eResources Help

eBooks & eResources FAQs

  • You may have seen the following error message on hoopla: 

    The collective daily borrow limit set by your library has been reached and will reset at midnight. Please browse and add titles to favorites so you can easily access them after midnight.

    The message above has recently been one of the most common errors for hoopla users. Hoopla only charges the library for what people use, and the library has a daily allowance for these materials. Once the library’s daily allowance is reached, users receive the error message above. The library has a budget for hoopla that is divided into a daily budget. This budget can be hit early in the day and an error message will pop up when you attempt to check out something.

    This collective daily limit is NOT related to your 6 monthly checkouts offered by San Jose Public Library. The collective daily limit will prevent checkouts even if you have additional individual checkouts available. 

    The best way to avoid this is by using hoopla as early in the morning as possible. The limit resets at midnight, so you can try again the next morning. If the limit has been reached, you can still put items into your favorites to check out at a later time. 

  • The San Jose Public Library provides free online access to the New York Times on Internet computers and library wi-fi at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library and at all Branch libraries during our normal operating hours. We also offer 72-hour offsite "At- Home" access through our website.

    Offsite "At-Home" access:

    1. Select this link to get your New York Times access code. This code will be usable by you for 72 hours.
    2. Click on "Redeem".
      After the first 72 hours have passed, you will need to redeem another code for another 72 hours of remote access (i.e. Repeat Steps 1&2).  
    3. Create an account with the New York Times or sign in with an existing New York Times account.  Please be advised that registering an email address with New York Times will opt you into receiving marketing emails from the New York Times. To opt out of receiving emails, be sure to click on the check box during your initial sign up.
    4. You will see a page that looks like this*:

    Click on "Go to NYTimes.com". Please note the date when your access ends.

    1. Enjoy the New York Times for 72 hours!

    Reading on The New York Times app

    The New York Times Digital app is free and available for the following operating systems:

    • Android
    • iOS
    • Kindle Fire

    Please visit your device's app store to get the app. You will need to follow the "Offsite " At-Home" access" instructions above in a browser before you log in to the The New York Times app:

    1. Follow steps 1 and 2 above to get your 72 hour access.
    2. Open the NYTimes app
    3. Log in with the email you used to register -- the access code will have already been applied.

    Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

    To access The New York Times Online on library internet computers and over branch wifi:

    Go to your favorite browser and type in www.nytimes.com. You can also find it by going to the San Jose Public Library website.

    1. Select Books & eResources at the top of the San Jose Public Library homepage. 
    2. Select “Newspapers & Magazines” from the “eBooks & Other Formats” category
    3. Find “New York Times (In-Library Access)” in the alphabetical list and press on the link for New York Times (In-Library Access)
    4. Finally, press on the link for the New York Times (In-Library Access) to access this resource

    * The text in the image reads:

    Welcome to The New York Times
    Enjoy your 3 days of unlimited access to NYTimes.com, and the NYTimes smartphone and tablet apps.
    An email confirmation has been sent to [your email]. Your digital access begins immediately and runs through [date]. Go to NYTimes.com [link].

    Related Page: Online Resources Help

  • There are a few different choices you have to make about Boundless (Formerly Axis 360) eBooks depending on how you checked them out.  

    • Via Library Catalog: If you checked out through the library catalog:   
      • When you check out through the library catalog, you are given a choice of two different formats to download. You should consider a couple of things before you choose. Are you going to be reading on a mobile device, or on a computer? Below we have broken down the choices:
        • EPUB - can ONLY be read using an eReader like Adobe Digital Editions or the Bluefire reader. This is how you would read if you are planning to open the book on a laptop or desktop computer.
        • Boundless - can ONLY be read using the Boundless app on a mobile device.
    • Via Boundless Website: If you checked out through the Boundless website in a browser:   
      • You will have a chance to download the eBook when you check it out, but you should, again, consider where you are going to read.  If you plan to read on the computer on which you checked out the book, go ahead and download at the time of check out.  If you plan to read using the Boundless app, wait to download until you have the app open, and download from there.
    • Via the Boundless App: If you checked out through the Boundless app on a mobile device:   
      • If you plan to read in the app, go ahead and download at the time of check out.  If you plan to read on a different device or on a computer, wait to download until you get to that computer or device. 

