eLibrary
Introduction
Wellington City Libraries has a range of library services you can access online, and these include downloadable media (links below), online databases, our online catalogues and storytime videos. We have recently added Bolinda audiobooks from Australia to our online collections, and this combines with Overdrive eMedia to offer a great range of books to read and listen to.
Please note: At present, the Amazon Kindle is not compatible with the eBooks we offer through Wellington City Libraries. The Kindle eReader is able to be used by libraries providing eBooks in the United States and we hope this service will be introduced to New Zealand in due course. Watch here for developments.
Online databases
As well as eBooks and eAudiobooks, you can also find the answers you need or browse the latest newspapers and magazines in our premium databases.
To get started, visit mygateway
Overdrive Audio and eBooks
What it is
OverDrive is a digital media platform where you can download titles and transfer them to portable devices e.g. iPods, iPhones, iPads, other MP3 players, smartphones and eReaders (Kobo, Sony Reader). It's free, open 24/7 and you never have to pay overdues!
Explore our growing collection of digital audio and eBooks and use your library card to download titles to your computer or portable players. Available 24/7, now your library is always open!
What you will need
- An internet connected computer or smartphone
- A Wellington City Libraries membership card
- Free software for PC and Mac: OverDrive Media Console (audiobooks) and/or Adobe Digital Editions (eBooks). Both are available from the Overdrive downloadable media homepage.
- Free software for iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad & Android: Overdrive's Audiobook app is also linked from Overdrive's homepage.
OverDrive have released an update to the OverDrive apps for iPhone and Android, which adds support for library eBooks. Now you can download both EPUB eBooks and MP3 audiobooks directly to your iPhone, iPod touch, or Android phone/tablet. New users can search for "OverDrive Media Console" in the Apple App Store and Android Market, while current users will be alerted to update the existing OverDrive app on their devices.
Bolinda Audiobooks & eBooks
What it is
Bolinda is Australia's number one publisher of audio-books with a great range of adult and children's titles. Their strength is in Australasian publishing, including some NZ titles, but they also offer a range of international best-sellers.
With Bolinda Digital, you can browse, borrow and download 800+ audio-book titles. Downloaded titles can be enjoyed on your computer or transferred to any mobile device capable of playing MP3 files e.g. iPod/ iPad, Sony Walkman, smartphone etc.
What you will need
- A Wellington City Libraries membership
- A computer with an internet connection
- Unzipping software to unzip the download and any extra software that you require to transfer to your device (eg. iTunes, Windows Media Player or software for your MP3 device).
If you need more information, here are downloading instructions and frequently asked questions.
Other online audiobooks
Librivox
"LibriVox volunteers record chapters of books in the public domain and release the audio files back onto the net. Our goal is to make all public domain books available as free audio books."
Openculture
"Open Culture explores cultural and educational media (podcasts, videos, online courses, etc.) that are freely available on the web", pulling together downloadable audio books which are available on the Internet for free.
Audible.com
Audible.com is an online commercial website offering downloadable audio books in MP3 (iPod-compatible) format. Registration required.
iTunes
Apple offers downloadable audio books via their iTunes Music Store. A software installation of iTunes is required before connecting to the store.
Other online eBooks
Project Gutenberg
"Project Gutenberg is the Internet's oldest producer of FREE electronic books (eBooks or eTexts)". Associated sites include Project Gutenberg of Australia, which contains e-texts of books in the public domain in Australia.
ManyBooks.net
ManyBooks.net contains thousands of free eBooks available in multiple formats for PDAs. Many are sourced from Project Gutenberg (link above), and the site itself is beautifully arranged into categories and very browsable.
Electronic Text Centre
The Electronic Text Centre offers "at least 1,800 publicly-available ebooks including classic British and American fiction, major authors, children's literature, the Bible, Shakespeare, American history, African-American documents, and much more."
New Zealand Electronic Text Centre
The New Zealand Electronic Text Centre, based at Victoria University has a growing collection of eTexts, including the Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War.
Oxford Reference Online
Our library subscription to Oxford Reference Online provides access to works from one of the world's biggest reference publishers in a single cross-searchable resource. Content includes English and bilingual dictionaries, thesauruses, and dictionaries of quotations, religion, folklore and mythology, medical and scientific dictionaries, historical companions, and political and social sciences reference books. (Library card details required)
Royal Society of New Zealand
Digitised by the National Library, the Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand (1868-1961) offer a wealth of scientific and historical information and images.
Early New Zealand books
The University of Auckland Library's early NZ books project aims to provide the keyword-searchable text of significant books published about New Zealand in the nineteenth century. As well as the text, illustrations and maps in the books have also been digitised.
NZ Electronic Poetry
Auckland University manages the New Zealand Electronic Poetry website, which according to one of our librarians: "...has an amazing wealth of up to date information about all of NZ's most important poets, including heaps of biographical info, book covers, selections of their poems and great links to other sites."
Bartleby.com
Bartleby promotes itself as the "preeminent Internet publisher of literature, reference and verse providing students, researchers and the intellectually curious with unlimited access to books and information on the web, free of charge".
Books include:
