FCO Library e-resources: Audiobooks and eBooks

Source: https://bookpatrol.net/digital-vs-print-the-book-battle-rages-on/

Since the Family Care Office is currently working remotely, no physical materials from the FCO Library can be checked out at this time. However, many of the 500+ titles in the FCO Library – including several recent releases – can be accessed for free in audiobook and eBook format through Ontario’s public libraries and U of T Libraries. These materials are noted in the FCO’s BookList, and the book’s title hyperlinks to its listing in the Toronto Public Library’s OverDrive catalogue.

Many other libraries in Canada also use OverDrive (or an equivalent), so if you aren’t currently in Toronto, you can likely still access digital materials through your local library’s website with a library card.

Below, you can find instructions on how to borrow e-resources and obtain a library card. If you’re currently unable to visit a branch in person, most libraries also have the option of registering for an Instant Digital Card that provides access to digital materials.

How to get a library card

You are eligible for a free library card if you live, work, go to school, or own property in that region. For the Toronto Public Library, you can either:

Visit a TPL branch with valid and current name and address verification.
Get a temporaryInstant Digital Card that provides access to e-books and audiobooks.

For other public libraries in the Greater Toronto Area, below are links with instructions on how to get access to their online catalogue and resources.

Brampton: Get an Online Library Card
Caledon: Your Library Card
Halton: Virtual Library Cards
Markham: Get a Library Card
Mississauga: Get a Virtual Library Card
Newmarket: Membership and Borrowing
Richmond Hill: Library Cards and Membership
Vaughan: Membership
West Grey (Durham, Elmwood, Neustadt, Ayton): Services

Accessing eBooks and audiobooks

eBooks and audiobooks can be accessed through OverDrive, which is available either online or through an app.

In order to access content on your mobile device or computer with a screen reader, you must download the OverDrive app. OverDrive also works on dedicated eReaders, iPods, desktop computers, and mp3 players.

The Libby app (powered by OverDrive) allows users to download content to tablets, phones, and Windows 10 computers. However, Libby is currently not accessible with screen reader.

TPL has directions – both PDF guides and video tutorials – on how to download the apps and link them to your account on any device: Toronto Public Library: Getting Started with OverDrive. These same instructions will apply for any other public library that uses OverDrive; simply follow the steps, but choose whichever library you have a card for.

Other GTA libraries that use OverDrive include Caledon, Newmarket, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, West Grey, Durham Region (aside from Oshawa) and Mississauga; Mississauga also allows user to borrow titles from the Burlington and Hamilton public libraries (they have the same titles, but additional copies – so check to see which library has the shortest waitlist).

Halton, Brampton, and Oshawa use Cloud Library and Markham uses EBSCOhost, and directions on how to access those collections are on their websites.

Some of the recent FCO titles available in Audiobook format on OverDrive include:

Pops by Michael Chabon

Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions Into Adulthood by Lisa Damour

Parenting the New Teen in the Age of Anxiety by John Duffy

Positive Parenting: Ending the Power Struggles and Reconnecting from the Heart by Rebecca Eanes

My Parents’ Keeper: The Guilt, Grief, Guesswork, and Unexpected Gifts of Caregiving by Jody Gastfriend

Planting Seeds: Practicing Mindfulness with Children by Thich Nhat Hanh

Minimalist Parenting: Enjoy Modern Family Life More by Doing Less by Christine Koh, Asha Dornfest

The Fourth Trimester: A Postpartum Guide to Healing Your Body, Balancing Your Emotions, and Restoring Your Vitality by Kimberly Ann Johnson

The Opposite of Spoiled: Raising Kids Who Are Grounded, Generous, and Smart About Money by Ron Lieber

There Is No Good Card for This: What To Say and Do When Life Is Scary, Awful, and Unfair to People You Love by Emily McDowell; Kelsey Crowe