Overdrive Tips: Two Bookshelves

I've gotten several comments from enthusiastic Overdrive users recently.  Overdrive is the platform that we use to lend eBooks and eAudiobooks.  There are many patrons who use this service avidly, but even veteran users are sometimes confused about various aspects of the Overdrive Service.  This is the first in a series of posts I hope will help clear up some of those issues.

Overdrive Media Console (OMC) is the mobile app that is needed to use our eBook and eAudiobook service.  One of the most confusing aspects of this app is that there are actually two bookshelves.  One bookshelf is called the "library bookshelf" and the other is the "app bookshelf".

The library bookshelf (also known as your "account") shows what titles you currently have checked out.  The app bookshelf shows which titles you have checked out and downloaded to your device.  If you have checked a book out, but not downloaded it to your device, it will show up on the library bookshelf but not the app bookshelf.  This is a common source of confusion for new users.  A key concept for OMC is understanding the difference and  being able to navigate between the two bookshelves.

UPDATE: As of 10/2016, in the latest update to Overdrive, "Library Bookshelf" is now called your "Loans Page". - Brent

See these two Overdrive help articles:
Navigating to the library bookshelf

Navigating to the app bookshelf

Stay tuned.  In the future I'll address other topics such as Understanding eBook Formats, What's an AdobeID?, and How To Return a Title.  In the meantime, if you have a question you'd like covered in Overdrive Tips (or maybe you want to share one), please email me.  I'll also remind you that we have time and staff dedicated each week to answer your questions about Overdrive in Drop-In Tech Help.