Need yr help: borrow an e-book /e-audio online in an English speaking e-library

[early learning17]

I have raised this question with DadDude a long time ago but we didn´t get through to answer it:
How to borrow an e-book or e-audio online in an English speaking e-library when you don´t live in that country?

He said at that time that he couldn´t imagine a US library doing that. Well, the German libraries do it!
Although we live outside Germany, I have just recently got a FREE! library pass for my child and what´s better: they even have an app so I can directly borrow up to 15 e-books or e-audios a week from my i-device and via bluetooth stream it directly to my car radio!! All I needed was to email the ID card of the kid, my ID card and a scanned-in letter with my signature saying that "we want to apply for an online membership". They sent my library card no. back to me by email so everything was done electronically and I never needed to show up in person somewhere (please see details at the very end of this post if you are interested in doing this with a German library, the app is called "onleihe")

But as I would LOVE to be able to borrow as well in an English library, I really need your help: Can you please ask in your local library if that is possible for somebody living OUTSIDE your country and what the necessary steps are to apply for one please?

The rest of this post is information in German about this Onleihe service in case it interests somebody else:
 
Onleihe Bücherei finden:
http://www.divibib.com/ihre-onleihe-finden/onleihen-in-deutschland.html
 
Anleitung zur Onleihe-Ausleihe:
http://www.divibib.com/fuer-leser-hoerer-zuschauer/anleitung.html
 
FAQs:
Die Onleihe ist ein Angebot der digitalen Büchereien, über das Sie digitale Medien (eBooks, ePaper, eAudios, eMusik und eVideos) herunterladen und somit ausleihen können.
Was sind eBooks?
eBooks sind Bücher in digitaler Form. Sie bieten Ihnen einige Möglichkeiten, die Sie bei gedruckten Büchern nicht haben. So können Sie eBooks zum Beispiel gezielt nach Begriffen durchsuchen oder mit Anmerkungen versehen, ohne das Buch zu beschädigen.
Was bedeuten eAudio, eMusik, eVideo und ePaper?
eAudios sind Hörbücher in digitaler Form. eMusik ist digitalisierte Musik, eVideos sind herunterladbare Filme, ePaper sind Zeitschriften und Magazine in digitaler Form. Sie können diese Inhalte über Ihren Rechner nutzen oder über einen DRM-fähigen MP3-Player.
Wie kann man die Onleihe nutzen?
Für die Nutzung der Onleihe gibt es nur zwei Voraussetzungen, nämlich dass Sie einen gültigen Bibliotheksausweis besitzen und über einen Internetanschluss verfügen.  Wenn Sie die Onleihe nutzen möchten, benötigen Sie ein Passwort, das Sie an den Info-Theken in unseren Bibliotheken erhalten.
Wann hat die Onleihe geöffnet?
Das Angebot steht Ihnen rund um die Uhr zur Verfügung. Sie können jederzeit von jedem beliebigen Internetterminal auf die digitalen Medien zugreifen und sie ausleihen.
Welche Kosten fallen an?
Für die Nutzung der Onleihe fallen keine Kosten pro herunter geladenem Medium an. So fallen über die üblichen Internetverbindungsgebühren hinaus keine weiteren Kosten für Sie an.
Wie gebe ich die Medien zurück an die Bibliothek?
Wie bei den Büchern, Filmen und CDs der digitalen Büchereien ist die Nutzung der Medien aus der Onleihe zeitlich befristet. Sie brauchen sich nicht darum zu kümmern, die Medien wieder zurückzugeben. Sobald die Leihfrist abgelaufen ist, erlischt die Nutzbarkeit der Datei, d.h. sie kann nicht mehr geöffnet werden. Am besten löschen Sie sie von Ihrem PC. Das Medium ist dann wieder für andere Interessenten verfügbar. Und das Beste: Mahngebühren können nicht anfallen!
Wie viele Medien kann ich ausleihen?
Die Anzahl der in der digitale Bibliothek gleichzeitig ausleihbaren Medien liegt bei 15 Titeln.
Wie lange kann ich die unterschiedlichen Medien ausleihen?
Die Angabe über die jeweilige Ausleihfrist finden Sie beim jeweiligen Titel unter “Exemplarinformationen” oder wenn Sie einen Titel in ihren Medienkorb gelegt haben.
Kann ich Medien auch vormerken, wenn Sie gerade nicht verfügbar sind?
Über die Vormerkerfunktion können Sie sich benachrichtigen lassen, wenn ein Titel, der gerade ausgeliehen ist, wieder für Sie verfügbar ist. Sie erhalten dann eine E-Mail an die von Ihnen angegebene E-Mail-Adresse. Bitte beachten Sie, dass Sie maximal 5 Titel auf einmal vormerken können.

