Kindle versions. Or something like that. There was quite a discussion here at one point; I didn't realize that the access differed until I tried each device.

Betsy

It also might matter whether you are browsing for books on the Android using the Android app, or just using the web browser. I was just able to get this to work - browsing and borrowing a book in the Philadelphia library's Overdrive website, from Google Chrome web browser on an Android tablet. When I got to checkout, there was a button that said something like "download - select format" and when I click it and select kindle format, it takes me to Amazon's web page where I sent it to my PW. As someone mentioned, you have to use wifi to download the book to your kindle - Amazon doesn't allow you to use 3G to deliver library books.

But basically it looked and worked very similar to when I'm doing it in a web browser on my PC.

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SusanCassidy

· #10 · Feb 21, 2013

Penguin ebooks can only be checked out via USB. So, you can't use those types of books on your phone.

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Meemo

· #11 · Feb 21, 2013

SusanCassidy said:
Penguin ebooks can only be checked out via USB. So, you can't use those types of books on your phone.

Thats what Penguin would like you to believe.

Actually once you've checked out a Penguin book and selected the Kindle you'll send it to via USB, the book goes into your Archives for the checkout period. You can then use any Kindle or app, go into Archives, and download it straight to that Kindle or other device. You never actually have to use the USB at all. Just don't tell those silly Penguins. :-X

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Ann in Arlington

· #12 · Feb 21, 2013

Meemo said:
Thats what Penguin would like you to believe.

Actually once you've checked out a Penguin book and selected the Kindle you'll send it to via USB, the book goes into your Archives for the checkout period. You can then use any Kindle or app, go into Archives, and download it straight to that Kindle or other device. You never actually have to use the USB at all. Just don't tell those silly Penguins.

Right. . .though you can't go into MYK on Amazon and send it from there. The Penguins have that route blocked.

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