OverDrive

OverDrive logoOverDrive Digital LibraryPicture of a yellow Garland Library card with text asking if people have a card and includes the lib Opens in new window

Downloadable audiobooks, eBooks, magazines and streaming videos for Garland Library card holders

  • Listen to MP3 audiobooks 
  • Read eBook, PDF, Kindle and/or graphic novels
  • Read magazines
  • Watch streaming videos
  • Audiobooks and eBooks can be used on a PC, Mac, tablet or smartphone
  • Videos can be watched in the OverDrive app or in your browser
  • Apps are available for iPhone, Android and Windows Mobile

OverDrive Magazines  

Unlimited access to over 3,000 titles, including top titles like:

  • US Weekly
  • National Geographic
  • Good Housekeeping
  • Vanity Fair
  • Rolling Stone
  • Cook's Illustrated

Magazines - OverDrive website https://nmls.overdrive.com/library/magazines
Magazines - Libby App in a browser: https://libbyapp.com/library/nmls

Magazines can be checked out for 7 or 21 days and can be renewed.  Digital magazines have no wait lists or holds and do not count towards your 10 checkout limit.  

The magazines can best be accessed through the Libby app or Libby app in a browser. Readers can browse lists of magazines within the app and search to find available titles.

If you aren't able to use the Libby App on your device (such as a Kindle Fire), you can access the Libby app in any browser at https://libbyapp.com/library/nmls.  You can also use the original OverDrive app or our OverDrive website instead. These alternatives have the same titles as Libby, but offer slightly different features and device compatibility.  The article view feature is only available in Libby.

What happened to the magazines we had?
OverDrive purchased RBdigital so the magazines have moved to OverDrive.

Is there a way to access magazine issues that were previously borrowed via RBdigital?
Yes. Any patron who previously borrowed magazines from RBdigital will be able to access their historical magazine loans by either downloading the free ZINIO app or going to zinio.com. From the ZINIO app or website, patrons can register a new ZINIO account using the same email address they used to access RBdigital. Once registered, their previously borrowed ZINIO magazine loans will be available in their account.


OverDrive Streaming Videos

Great news! We have added hundreds of streaming videos to our OverDrive library. 

Feature films

Kid’s movies

OverDrive videos:

  • Part of your 10 item checkout limit
  • They check out for seven days and can be enjoyed for 24 hours once you start viewing
  • Only works in the OverDrive app and on the OverDrive site

Getting started with streaming video from your library

Garland Library cardholders can borrow and watch free shows, movies, and more. Videos are streaming only and can’t be downloaded, so you’ll need an internet connection to watch them. Depending on what device you’re using, videos will play either in the OverDrive app (on Android, iOS, and Fire devices) or right in your web browser.

Note: Streaming videos can consume a lot of data, so we recommend streaming over a Wi-Fi connection. 

How to watch streaming videos
To get started, borrow a streaming video from your library. Then:

  • If you’re using your computer’s web browser (like Chrome or Safari) or OverDrive for Windows 8/10, select Watch now in browser to start watching in a new tab.
  • If you’re using an Android, iOS, or Fire device, tap Add to bookshelf to add the video to the OverDrive app. You’ll need to go to your app Bookshelf to start watching the video.

What devices and browsers work best
Streaming videos work on computers and Windows 8 and 10 devices as long as you have:

  • Adobe Flash Player
  • An up-to-date web browser, like Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Internet Explorer 10 or newer, or Safari

On Android, iOS, or Fire devices, you’ll need:

  • The OverDrive app, v3.8.6 or newer
  • Android 5.0 or higher
  • iOS 9 or higher
  • FireOS 5 or higher

How can I find the permissions for streaming videos and what do they mean?

Some videos have extra permissions (digital rights) that are set by the publisher. These permissions determine how you can watch the video once you borrow it. You can view a video’s permissions from its details page by opening the Details tab.

Permissions can include:

  • Expires: Once you start watching this video, it will expire from your library account after a set amount of time (24 hours), even if there are extra days left in your lending period.
  • Public performance: The publisher does (or does not) allow this video to be played in a public setting (like a classroom or public library).
  • Playback limited: You can only watch this video from certain geographic regions (like the United States or Canada), and/or you can only watch this video from a certain number of IP addresses.


OverDrive Libby iconLibby - the new OverDrive app!


Meet Libby
Libby Instructions (313 KB)
Libby app in a browser 

Overdrive app logoOriginal OverDrive App

OverDrive App

Instructions for downloading outside the app:

Downloading audio books to your computer (PDF 238 KB)
Downloading to Kindle or Kindle App (PDF 96 KB)

OverDrive Help & Support links:

OverDrive Help - Search for answers and/or watch how-to videos
Libby Help - Learn about Libby and how it works
Device Resource Center - A snapshot of how popular devices can be used with OverDrive
OverDrive status - A site for determining if OverDrive is experiencing performance issues


Niche green arrow graphic OverDrive Downloadable Books Tutorial