[Mandabplus3]

Sure I will ask for you next time I go. Really I could just sign you up as one of my kids anyway I rekon. Clearly I can't do this for everyone so I will ask first. It's basically the same deal online here. You get the books or audio ( including educational kids music!) for 2 weeks. I think the limit might be 10 but you can return them early and check out more before 2 weeks is up of course.
I am already overdue for a visit...just not sure when I can fit it in yet....will let you know.

[early learning17]

thank you very much for your offer, mandabplus3 (and of course there is no hurry!) where are you based again?

I go the following reply from a big US library and wonder if we have got any BK members in the cities mentioned to ask for me, please?

Los Angeles: http://www.lapl.org/ask-a-librarian

Chicago: http://www.chipublib.org/aboutcpl/ask_a_librarian.php

Brooklyn Public Library: http://www.bklynpubliclibrary.org/borrowing-materials

sorry, gotta go, my kid is screaming for its "mooooommmmy"

[early learning17]

On second thought, staying within the European Union might be the easiest. Does anybody in the UK know of a library with children's e-books and e-audios that allows for international applications and can send me a link please?

[early learning17]

DadDude responded to me in a private email and asked me to give you the following message:
"I have even less time than usual. If you talk to the people on BrillKids, you can tell them I said "hi" and sorry I can't spend more time there. www.infobitt.com is occupying all of my time apart from teaching my sons."

And later "I´ll open it up to all my bk friends, just ask for an invite!"

So here it is. We miss you DadDude and hope you will be able to join us to me degree at another point in time again. Good luck with your new endeavour in the meantime!

[Korrale4kq]

I know you can't here in Ohio where I live. I live in a small town. I can't even get a library card for the bigger city because I am not residential. I was told it can't be done because the library is funded mostly by the local tax payers and it is their service.

[lelask]

Try to see this http://www.surreycc.gov.uk/people-and-community/libraries/libraries-in-surrey/ebooks-and-eaudiobooks
There is an option for non members.
After reading this I realised I used to be a member when we lived in the Uk and just the other day my daughter pulled out my old membership card. Not sure if it works. Going to try.

[bella]

i tried once to join listening library for specialneed  for isa , and because we didn't live in UK , i did it through a friend living in UK and gave Uk address . my friend left and we didn't renew . i received an email from them asking me to renew for free ( before it was paid subscription that my friend offered to pay as gift for isa ) , i explained to them that i don't live in Uk now nut would love to have access to their audios for my specialneed daughter . they wrote back a very polite apologetic reply saying that their library is registered charity for specialneed residents of UK , she said she is sorry that my daughter has no access to audio libraries where we live , wishing me luck . Well this is the reward for being honest , i should have lied and gave a uk address , i guess i wished they would be a bit sympathetic with me and allow us access to their audios .
It would be wonderful if this is possible in other libraries , What my friend did Manda is exactly what you are proposing , he considered himself isa's uncle .
i will be grateful if you don't mind adopting my kids for a library card
xxx
viv

[early learning17]

Try to see this http://www.surreycc.gov.uk/people-and-community/libraries/libraries-in-surrey/ebooks-and-eaudiobooks
There is an option for non members.
After reading this I realised I used to be a member when we lived in the Uk and just the other day my daughter pulled out my old membership card. Not sure if it works. Going to try.

Thank you very much for that link, lelask, but it says quite clearly, that you need to be a resident of Surrey: "Anyone with an email address who lives in Surrey can join, and completing the form only takes a couple of minutes."....Anyone else has got another linke please?
I am really puzzled as I wouldn´t have thought that German libraries are frontrunners if it comes to becoming a member and using an e-libary from abroad! They did it WITHOUT any problems and everything via email, I didn´t need to go there personally and now I am able to stream audiobooks (and would be able to show ebooks) to my kid at night :-) Surely, high tech USA or any other English speaking country can do this as well?

Don´t give up guys, PLEASE ask your local library on your next trip and inform us what they said please. By pulling resouces and know how together from all over the world, we simply MUST come up with sth and if it is only to help Bella!

[Mandabplus3]

Try this one. It seems to have something worth the effort but might not be a complete substitute.
http://netlibrary.net/Default.aspx
Wiki threw up this list for you too

USA Libraries that offer cards online or by mail
These libraries currently allow non-residents to obtain cards without appearing in person.
The Free Library of Philadelphia ($50/yr)
Fairfax County, VA ($27/year)
Charlotte-Mecklenburg County, NC ($45/yr)
New Orleans, LA ($50/yr)
Orange County, FL ($125/yr)
Brooklyn Public Library ($50/yr)
Enoch Pratt Free Library ($50/yr)

[early learning17]

Thanks for the list, Mandabplus!
Everybody please note that the following library is open to US citizens ONLY, international applications are not being processed at the moment:
Brooklyn Public Library ($50/yr)

Has anybody tried another library and can share with us if it is open for people OUTSIDE the US or not please?

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