# UK - overdrive books and kindle paper white?



## blackcat99 (Oct 28, 2017)

Been to the library today and they said I can't send books from overdrive to my kindle paper white.. however is it possible to use calibre to convert the books into a kindle format that can be read by the paper white ?  Or any other work around ?


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Library books -- books through Overdrive -- will have some sort of DRM. Likely you _can_ convert them to a kindle compatible file, but that would require stripping the DRM and that's not a topic of discussion we allow.

I have heard some UK people have a kobo for Overdrive books, or read them on a tablet using the app.


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## blackcat99 (Oct 28, 2017)

Thanks - just had a look at the kobo and looks as though it will do the job - don't really want to faff around stripping DRM off of books (!)


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## Linjeakel (Mar 17, 2010)

blackcat99 said:


> Thanks - just had a look at the kobo and looks as though it will do the job - don't really want to faff around stripping DRM off of books (!)


I have a Kobo Aura One for reading library books as I couldn't find any viable work around for getting library books on to a Kindle. It works well as it has Overdrive built into it - once you get your head around how it works, it's pretty simple.

I'm not sure why there is no support for Kindle in UK libraries but when I made enquiries they said there were no plans to change things in the near future so I figured it was worth the investment in a Kobo, as I don't much care for reading on a phone or tablet.


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## TromboneAl (Mar 20, 2015)

It's easy with Calibre. Here are my notes:

Download ePub version (choose to Open in Digital Editions)
Close Digital Editions.
Open Calibre
Choose Add Books
Import the new book from Documents\My Digital Editions
Convert the book to MOBI format
Right click on the book or books, and select Open Containing Folder
Right click on the MOBI file and select SendToKindle

Alternatively

Download ePub version (choose to Open in Digital Editions)
Close Digital Editions.
Open Calibre
Choose Add Books
Import the new book from Documents\My Digital Editions
Plug in the Kindle Paperwhite
Right click on the book or books, and choose Send Specific Format to Main Memory
Select the MOBI format and choose OK


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## RebeccaM (Apr 12, 2018)

My library uses Libro and not Overdrive, but I would love to know how you get on using Overdrive on the Kobo (I understand it's bult into one of the models). My mother's library uses OD so I could borrow via her card. I hate reading on a device. My iPhone is too small and my iPad too heavy so I bought a Lenovo tablet just for library books and I hate it!

I read somewhere that not al a library's ebooks are available through OD.

I understand that in the US, OD and Libby have a "Send to Kindle" option. Why oh why can't we have this in the UK?

But please, I'd love to know if it's worth buying a Kobo.


Thank you


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Color me confused: if you hate reading on a device, well, Kobo is a device. So . . . . the question is moot, isn't it? 

OTOH, if by 'device' you mean a tablet or phone, it is absolutely true that ereaders are different animals  because of the eInk screen vs the colored backlit LED screen. They really are more like reading on paper.

That said . . .  Kobo utilizes the ePub format. So I would guess that if you can borrow and download ePub versions and then sideload, that will work. But I'm not in the UK so have no way of knowing if there's something else to consider.


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## Linjeakel (Mar 17, 2010)

RebeccaM said:


> My library uses Libro and not Overdrive, but I would love to know how you get on using Overdrive on the Kobo (I understand it's bult into one of the models). My mother's library uses OD so I could borrow via her card. I hate reading on a device. My iPhone is too small and my iPad too heavy so I bought a Lenovo tablet just for library books and I hate it!
> 
> I read somewhere that not al a library's ebooks are available through OD.
> 
> ...


As I think I said previously in this thread, I'm in the UK and I have a Kobo Aura One for reading library books as it has Overdrive bulit into it.

I think it's slightly easier to use Overdrive on a tablet, but if you read a lot of library books and want an e-ink reader then the Kobo is the best way to go. The screen on that model is the same size as the Oasis 2 and is as nice to read on as a Kindle. It has a good screen and plenty of font choices and you can change the font size and weight as you can on Kindles nowadays. It also has a front light.

I only use mine for library books as I am otherwise already heavily invested in Kindle books, but if this isn't the case for you, obviously you can also use it to buy and store Kobo books - I think it has 8Gb of storage.


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## RebeccaM (Apr 12, 2018)

Thank you, everyone.

Ann, good point about a device! I suppose I do not consider my Kindles to be devices because of the type of screens they have.

Linjeakel, it seems like a Kobo may well be worth trying.


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