In addition to all the items we have in the library, you also have access to a wide range of digital books, downloadable audio books and downloadable CDs. In the catalog, you'll see them listed as e-books. For the younger folks, we also have digital children's books available through the Tumblebook website.
To check out an e-book, click on the link in the catalog and it will take you to the Northern California Digital Library website. Once there, add the item to your "bookbag" (if it is currently unavailable, you can place it on hold) and keep browsing or continue on to check it out.
Once the item is checked out, you can download it to your personal computer (you won't be able to download to the library's computers). To view it or listen to it, you may need to download some free software to your computer as well.
You can have 8 digital items checked out at a time. The loan periods vary depending on the title, but at the end of that time period the item is automatically "returned." The file remains on your computer after it expires, but it won't be usable anymore. So just delete it and you are all done.
Please see our tutorial page for a visual demonstration of this process.
Northern California Digital Library also has a help page and a page on device compatibility if you find yourself running into problems.