    For questions or additional help, please feel free to contact us through our email form or call 408-808-2104 if you need help or have questions.

    Related Page: Online Resources Help

  • Here are a few methods to solve this issue: 

    Change your default Kindle to your new device.

      1. Go to www.amazon.com and sign into your account.
      2. Mouse over the "Accounts & Lists" menu and choose "Content & Devices.
      3. Once you're in "Content & Devices", you'll see four tabs across the top of the screen, Select "Devices."
      4. You will see a section for your "Amazon devices" and another for "Amazon apps installed on devices". Select the image for "Amazon devices."
      5. It will give you images of all devices you have connected.
      6. Under one of them, with blue lettering will be the words "Default device". If you want to make the new Kindle the default device, select the image of that new Kindle.
      7. It will open a page with three grey text boxes on the right side. Select "Set as default device."
      8. When the confirmation window pops up, select "Save".
      9. Now, when you send items to your Kindle from OverDrive, they will automatically go to your new device.

    Choose a different Kindle when you check out your book.

    If you don't want to change your default device, you can just choose a different device when you collect your OverDrive book.

      1. After you have checked the book out and have been redirected to Amazon to "Get Library Book", look under the yellow button and choose a different device
      2. Select "Deliver" when you've made the selection.
    •  

    Download book from your Kindle Library.

      1. If you have sent your Kindle book to the wrong device, you can still read it by going to your Kindle Library on the Kindle you prefer and tapping on the cover
      2. The book should download to your device.
      3. If you don't see it in your library, select the "Sync" button to force your Kindle to check for library updates.
        • Make sure that you are connected to Wi-Fi.

    Related Page: Online Resources Help

  • San José Public Library eBooks can be checked out with a valid SJPL library card. Depending on the eBook format, you may need to download additional software. Visit the eBook Help pages for device-specific instructions.

    SJPL customers may obtain a OneSearch account to access San Jose State University materials. SJPL customers may access the University Library electronic resources only while in the King library on either personal computers or wireless devices.

    Related Page: Online Resources Help

  • One of the benefits of using eBooks, eAudiobooks, and digital media from the San José Public Library is that they do not need to be returned like physical items do. They will automatically check themselves back in at the end of the loan period with no action needed on your part.

    If you are interested in returning your eBook or other digital media item so that other borrowers may use it, first identify which platform you checked your item out from (Overdrive, Boundless, hoopla, etc.). Next, follow the corresponding link below to read the most up-to-date instructions from the platform's help files.

    For links labeled as FAQs, please scroll to the given question for the latest return instructions. 

    Quick Links to Return Instructions by Platform

    Related Page: eBooks/eMedia: Stream & Download

eResources Borrowing Rules

21-day Loan Period

  • OverDrive – 10 max Items, 10 max holds, renewals allowed
  • Axis 360 - 10 max Items, 99 max holds, renewals allowed
  • enki - 20 max items, 20 max holds, renewals allowed
  • EBSCO eBooks - 10 max items, renewals allowed
  • hoopla eBooks - 6 total items of any type per month

7-day Loan Period

  • cloudLibrary - 2 max items, no holds, no renewals
  • hoopla Music – 6 total items of any type per month
  • HyRead - 5 eBooks or 3 eMagazines can be checked out at a time, 20 max eBook or 10 max eMagazine holds, 3 renewals allowed

3-day Loan Period

  • hoopla Movies & Television - 6 total items of any type per month

No Limits

  • O'Reilly - eBooks, videos, online learning
  • Gale - eBooks and databases
  • BiblioBoard - eBooks
  • Bookan eMagazines & eNewspapers
  • EBSCO (Flipster) eMagazines & eNewspapers

eSpotlight Blogs

Back to Top