Skip to Main Content
Fairfax County logo

eBooks, eAudio, eMags & Streaming: Tech Help

Thousands of eBooks and eAudiobooks available anytime and from anywhere you have internet access—free with your library card!

OverDrive On Computers and B/W eReaders

PLEASE NOTE: OverDrive is winding down the legacy OverDrive app. The OverDrive app was removed from the Apple App Store, Google Play, and Microsoft Store on February 23, 2022. Consider switching from the OverDrive app to the newer Libby, by OverDrive app.

The library offers free eBooks, eAudiobooks and eMagazines through a service called OverDrive. Ten items may be borrowed at a time and there are no late fees. eMagazine checkouts are unlimited. While items can be returned early, they are returned automatically when the checkout period expires. Owners of eReaders that cannot use Wi-Fi will need to use a USB to transfer titles from a computer to their device.

What you will need

  • Valid Fairfax County library card
  • Internet connection or Wi-Fi on your computer
  • Adobe Digital Editions (ADE) installed on your computer: bit.ly/fcpladobe and an Adobe ID, obtained when you first open Adobe Digital Editions

Search

  1. On a computer, go to OverDrive's catalog at bit.ly/fcploverdrive.
  2. Select Sign In located in the upper right corner and enter your library card number and password (PIN).
  3. Search for titles or authors by selecting the magnifying glass at the top of the page or scroll down to browse.
  4. Narrow your search

a) prior to entering your search terms, by selecting options under Advanced Search. Select the magnifying glass and then select Advanced. Under Formats you can limit your search to either EPUB eBook or PDF eBook. Also limit by Availability, Subjects, Audience and more. OR

b) after entering your search terms, by using the filters on the left-hand side of the screen. Choose the category called eBooks to limit to either OverDrive Read or EPUB eBook.

Borrow and Download to Read on Your Computer

  1. Select Borrow if the title is available. Select Borrow again to confirm.
  2. Choose your format by selecting Download EPUB eBook or Download PDF eBook.
  3. Select the downloaded file to open the book in Adobe Digital Editions.
  4. After downloading items, double click the book cover in the Adobe Digital Editions Library to read.

Borrow to Stream and Read in Your Browser

  1. Select Borrow on available titles. Select Borrow again to confirm.
  2. Select Read Now in Browser to stream your eBook. The title will open in a new tab. Simply close the tab when you are finished reading.

Set Up to Borrow eMagazines in Your Browser

  1. To gain access to eMagazines, go to the Library of Virginia’s OverDrive catalog: bit.ly/fcpllva.
  2. Select the blue Sign In button. Select Fairfax County Public Library from the drop-down menu and enter your library card number and password.
  3. Select Magazines from the menu at the top. When you select a title to borrow, it will link to its most recent issue. If available, select the blue Select Another Issue button to see previous issues.
  4. Select the desired issue, select Borrow and then select Borrow again to confirm. Select Read Now in Browser.

Read Books and eMagazines in Your Browser

  • Your eBook or eMagazine will open in a new tab. Simply close the tab when you are finished reading. You can open a title in your browser as many times as you wish until the eMagazine is returned. Find your checked out items (Loans) by selecting the book icon in the upper right of OverDrive. Select Read now in browser.
  • Click the right side of a page to go forward, or the left side to go back.
  • Click in the middle of the page to see more features. You can:
    • Select the image of a page/two pages at the top to choose between single- or double-page layout.
    • Find helpful accessibility features.
    • Zoom in.
    • Select a specific chapter, article or page you want to read from the Table of Contents at the bottom of the screen, then click in the middle of the page again to read.
  • For a more reader-friendly version of an eMagazine article, click the page icon at the bottom center of the screen. Select Done to return to the eMagazine.
  • If you get stuck, look for HIDE or DONE or click on the center of the page again.

Holds

  1.  In the OverDrive catalog, Select Place a Hold if all copies are in use. If necessary, enter and confirm your email address. Select Place a Hold to confirm.
  2. After receiving notification that a hold is available, choose one of the following:

a) Borrow the title within three days.

b) Select Deliver Later to stay at the top of the holds list while passing the book to the next person in line. After your chosen suspension period, you can borrow the next available copy.

c) Cancel your hold

If no action is taken within three days, your hold will be automatically suspended one time for seven days. If no action is taken a second time, the hold will be automatically canceled.

Return

  • Return items early from the OverDrive Loans page. Select the Return button under the title and Return Title to confirm.
  • To return items early from the ADE Library view, right click on the cover of the book you wish to return and select Return Borrowed Item. Click Return in the pop-up box to confirm. (To removed expired items, right click on a cover, select Remove from Library and then click Remove to confirm).

Renew

  • You can renew a title starting three days before a title is set to expire. Select Renew Loan under the title in your Loans and then select Renew to confirm.
  • If others are waiting, you can Request the title to be placed on the holds list.

Borrow to Listen in a Browser

Listen to eAudiobooks by selecting Listen Now in Browser. Select the speedometer to change playback speed or the crescent moon for a sleep timer.

TIP: If you check out a title from our regular library catalog, download and read it directly from the OverDrive catalog: bit.ly/fcploverdrive.

Fairfax County seal