C-SPL Online Book Club Reads The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie

The C-SPL Online Book Club will start discussing The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie on Monday, May 18, 2020. You can use your Facebook account to join the C-SPL Online Book Club found on Carnegie-Stout Public Library's Facebook page.

Until then, here are some spoiler-free background notes about the book and author from www.agathachristie.com and various Wikipedia articles:

The Mysterious Affair at Styles is a detective novel by British mystery writer Agatha Christie. Christie (1890-1976) is thought to be the best selling fiction writer of all time. Her 66 mystery novels and 14 short-story collections have sold over two billion copies, and she is one of the world's most translated authors.

Known as the "Queen of Mystery," Christie won the first Mystery Writers of America's Grand Master Award in 1955, and was voted "best crime writer" by the Crime Writers’ Association in 2013.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles was Christie's first published novel. Her sister Madge dared Christie to try to write a mystery that readers could not solve even though they had all of the same clues as the detective.

Christie wrote the novel in 1916, but it was rejected by 6 publishers before it was finally released in the U.S. in 1920 and the U.K. in 1921. It was also serialized in 18 parts in The Times of London in 1920.

When The Mysterious Affair at Styles was published in 1920, The New York Times Book Review said, "Though this may be the first published book of Miss Agatha Christie, she betrays the cunning of an old hand . . . you will be kept guessing at its solution and will most certainly never lay down this most entertaining book."

Besides being Christie's first published novel, this was also the first appearance of the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, who would become one of the most famous characters in mystery fiction.

Hercule Poirot (pronounced er-cule pwa-roh) appeared in 33 novels, 2 plays, and more than 50 short stories published between 1920 and 1975. He was the only fictional character to have an obituary published on the front page of The New York Times.

The character of Poirot was inspired by the Belgian refugees who settled in Christie's hometown of Torquay in Devon, England during World War I, where Christie worked at a hospital dispensary while writing her novel, a setting which also appears in the story.

Christie was also influenced by the English novelist Wilkie Collins, and by the popular Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, with Poirot as the eccentric detective, his clueless friend Arthur Hastings as narrator, and a case that even Scotland Yard cannot solve.

An image from "The Mysterious Affair at Styles" from
the Project Gutenberg eBook at http://www.gutenberg.org/files/863/863-h/863-h.htm

The Mysterious Affair at Styles is an early example of a closed circle mystery which features a limited number of suspects who could have credibly committed a crime. The British country house was a classic setting of such mysteries in the 1920s and 1930s, an era known as "The Golden Age of Detective Fiction."

The Mysterious Affair at Styles is always available to check out as an eBook from Overdrive/Libby collection with your City of Dubuque library card. The eBook is also available for free without a library card at Project Gutenberg.

Carnegie-Stout Public Library’s discussion of The Mysterious Affair at Styles will start on May 18 on Facebook. We hope you will join us for the discussion!

~Mike, Adult Services

#HarryPotterAtHome for everyone

As the library's foremost Harry Potter fan, I try to create Harry Potter-themed events whenever possible, especially for adults who often get overlooked as fans of this beloved world. In this unusual and difficult time of social distancing, self-isolation and worry, I am happy to note that there are several new access points to Harry Potter material and lore for fans of all ages.

1. J. K. Rowling and WizardingWorld.com have announced the release of the new online Harry Potter hub: Harry Potter at Home. It has info, quizzes, crafts, lore and all sorts of fun Harry Potter resources for parents, teachers, carers, students and adult fans too. Don't forget to get sorted into your house!

2. J. K. Rowling has announced that she has granted open licenses for teachers and now allows them to make and share videos of themselves reading her books for students online.

3. As a part of the #HarryPotterAtHome release, Overdrive has issued free access to the first book in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. It is accessible through the end of April and available to everyone who has access to Overdrive as a City of Dubuque C-SPL card holder, or Bridges Overdrive, through the Dubuque County Library. What's really cool about this is these are available in many languages and in ebook or downloadable audio formats. May I humbly recommend you try the audio version, as Jim Dale is *amazing* as the narrator of the entire Harry Potter series and is a joy to listen to.

4. Speaking of the joy of audio books, Audible.com is also offering free streaming of the digital audio book version of the first book (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone) under their "Audible Stories" section.  But here is the kicker - they are offering the British version of the audio book, which was narrated by actor and comedian Stephen Fry! As a die-hard Harry Potter fan, I have been aching to get my hands (and ears) on this audio version! While I am committed to Jim Dale forever as the Best. Narrator. Ever...I still wanted to hear a new take by a different narrator. You never know what new details or nuance you might pick up with a new voice.

