Choosing an e-book reader

Considering an e-book reader for yourself or someone else? Before you make your purchase, it might be helpful to know which readers are library e-book friendly, and which are not.

Kobo Touch & Wi-Fi
The Kobo is a lightweight, easy to use e-reader, available in Touch and Wi-Fi editions. Both readers are library e-book friendly and are sold at Chapters/Indigo Books. These are lightweight e-readers featuring e-ink technology, which is easy on the eyes and allows you to read even in bright sunlight.

Kobo Vox
The Kobo Vox is Kobo's new tablet. It runs on the Android operating system and is library e-book friendly. Library e-books are downloaded directly to the tablet using the OverDrive Media Console app. The Kobo Vox doesn't feature e-ink but has a vivid seven-inch colour display. It also includes apps that allow you to browse the web, check email, play games and more.

Nook
The Nook is a Barnes & Noble product, and as far as we know, is only available for purchase in the United States. It has been a popular option for cross-border shoppers, though tech support may be somewhat limited for Canadian customers. This e-reader is easy to use, is available in e-ink and colour editions, and is library e-book friendly. There is also a Nook Tablet on the market, and while we've read that it is library e-book friendly, we haven't tested it first hand.

Sony Reader Wi-Fi
Sony's latest e-reader, the Sony Wi-Fi (like most of its previous products), is library e-book friendly. It features a six-inch touch screen with e-ink display. It also features the ability to download library e-books directly to the device, without connecting to a computer – common among tablets and other mobile devices, but not so common in a dedicated e-reader.

iPad
The Overdrive Media Console app for Apple devices allows you to search for, download and read library e-books directly to the iPad, making it (along with the iPhone) library e-book friendly. The Overdrive Media Console is easy to use and has many of the features you expect from an e-reader, including the ability to adjust text size and place bookmarks. The iPad doesn't feature e-ink, but it does have an exceptional, full-colour backlit display.

Blackberry PlayBook
With the release of OS 2.0, the Blackberry PlayBook is now library e-book friendly. Library e-books are downloaded directly to the PlayBook using the OverDrive Media Console app. The PlayBook includes many of the features of other tablets, including a colour display and the ability to run a variety of apps.

Kindle & Kindle Fire
The Kindle is an excellent e-reader, and has enjoyed exceptional popularity since its release. Unfortunately, the Kindle and Kindle Fire are currently NOT library e-book friendly in Canada. Amazon e-books are available from libraries in the United States, but not Canadian libraries. There are several models available, including touch screen and keyboard editions featuring e-ink technology. The Kindle Fire is Kindle's new tablet and features a seven-inch colour display.

For more on devices that are library e-book friendly, see Overdrive's list of compatible e-book devices [PDF].