Freading Support Answers
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FAQ
Library Settings: Tokens & Loans
- 5 tokens a week are allotted to your account. You may "spend" the tokens as you wish.
- books are on loan for 14 days.
- you can renew or re-check out a book (from your history) for zero to 1 token.
- unused tokens roll over for four weeks, then your account is reset. We cannot view your reset date!. This is based on the first day you signed up. Example:
- you first use Freading on the 1st Tuesday of the month. You are allotted your first 5 tokens. You use only 2 tokens that week.
- Freading's borrowing "week" updates the following Monday, you receive your next allotment of tokens. You now have 7 tokens. This continues through the month.
- on the 5th week, your account resets. All unused tokens are deleted, and your account has the new allotment of 5 tokens. The cycle repeats.
You may also wish to see the Freading Website and Tokens page to learn more about using your tokens, checking out and renewing books, etc.
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What's the difference between an EPUB and a PDF book?
EPUB is the preferred format for most regular ebooks because it is "reflowable." This means that the text will be flexible and remain in an attractive layout as you increase or descrease the font size (in Adobe Digital Editions or on your ereader).
PDF is fixed. You can zoom in/out but cannot increase the text size. PDF is useful for many books where "reflowing" the page could result in loss of story, artwork, etc, such as with comics and graphic novels. We have access to many graphic novels / comics collections on Freading, and these will be in PDF format. These cannot be used on the mobile app, it is only an EPUB reader.
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What computers/devices are compatible?
Windows Computer
- computers: Windows 8, 7, Vista, and XP (with Service Pack 3)
- devices: compatible for transfer to most standard ereaders (Nook, Sony, Kobo).
- Standard KINDLE -- not compatible. Amazon must allow compatibility for their devices before a lending library can begin work on this. Amazon does not allow transfer of books through Adobe Digital Editions, which is the software used by Freading.
Mac Computer
- OS X, also compatible with Retina Display.
Apple Mobile App
- iPhones, iPads, iPod Touch with iOS 4.0 or later.
Android Mobile App
-
smartphones and tablets, Android Version 2.2 and above
- Kindle Fires.
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Do books expire on my ereader?
Yes. Each book file is transferred with a "due date" attached. The book should not work on your device past the due date. IThis should be 14 days after checkout, not 14 days from time of transfer.
Expired book files do not delete from your ereader automatically. If you need to learn how to delete a book from your device, click here.
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I'm out of tokens, can I place a hold?
All books on Freading are on a rental model--the library pays based on how many tokens were used for the month. There are unlimited "copies" to rent, so there is not a holds list feature!
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I do not see my favorite author's newest book, and she/he is a bestseller, why?
Books available here are based on what publishers wish to make their books available on the Freading site. So far, mostly small-medium publishers have agreed to work with Freading.
The largest publishers, known as "The Big Six" in the publishing world, are not on Freading. Some of these publishers do not allow libraries to purchase their ebooks at all. For more on this, see the Big 6 eBooks page on Facebook.
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Kindle Owners Message
Please realize that Kindles are more locked down than other ereaders, and overall no lending library can create compatibility until Amazon allows it. Standard Kindles cannot interact with Adobe Digital Editions, the software that Freading uses to download and transfer books.
Kindle Fire users can use the Android version of the app, but it must be downloaded from an alternate app store. For full instructions on installation, see the Kindle Fire help note, for how to use the app see the Android App instructions page.
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GENERAL OR ALL DEVICES HELP
I do not remember how to log in.
Remember, you must access Freading through the Kansas Library Card site, you cannot go directly to a Freading web address.
At http://www.kslc.org , your login information is:
- your Kansas Library Card number
- your birthdate in MMDDYYYY format. So, if your birthdate was October 4, 1980, you would enter 10041980.
If you think that your library card may have expired, please contact your local library or email audiobooks@library.ks.gov with your card number and birthdate so we can assist you.
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Trying to log in to the Kansas Library Card website--keep getting a message that my login is wrong.
Your login information is:
- your Kansas Library Card number
- your birthdate in MMDDYYYY format.
If you know that your card is not expired and that you have entered the login information correctly, we recommend clearing your temporary internet files/browser cache. This is the cause of most non-typo login errors. Clear Temporary Internet Files page for multiple internet browsers.
Sometimes we find that the librarian that created your account simply made a typo in your birthdate, or transposed a number when they wrote down your card number. If your card is new and you have never logged in with it, please email us with your card number and birthdate. We will fix this. audiobooks@library.ks.gov
If you believe your Kansas Library Card may have expired, call or visit your local public or school library to renew it, or get a new card if it has been expired long enough to have been deleted from the system.
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Error message: I have passed my Adobe ID limit.
Adobe only allows you to use your Adobe ID on a total of 6 devices. If your have had your Adobe ID for a while, and used it on lots of devices and computers, you can request Adobe check and then reset your activation limit. Just tell them that you use Adobe Digital Editions and Adobe activation for your ereaders. Adobe Support phone is: 800-833-6687 Monday-Friday, 5am-7pm PST. You can also visit the Adobe Support page and contact them by chat during the same time frame.
Adobe may need you to give them your full account code, or only ask for the email associated with the account. Here's how to find this in the current version of Adobe Digital Editions:
- Open Adobe Digital Editions.
- Click on the Help menu.
- Select "Authorization Information."
- This will show the email address for your Adobe ID, and include a 32-character code that is the number of your account.
Librarians, Teachers: if you train others to use the online library services as part of your job, it is best to keep your training/testing account at work separate from your personal, at home account. Usually this will keep you from running up against the Adobe limit of 6, and will keep you from messing up your personal account while testing!
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Checked out a book on the computer, but I really wanted to use it in the mobile app.
You can manually transfer the book to your mobile device from the computer if you wish, but if you always intend to read the books in the mobile app we recommend setting Freading up on your mobile device and doing all functions (checkout, etc) on that device, not your computer. Here's how to get the book you have already checked out:
- Download and set up the Freading app on your smartphone or tablet, as seen in the mobile app directions under "Getting Started."
- Apple version
- Android version (includes Kindle)
- On your mobile device, open your browser.
- Go to http://www.kslc.org and log in. You may wish to save this page as a favorite and allow your browser to save the login information. This will save you steps in the future.
- Select the Freading access link.
- When your Freading account pulls up, tap "My Downloads" on the upper right side.
- Download the book you checked out from this page. When prompted, choose to open the file in your Freading app.
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MOBILE APP HELP
Lost my app store login, so I can't download the Freading app.
Please see your app store's help to reset your password:
- Android Google Play - go to the sign in screen and select "Can't access your account?"
- My Apple ID help page
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My app is frozen, blank, or glitching.
Apple:
Restart the app, close down other apps:
- Double-tap the home key of your device.
- This should bring up a row of apps across the bottom that are currently running on the device. Each should have a red minus sign -- use the minus sign to force close the Freading app and any other app that you are not currently using (frees up processing power).
- Tap the home key to exit this mode.
- Restart your device (hold down the power button, power off then restart).
- Reopen your Freading app.
Uninstall:
If the above does not solve the issue, the best thing to do is uninstall the app and reinstall. Your checkouts, etc, are stored on the 3M server and will not be lost.
- Hold down on the Freading app until it begins to "wiggle."
- A black X button should have appeared on the upper left corner of the app. Tap this to delete the app.
- Tap your home key to exit deletion mode.
- Reinstall Freading from your app store.
Android
Clear your application cache & force stop:
- From your home screen, access your "Settings." Note: on my older Droid phone, this is done by clicking the icon that looks like a list of lines, then choosing settings from the menu.
- Select "Manage Applications"
- Now choose "Freading" from the list of installed apps.
- Tap "Force Stop" then "Clear Cache."
- Return to your home screen. Access the Freading app and see if this has solved the problem. If not, restart your device.
Uninstall:
If the above does not work, we recommend uninstalling the app and reinstalling it. The uninstall button for the app is on the same screen as the Clear Cache and Force Close options. Reinstall from your Google Play store.
Kindle Fire:
Clear your application cache:
- Tap the gear in the upper right hand corner of the screen to access the Settings.
- Tap "More" on the drop down menu
- Tap "Applications"
- Change "Filter by" to "Third Party Applications" from the drop down arrow
- Tap the "Freading" icon
- Tap "Clear Data"
If this does not work, we recommend uninstalling the app and reinstalling from GetJar.
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Kindle Fire: how to install app with Slideme.org
- Go to the settings menu on the Kindle Fire (it is the gear icon at the top)
- Choose "device".
- Turn on the switch for allowing unknown applications.
- Go to the browser on your Kindle Fire and visit SlideMe.org. If asked if you wish to view the site in mobile format, say yes.
- Use the search box to find "freading."
- When you've found the Freading app, tap the "Free" button.
- This pulls up the Freaing app's page--tap "download." Note: if you see anything requesting a login, scroll past it, this is not required.
- A little number icon will appear in a circle next to the name of
the Kindle at the top of the display when the download is complete. Tap
the number and follow the on screen instructions to install it. - The Freading app will show up on the home page of the Fire now.
- Return to the Freading for Android page.
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Left the connection zone (wifi, 3/4G) and cannot access my book.
In order for your book to be readable outside the connection zone, you should always ensure that the book's files have fully downloaded to the device before leaving the connection zone. We recommend opening each book to be sure!
If you did this and the book is still not accessible, please send an error report including your Kansas Library Card number and the date/time of the problem to audiobooks@library.ks.gov.
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Android App Errors--troubleshoot & report
Installed the app successfully, went through the Kansas Library Card to the Freading site, but then the download link for the book never sends it to the app? Here's what to try first, and how to report your error to us. Directly below this help note is one on how to load your book from the computer to the device, so at least you can read the book while we get help from Freading.
Please try first:
- double-checking that you have authenticated the Freading app with your Adobe ID.
- uninstalling and reinstalling the app.
- clearing the cache on your browser (depending on device, you may have to have the browser open and choose its settings, or go into your Manage applications area and select the browser to find this option).
- restarting the device--this means totally powering it down for two minutes before turning it back on.
When you retry the book download, if that does not work, send this information to us at audiobooks@library.ks.gov :
- Kansas Library Card number
- date/time you retried (for if Freading needs to look on their servers for the error)
- titles of book(s) you have tried downloading
- name of device you have (please be specific, like "Motorola Droid 3" or "Nexus 7")
- version of Android your device runs (please give number)
- little descriptive notes--"when I click the download link nothing happens, browser does not even ask what to do with the file."
- confirm you've tried the notes above first.
We will pass it up to Freading Support. In the meantime, so you can get your book read, please try the workaround in the help note directly below. Not perfection, but it will work until this is settled.
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Android: Sideload from the Computer
If you are having trouble with the full mobile instructions, and need to load your books to the device until we can get a resolution from Freading Support, here are sideload instructions.
Set Up on Device--you already have the Freading app installed and authenticated with your Adobe ID, so this is all complete. Note: if you end up not liking the Freading Reader app (font size not big enough, etc), please realize you can use a different epub reader app to open the book in. The reader app must have the ability to authenticate with an Adobe ID. We recommend BlueFire or Aldiko readers as alternatives.
On Your Computer
- need Adobe Digital Editions, authenticated with the SAME Adobe ID you used on the mobile device. Go to the getting started section of Freading on Your Computer page to install and set this up if you do not already have it.
- access your Freading account through http://www.kslc.org, as normal. Click on the My Downloads area to find the download link to your book.
- download the book into the Adobe Digital Editions--when you click the download link, to do this it is always "OPEN" that you select!
- plug your phone/tablet into the computer. On some devices, you may have to tap a message that allows it to connect to the computer. On our test Droid, the message is "Turn on USB Storage."
- When the computer regcognizes the device, it will appear in the Devices section of the Adobe Digital Editions navigation at left.
- Drag the book onto your device, as if it was a standard ereader.
- Disconnect the device from the computer.
From here, you should be able to open the Freading (or other epub reading app) and the new file will be auto-detected. If it is not, browse the storage folders of your device and open the file directly.
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Digital Rights Management (DRM) or Adobe ID authorization problem.
If your new tablet or phone came with a reading app already installed, or you use more than one reading app based on Adobe technology, you may get an error message related to DRM (digital rights management) when you attempt to use the Freading app. You do not have to delete the alternate reading app. All you need to do is make sure the same Adobe ID is being used on both apps. Generally, all you should need to do is open each app, and look in the app's settings for where to input your Adobe ID.
If you also use the 3M Cloud Library reading app, there is no place to manually change the Adobe ID. You should set the Freading app to your personal Adobe ID, and then:
- Apple devices--uninstall and reinstall 3M Cloud Library.
- Android devices--go to "Manage Applications." Select 3M Cloud Library from the list, then select "Clear Data." This should wipe out any system-generated Adobe ID from 3M Cloud Library.
The next time you access your 3M Cloud Library, it should "see" the Adobe ID on the Freading app and automatically use it instead of the 3M system-generated ID.
Return to Freading Help Index.ON THE COMPUTER
Adobe ID & Authorization Problems
Adobe Digital Editions (ADE) technology is used by many lending library systems as a base. ADE needs an Adobe ID to work properly, and it requires that the Adobe ID used be the same on your ereader, and other Adobe software installed on your computer. Here is how to change an Adobe ID. If it seems that ALL parts of the system (ADE, 3M Cloud Library, the device) have different Adobe IDs, we recommend you change the Adobe IDs in the order given below. Please note that 3M Cloud Library also uses ADE as a base. We have added the instructions for changing its Adobe ID below, in case you use it as well. If you do not, just disregard.
Need to create a new Adobe ID to apply across all of your software and devices? Get one here.
Adobe Digital Editions (if you have the program on your computer)
1. Open ADE
2. Keyboard: CTRL + SHIFT + D
3. Popup should allow you to deauthorize.
4. The software may close. When you reopen it, the ADE setup wizard should now ask you to authorize the computer. Put in the new adobe ID & password.
Other Adobe Software
Do you have Adobe Illustrator or another piece of Adobe software that is using an old Adobe ID? How to remove / update an Adobe ID varies. See the Adobe Support page and select the product to look for a solution. Note: this does not apply to your Adobe Reader. If you do not have a paid version of Adobe Acrobat you do not have to worry about Adobe Reader having an Adobe ID.
3M Cloud Library
For Windows 7 or Vista:
1. Go to the Start menu.
2. Search %appdata%
3. This should pull up a list of folders. Delete the 3M Cloud Library folder (basically just its cache, it is also where it stores an Adobe ID for DRM purposes).
4. The next time you check out a book in the app and open it, 3M will use whatever Adobe ID your Adobe Digital Editions is authorized with. If you do not have ADE, it will ask if you wish to use the system-generated ID or to enter your own.
For Windows XP:
1. Go to the Start menu.
2. Click on Browe.
3. Search for %appdata%
4. Find the 3M Cloud Library folder. Delete this (basically just its cache, it is also where it stores an Adobe ID for DRM purposes).
5. The next time you check out a book in the app and open it, 3M will use whatever Adobe ID your Adobe Digital Editions is authorized with. If you do not have ADE, it will ask if you wish to use the system-generated ID or to enter your own.
Update Adobe Authorization on an eReader:
1. Make sure your Adobe Digital Editions is open, and already authorized with the ID you wish to use on the device.
2. Plug in the device to the computer.
3. Once ADE "sees" the device, it will want to change the device authorization to the one it is using. Allow this.
If ADE does not automatically want to change the device authorization, but you know it is incorrect, keyboard: CTRL + SHIFT + E. This will instigate the deauthorization of the device.
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My Adobe Digital Editions is an older version. How do I update it?
- Make sure your current Adobe Digital Editions program is closed.
- Go to http://www.adobe.com/products/digital-editions/download.html
- Choose the correct installer for your computer--there will be a separate link for Windows and Mac.
- Run the installer--depending on the browser, or how you downloaded the file, you may have to either click a "Run" button or double-click the install file.
- As it nears the end, the installer it will ask permission to migrate all data from the old ADE version and uninstall the old version--say yes to this!
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During download, the book tries to open in a program that is not Adobe Digital Editions.
This is a Windows error, where your computer does not realize which program is necessary to use a certain file type. Before proceeding, please make sure you have fully installed Adobe Digital Editions!
Windows Vista or 7: Associate File Type to Adobe Digital Editions
- On your computer, go to Start, then Control Panel.
- Select Programs, then Default Programs.
- Open Associate a file type or protocol with a program. This window may take a minute to load, it contains a lot of information.
- Find .acsm in the file extensions list. Click it one time to select it.
- Click the Change program button above the list.
- An Open with box will come up. Select Adobe Digital Editions from the list of programs recommended. Note: if ADE is not listed, please double-check that it is installed on your computer, or use the "Browse" button to find and select it.
- Click OK.
- Your ebooks should now default to opening in Adobe Digital Editions.
Windows XP: Associate File Type to Adobe Digital Editions
- Open 'My Computer' and select Tools menu > Folder Options. The 'Folder Options' dialog box is displayed.
- Select the 'File Types' tab. A list of all file types will be displayed--this may take a minute to fully generate.
- Select '.acsm' and click the 'Change' button.
- Select 'Adobe Digital Editions'.
- Click 'OK'.
- Adobe Digital Editions is now set to open ACSM files.
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Delete Expired Book from Adobe Digital Editions.
When your checkout period is over and the book is expired, you may delete the book from your library list.
- Open Adobe Digital Editions.
- Find your expired book and right click on the cover. This will pull up a menu of choices.
- Select "Remove from Library" from the menu.
ON THE DEVICE
I have transferred the book but can't find it on the ereader.
Different ereaders display transferred books from different folders. If your book is not obvious from the "Library" on your device, look for:
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How to delete a book from the eReader when finished.
While this will vary slightly by device, the general idea is the same.
Short Video: deleting a book from a Nook Color on a Windows computer. These instructions were created for 3M Cloud Library, but the process is exactly the same for deleting Freading books from your device.
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Error: book says it cannot be opened/is expired.
When a book is transfered to the device, the Adobe Digital Editions attachs a due date to the book. Once your checkout time has expired (total of 14 days from checkout) the book files will corrupt on the ereader, and you will no longer be able to open the book. If this is happening and the checkout time is not yet over, see below.
Book Just Checked Out/Transfered
Most of the time, Adobe Digital Editions will authorize your device automatically the first time you use it with the software. Sometimes it does not, and will lead to a variety of errors. Try this to make sure your device is set up properly with the program
- Plug in your device to the computer.
- Open Adobe Digital Editions.
- Your device should be listed on the left, at the top, in the "Devices" section. Click the name of your device once to highlight it.
- Click the gear icon at the end of the devices area.
- This will pull up a list of choices--select "Authorize Device."
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Learn about your device!
Please realize it is your responsibility to learn the functions of your device and to keep it updated. Below are links to support sites for the most commonly used device companies. All of these sites will allow you access to a copy of the manual online, and help you learn how to update the device's software current. Many tablets and ereaders are sophisticated enough to either prompt you to download an update or do it automatically, but not all.
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