5. Lastly, how about a Harry Potter themed online escape room? Sounds awesome, right? Sydney Krawiec, Youth Services Librarian at Peters Township Public Library in McMurray, PA created this Hogwarts Digital Escape Room for Harry Potter fans who are stuck at home. Thank you, Sydney!

If you have never read the Harry Potter series, I challenge you to do so now. The options for access and Harry Potter fun are wide open. Who couldn't use a little escape to Hogwarts right about now?

~Angie, Adult Services Librarian and Gryffindor For Life

Book Tips for Travelers

Travel brings with it a change in your daily routine. Whether you're on the road for fun or for business, you're bound to have at least a little free time, which, if you're a book lover, translates to reading time. As a lover of both books and travel, I thought I'd share some of the tips I've learned over the years for the upcoming summer travel season.

 Switch it up! Tackle your To Be Read list

• A vacation is a great time to read a book you wouldn't usually, whether it's the sort of serious reading that demands extra attention or something light and fluffy you'd otherwise feel guilty taking time off to read.

Busy schedule? Try short stories

• Short story collections are great for when you'll only have 30-minutes or so at a time to read between everything else because you can usually read an entire story in that time!
• Added bonus, an anthology will let you sample multiple authors to see if you'd like to read their full-length novels when you have more free time.

eBooks: the easiest way to bring the entire library with you

• Already on the road? Our OverDrive collection of eBooks and downloadable audiobooks are available anywhere you have internet access.

Audiobooks: the only way to read a book while you're driving a car

• MP3 audiobooks let you listen to an entire 12+ hour audiobook on only two discs.
• In addition to our OverDrive collection, we have even more downloadable audiobooks available through One Click Digital.

Paper Books: the only books you don't have to stop reading during take-off and landing

• Nothing beats a paper book for reading in bright sun, and you never have to worry about recharging!
• They're easy to swap among friends and family, which is how I've discovered some of my favorite books.
• Don't want to risk one of your books or a library book? The Friends of the Library always have books for sale on the library's second floor, and the prices can't be beat!

Digital Magazines: we've got those too

• Check out the latest issue on your tablet or smartphone with your library card through our Zinio app.

Long Trip? Suspend your holds

• Been waiting for the latest James Patterson or Star Wars: The Force Awakens? Don't lose your spot, suspend your holds until you get back, and yes, we can do this for you over the phone.

~Sarah, Adult Services

Downloading Digital Comics From Overdrive

We've got a lot of fans of comic books and graphic novels here at Carnegie-Stout and we're very proud of our collection of print comics for adults. We're also very excited that digital comics are starting to find their way into Overdrive as publishers like Image and Dark Horse start making their books available to library ebook readers. For a full list of comics currently available through Overdrive, use Advanced Search to see everything with the subject "Comic and Graphic Books." You can see the results of that search here.

(If you're not into kids' comics and want to get fancy, remember that you can set your Overdrive account to show only books of certain maturity levels -- but that's a different blog post.)

If you're used to downloading our ebooks in EPUB format, our comics are going to work a little differently from what you're used to. Most of them are in Overdrive's Read format. Read opens books in your browser and is generally pretty handy, but it takes a few extra steps to get your comics saved offline so you can read them without an internet connection. Let me walk you through it:

 On Anything Except an iPad or iPhone

If you're not on an iOS device, this is really quick. The screenshots I have are from an Android tablet, but things should be the same on an Android phone or a computer.

Once you've checked your comic out and you're at the Bookshelf page, you'll see a picture of the book and a button that says Read. Click Read to open the book in your browser.

Once the book has loaded, tap the center of the page to open up the Read menu and then the black box in the top left corner of the page to see more options.

In this sidebar menu, pick Offline Access.

In the Offline Access page, click the round button with a little cloud in the middle. Your device will spend a few seconds downloading and let you know when it's done. At this point, the book is saved on your device, but you still need to give yourself an easy way to get back to it. You can bookmark it just like a webpage, but I recommend putting it on your home screen or desktop. These steps will vary a little based on your device and what browser you're using, but Overdrive will give you instructions right on that Offline Access page. When you're done, you'll have a handy button to go straight to your comic.

On an iPad or iPhone

If you're on an iOS device, you'll want to do basically the same steps, but in a slightly different order. 

 Check your comic out and then, on the Bookshelf page, click the Read button.

Once your comic has opened in Safari, click the share button (that's the weird little square with an arrow coming out the top) and pick Add to Home Screen.

Now you've got a nice little link to your comic, but it's not saved on your device yet. Tap your new icon to open the book. You'll be asked to log in with your library card number and PIN, just like when you checked the book out.

Once you've logged in and the book has loaded, tap the center of the page to open the Read menu and then the black box in the top left corner to see more options.

 

In this sidebar, pick Offline Access. In the Offline Access page, click the round button with a small cloud in the center. Your device will spend a few seconds downloading the book and let you know when it's done. Once it's finished, you're all set. Just tap the icon on your home screen whenever you want to read more.

Staff Review: Shinju by Laura Joh Rowland

I’m a big fan of historical fiction, the more medieval the better, and I’ve always been a little intrigued by Japanese culture, so I was thrilled to find Shinju, by Laura Joh Rowland. It’s the first of a series, so if you like it, there are lots more to read. It's worth noting that early books in this series, including Shinju, are only available as eBooks.

The novels are murder mysteries set in feudal Japan when the samurai are the noble class, and the first one starts us off in 1689. This world is governed by Bushido, the ancient warrior code of conduct, which is known for being very harsh. It might seem hard to imagine a character you could relate to from this severe culture, but the author manages to pull it off with the honorable samurai Sano Ichiro.

Sano is a great sword fighter, an educated scholar, and an honest man who guards the rights of the unfortunate. And he’s good-looking too. He’s got it all, but there’s a catch – these traits don’t get you very far in his world (except the sword-fighting). Sano may be very likable and reasonable (to the reader), but his integrity tends to get him into trouble. Obedience to one’s superiors is critical in Bushido, and very often Sano’s personal code of honor, the pursuit of truth and justice, is at odds with his superiors’ orders. Shinju begins with an apparent double suicide that Sano is ordered to investigate as a police commander. Anyone else in his position would probably close the case right away, but something about it doesn't sit right with him, and he must find out the truth, even at great cost to himself.

I’ve learned a lot about Japanese culture and history reading this series, and it doesn't seem strange or distant. The main character is a samurai born and bred into Bushido, but still enough like us that I felt like I could understand him. This is a great series that will draw you into a whole different world.

~Laura, Circulation

Read Alike Dan Brown

Love him or hate him, there's no question that Dan Brown has a gift for writing a real page turner. His most recent book, Inferno, is the fourth to feature the popular symbologist and conspiracy magnet, Robert Langdon. Brown's writing is fast-paced and plot-driven, with interesting puzzles and elements drawn from a variety of disciplines, from art to science.

Two of the Robert Langdon novels, The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons, have been adapted as movies with Tom Hanks in the starring role. While neither film received rave reviews from the critics, both did quite well at the box office, so it's likely that Hollywood is at the very least considering movies for The Lost Symbol and Inferno.

You can read more about Dan Brown on his website: www.danbrown.com

If you're waiting to borrow a copy of Inferno from the library, or if you've already finished it, we've gathered together a few reading suggestions for you to check out:

The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell
Mr. Caldwell has written one novel so far, inspired, in part, by the success of The Da Vinci Code and his experiences at Princeton. His Rule of Four, is fast-paced and suspenseful, but somewhat more scholarly with rich historical and academic detail. Set in Princeton, the action follows a group of seniors who get caught up in the puzzle of a mysterious 15th century text, the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, and then one student is murdered.

The Confessor by Daniel Silva 
Bestselling author Daniel Silva is known for his fast-paced thrillers. His protagonist usually has a background in espionage, and his books tend to be violent. His series featuring Mossad agent and art restorer Gabriel Allon is packed with suspense and corruption. The series starts with The Kill Artist, which is available as an eBook in our OverDrive collection. If you're not a fan of eReading, try The Confessor, Allon partners with Pietro, a priest, to uncover secrets of a Catholic society and an assassination.

The Charlemagne Pursuit  by Steve Berry
Steve Berry's Cotton Malone series has a suspenseful mix of historical research and action, as the former Federal agent tackles globe-spanning conspiracies. The series starts with The Templar Legacy, which is available through OverDrive as an eBook. The Charlemagne Pursuit is another good starting point for this series. Cotton Malone is on the trail for answers to his father's mysterious death in a submarine, and the key might be in a manuscript found in Charlegmagne's tomb.

Ark of Fire by C.M. Palov
C.M. Palov's first novel, Ark of Fire, is a fast-paced puzzler that will keep the reader guessing along with the characters. Photographer Edie Miller finds herself drawn into a larger mystery after witnessing the theft of an ancient Hebrew relic. She's joined in her suspenseful, globe-spanning pursuit by historian Caedmon Aisquith, but can they find the truth before the villains catch them?

Other authors to check out include: Matthew Reilly, Raymond Khoury, and Scott Mariani.

You might also enjoy checking out Cheap Thrills, a book blog devoted to the thriller genre by a local blogger: cheapthrillsbookblog.wordpress.com


Please stop by the Recommendations Desk on the first floor, check out NoveList Plus on the library's website, or visit W. 11th & Bluff next week for more reading suggestions. Or submit a Personal Recommendations request, and we'll create a reading list just for you!

Check these books out from the comfort of your own home

This week we're spotlighting a few titles available as eBooks through Carnegie-Stout's OverDrive collection. Some of these titles are only available as eBooks, and if you'd like some help downloading one give us a call (563-589-4225) or stop in! We offer drop in tech help on Wednesday nights starting at 6:30 p.m. In order to checkout an eBook from Carnegie-Stout, you need to live within Dubuque city limits, but most other Dubuque County libraries provide access to eBooks for residents of their communities.

We've pulled together a selection of titles from various genres, so hopefully there's something here for every reader! Print aficionados, never fear, some of these titles will be added to our print collection, or we may be able to borrow a copy from another library (another service only available to city residents).

Destiny's Embrace by Beverly Jenkins
Beverly Jenkins is one of the foremost authors of African-American romance writing today. Over the course of her career she’s written historicals, romantic suspense, and even Westerns. Her heroines are sassy, her writing is engaging, and the romance is steamy. Her most recent title, Destiny's Embrace, follows Mariah Cooper as she starts a new life as a housekeeper on a ranch in California, and the sparks fly between Mariah and rancher Logan Yates. This is an engaging start to a new series with sharp characters and interesting historical detail.

Prophet by R.J. Larson

R.J. Laron’s first novel is a fast-paced and engaging fantasy novel that draws on the stories of the Old Testament for inspiration. Prophet tells the story of Ela, a teenage girl who never expected to be called on by the Infinite as a prophet, but she rises to the challenge and sets off to serve His will in distant lands. Currently, Carnegie-Stout only owns this title as an eBook as part of our OverDrive collection. If you don’t own an eReader, this book would be a great excuse to try out one of the Sony eReaders we have available for checkout!

Split Second by David Baldacci 
Baldacci is known for his fast-paced political suspense novels and pulse pounding plot twists, though there's never any question that his heroes are the good guys. The first book in his Sean King and Michelle Maxwell series, Split Second introduce two Secret Service agents who turn to a second career as Private Investigators. The series is ongoing, with the latest book, The Sixth Man, coming out this April.


Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett
Our collection includes dozens of titles by prolific fantasy author Terry Pratchett, but we are missing one or two print copies out of the 39 from his Discworld series. Pratchett is known for his humor, world-building skills, and memorable characters. Wyrd Sisters puts a new spin on Shakespeare's Macbeth, with allusions to several of his other plays, and has, in turn, been adapted as a play itself. Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, and Magrat Garlick become embroiled in politics when they suddenly become the guardians of a murdered king's only child.


The Feast Nearby: how I lost my job, buried a marriage, and found my way by keeping chickens, foraging, preserving, bartering, and eating locally (all on $40 a week) by Robin Mather
If you're interested in the local food movement or tales of frugal living, you should check this book out. The story of her exploration of the local food options of her Michigan community are interspersed with delicious and straightforward recipes. This is an upbeat book and Mather's writing has a warm humor, rather than dwelling on her personal upheaval.


Please stop by the Recommendations Desk on the first floor, check out NoveList Plus on the library's website, or visit W. 11th & Bluff next week for more reading suggestions. Or submit a Personal Recommendations request, and we'll create a reading list just for you!

Read Alikes: Fifty Shades of Grey

We're wrapping up the second week of voting in the Dubuque Tournament of Books, and there's still time to cast your votes (or to vote again!). Last Friday we put together a list of read alikes for Code Name Verity and The Fault in Our Stars. This Friday we've put together a read alike list for Fifty Shades of Grey which is up against Behind the Beautiful Forevers.


James' debut brought wide spread attention to the growing popularity and success of self-published eBook authors, fan fiction, and erotica. If you're one of the readers who has discovered a love for the steamier end of the romance spectrum, and you've already finished the Fifty Shades trilogy, you might want to check some of these books out!

Bared to You by Sylvia Day

You might recognize this title as the book that Fifty Shades of Grey beat in the first round of the Tournament of Books. Sylvia Day is an established romance author of everything from historicals to paranormals, with well-developed characters and sensual love scenes. Bared to You is the first title in her Crossfire trilogy, which came to attention after the success of Fifty Shades. Eva, just starting her career, is determined to make her own way without relying on her wealthy parents' connections. Gideon is the arrogent and successful businessman with whom she finds an instant and irresistible attraction.

Anything He Wants by Sara Fawkes
Anything He Wants is another story of passion between a woman working at the entry level and a powerful CEO that started life as an eBook, including a rather steamy scene in the office elevator. Originally published as five eBooks, the print copy available at Carnegie-Stout gathers all five stories into one volume. The later stories in this volume move beyond the attraction between Lucy and Jeremiah to introduce more characters and a suspense plot.

Saddled and Spurred by Lorelei James

Lorelei James has been publishing steamy erotica that explore the physical and emotional aspects of less vanilla relationships for several years, from BDSM to threesomes.Try Saddled and Spurred, the second book in her Blacktop Cowboys series. Despite her desire to move on from her life in a small Wyoming town, Harper can't quite resist the appeals of her boss, ranch owner Bran Turner.

Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas

Ms. Kleypas writes both historical and contemporary romances that combine steamy attraction with witty banter. Her heroes are always powerful, and often self-made men, but her heroines are every bit their match. Try Smooth Talking Stranger, Ella’s orderly life is upended when her sister Tara leaves without her infant son. Ella decides to confront the man who must be Luke’s father, millionaire playboy Jack Travis, and sparks fly.

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Jamie McGuire is one of the authors to come to prominence as part of the New Adult publishing trend. While her debut novel, Beautiful Disaster, is less steamy than Fifty Shades, readers are likely to enjoy McGuire's funny, conversational writing and character-driven romance. Travis Maddox, Eastern University's playboy, makes a bet with good girl Abby that if he loses, he will remain abstinent for a month, but if he wins, Abby must live in his apartment for the same amount of time.

Forbidden Pleasure by Lora Leigh

Ms. Leigh is an author of erotic romance, often with a suspenseful, fast-paced plot. Although some of her series include paranormal or fantasy elements, others focus on more realistic fantasies. Try Forbidden Pleasure, Mac attempted to suppress his less mainstream desires for the sake of his innocent bride, Keiley, but he longs to introduce her to pleasures possible in trying something, or someone, new.


Please stop by the Recommendations Desk on the first floor, check out NoveList Plus on the library's website, or visit W. 11th & Bluff next week for more reading suggestions. Or submit a Personal Recommendations request, and we'll create a reading list just for you!

Updates to OverDrive

Good news, everyone! OverDrive, the company that manages our downloadable eBooks and audiobooks, has informed us that our website will transition to their new interface sometime within the first half of March. Their Next Generation website is designed to make it simpler to find and check out books and from what we've seen they've done a great job of it!

We don't anticipate any heartbreak or confusion resulting from the changeover, but if you want to have a peek at what to expect you can watch this video from OverDrive or have a look at this website from a library in Ohio that has already been updated.

If anything in the new site doesn't work as you expect it to, please give us a call or stop by the Reference Desk!

Spotlight: From the Web to the Stacks.

From the invention of the printing press, technology has changed the ways we interact with information. It's no secret that the internet and eReaders are shaking up the scene today. A story we've heard a few times already in 2012 involves the success of self-published authors (see Publishers Weekly).

From Allison's staff review of Eden by Keary Taylor, to the excitement around 50 Shades of Grey by E.L. James, authors, readers, and publishers are discovering that success and great reads can be found outside the traditional sources. Of course, the stories we hear about are those authors who've made the jump to traditional publishing like Amanda Hocking, author of young adult paranormal romances and self-made millionaire.


Read Alike Suggestions for Amanda Hocking

The Frenzy by Francesca Lia Block 17 year-old Liv has had more than your typical teenage struggles and concerns. When she turned 13 she discovered that she's not as human as she thought.

