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The BiblioBoard Library is available to everyone in Illinois, regardless of whether they have a library card. This collection is a project of the Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS).
Anyone who is physically in Illinois can access the content RAILS provides on BiblioBoard Library without a login. Users are authenticated through the IP address of their computer or GPS coordinates of their mobile device.
Because BiblioBoard authenticates by the user's location, visiting the website or opening the app gives you access to e-books without needing to enter a library card number or other login. Unlimited checkouts and no return periods give readers instant access to all titles all the time.
Readers also may create a BiblioBoard account profile and login. An account allows access to BiblioBoard Library while outside of Illinois, as well as the ability to download content for offline reading and to add bookmarks and notes.
To use Biblioboard, simply visit https://illinois.biblioboard.com/home and browse the collection. When you hover over a title's icon, you'll see a button that says "read this". Click on that button to read the selected title.
Libby - Digital Library of Illinois
The Digital Library of Illinois is an OverDrive ebook collection that you can access from your mobile device, tablet/e-reader, or desktop or laptop computer via the Libby app. With this resource, PTPLD patrons can access e-books, audiobooks, digital magazines, and videos. There are a couple different ways to access all the materials that the Digital Library of Illinois has to offer:
From your desktop or laptop computer --
1. Open your web browser (Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer, or Microsoft Edge) and go to https://libbyapp.com//.
2. Click "sign in" in the upper right-hand corner of the page.
3. Use the drop-down menu to select Prairie Trails Public Library District as your library.
4. Enter your library card number and your PIN (if you're not sure of your PIN, give us a call and staff can assist). Click "sign in".
5. You're in! Now you'll be able to browse all available collections.
When you find an item you'd like to check out, simply click on the "borrow" button. You'll then receive a message that confirms what you've checked out, lets you know the lending period of the digital checkout, and informs you about how many available checkouts you have left. If you'd like to access your borrowed material right away, just click "read now in browser" (or "listen now in browser", etc.).
In the upper right-hand corner of your screen, you'll see a drop-down menu called "my account". You can use this menu to view your current loans, holds, and more. You can also access your account settings and edit things like your preferred lending period (7, 14, or 21 days), display options, and content preferences.
From your mobile device or tablet/e-reader --
1. Install the Libby app from the app store on your Android or iOS (iPhone/iPad/iPod touch) device. Or, visit https://www.overdrive.com/apps/libby in your Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge browser.
2. In the Libby app, follow the prompts to find your library and sign in with your library card.
3. You're in! Now you'll be able to browse all available collections.
In the Libby app, items that you've borrowed wil be available on your "shelf" (this icon looks like several vertical books stacked next to each other). From your "shelf", you'll be able to view all your current loans, holds, and borrowing history. You'll also be able to see how many days remain in the lending period for each borrowed item.
eRead Illinois / Axis360
eRead Illinois is another collection of e-books that is available to everyone with a valid PTPLD library card. To access eRead Illinois:
From your desktop or laptop computer --
1. Visit https://ptpld.axis360.baker-taylor.com/.
2. Click "login" in the upper right-hand corner of the page. Enter your library card number and click "login". You can also check the "remember me" box if you'd like to skip logging in in the future.
3. Browse titles or search for a specific title. Select "checkout" from the title details page of a specific item that you'd like to borrow.
4. Select "read now" to open a book in a new tab and begin reading.
You can also view a summary of these instructions by clicking here.
For instructions on how to read checked-out items offline, click here.
From your mobile device or tablet/e-reader (Axis360 app) --
1. Install the Axis360 app from the app store on your Android or iOS (iPhone/iPad/iPod touch) device.
2. Follow the prompts to search for Prairie Trails Public Library District and log in using your library card number and information.
3. Browse titles or search for a specific title. Select "checkout" from the title details page of a specific item that you'd like to borrow.
4. Select "read now" to begin reading a checked-out item right away.
You can also view a summary of how to log in and use the Axis360 app by clicking here.
For instructions on how to check out and return e-books in this app, click here.
Tumblebook Library
TumbleBookLibrary is an online collection of e-books for children. There are over 250 animated, talking picture books! The site also features Spanish and French books, read-along chapter books, non-fiction books, and games and puzzles. You can use your computer, tablet, or mobile phone to access Tumblebooks. All you need is an internet connection. There are no downloads: books are streamed right to your device at the click of a button.
To access TumbleBooks, click here and then scroll down towards the bottom of the page until you find the link that says "TumbleBookLibrary". Click that link.
You will then be able to browse various collections. Once you find a book that you'd like to read, click on the book's icon and then click "Read Online". You can also add books to your collection of "favorites" if you choose to do so.
hoopla
hoopla is a digital media service that allows you to use your library card to borrow movies, music, audiobooks, ebooks, comics and TV shows to enjoy on your computer, tablet, or phone – and even your TV! Titles can be streamed immediately, or downloaded to phones or tablets for offline enjoyment later. There are hundreds of thousands of titles to choose from, with more being added daily.
From your desktop or laptop computer --
To use hoopla, visit https://www.hoopladigital.com/ and click "sign up" in the upper right-hand corner. Then follow the prompts, including entering your library card number, to create an account that you can log back into whenever you'd like.
From your mobile device or tablet/e-reader (hoopla app) --
1. Install the hoopla app from the app store on your Android or iOS (iPhone/iPad/iPod touch) device.
2. Once the app is installed, you can either sign up for an account or log in if you've already created an account.
3. Browse titles or search for a specific title. Select "borrow" from the title details page of a specific item that you'd like to borrow.
You may check out up to 8 titles per month. The lending period depends on the media type:
- movies and television episodes: 72 hours (3 days) from the time you borrow the title
- music albums: 7 days from the time you borrow the title
- eBooks, eAudiobooks and digital comics: 21 days from the time you borrow the title