Evermore by Alyson Noel The first book in the Immortals series, who discovered her psychic powers after a tragic car accident.

Tithe by Holly Black Sixteen year-old Kaye has seen faeries all her life, which is just another way that marks her as different, like her rock musician mother. Then she saves a mysterious young man who claims to be a knight of the faerie court.

Wings by Aprilynne Pike, Fifteen year-old Laurel discovers, after growing wings, that she is a faerie.


Read Alike Suggestions for 50 Shades of Grey

You may also want to check out these discussions where readers have suggested their favorite erotica authors: Dear Author and Read React Review

The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by Anne Rice (writing as A.N. Roquelaure)

Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey

Saddled and Spurred by Lorelei James

Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas


Other Books Available at Carnegie-Stout that started out on the internet

• John Dies at the End by David Wong: a darkly comic horror novel originally published as an online serial
• Hark a Vagrant by Kate Beaton, comics: often featuring historical figures
• 5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth by Matthew Inman: comics, often silly, NOT for children
• Julie and Julia by Julie Powell: cookbook and memoir (also a movie!)
• Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded by John Scalzi: from the blog of the popular science fiction author
• Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern: a collection of tweets from the popular Twitter account
• 420 Characters by Lou Beach: a collection of microfiction originally published on Facebook
• Escape from Cubicle Nation by Pamela Slim: advice from a blog on careers
• Pioneer Woman by Ree Drummond: memoir and cookbook

Please stop by the Recommendations Desk on the first floor, check out NoveList Plus on the library's website, or visit W. 11th & Bluff next week for more reading suggestions. Or submit a Personal Recommendations request, and we'll create a reading list just for you!

Be Tech Savvy @ Carnegie-Stout

Photo by: Josh Fassbind,
flickr.com/photos/
joshfassbind/4683365102

Got a new gadget and don’t know what to do with it? Or do you want to do more with the stuff you already have? We’ve got the resources to help!

Stop by the Recommendations Desk to browse through our collection of books & DVDs that will help you get started with your new device. We also have step-by-step guides to help you use the library's downloadable collection, and of you're new to computers, we also offer computer classes to help get you started.

• Adult Computer Classes
• Carnegie-Stout Downloadable Collection - Click on "My Help"
• Library e-Books on your Kindle: A how-to guide

Sony Readers are here!

The Sony Reader PRS-350,
now available at your library!

If you've been wanting to try an eReader, but aren't ready to buy one, you're in luck! The Carnegie-Stout Public Library now has Sony Readers that you can borrow, just like a regular library book!

Each Sony Reader will be preloaded with up to 7 eBooks of your choosing from our downloadable collection. You can keep the Reader for 14 days.

You can browse our collection of eBooks here: http://tinyurl.com/7jn9nvg. Note: Sony Readers are compatible with Adobe EPUB and Adobe PDF eBook formats only.

To check out a Sony Reader, stop by the Reference Desk on 2nd floor. You must be a a full-service library card holder in good standing and be 18 years or older. Please bring with you your library card and a valid government-issued photo ID.

If you have any question, please give us a call at 563-589-4225 or e-mail us at yourlibrarian@dubuque.lib.ia.us.

Many thanks to the Carnegie-Stout Library Foundation, the Dubuque Racing Association and the City of Dubuque for helping us build the C-SPL's eBook collection!

Library eBooks on your Kindle: A how-to guide

Carnegie-Stout Public Library now offers eBooks in Kindle format! Downloading a library eBook to your Kindle is easy. Read on for a step-by-step guide ...

First, visit our Downloadable Collection site and browse for a title. Once you’ve found an eBook you’d like to check out, look under the “Format Information” heading. Add the title to your cart, making sure you select the Kindle Book edition.

When you’re ready to check out, go to “My Cart” and select “Proceed to Checkout.” Sign in with your library card number and your PIN, and then click “Confirm checkout.”
Once you’ve checked out your eBook, you will be taken to the Download screen.

Click on “Get for Kindle”. You’ll be taken to the Amazon.com website, and click on “Get Library Book” (you may need to sign in to your Amazon account).

If you have a wireless-enabled Kindle, you can have the eBook delivered automatically to your Kindle. Or, you can download the book to your computer and transfer the eBook via USB (for assistance in downloading and transferring an eBook to your Kindle, visit Kindle Help).

Managing your public library Kindle eBooks

To manage your public library Kindle eBooks, sign into your Kindle Library on Amazon.com. eBooks that you have borrowed from the library will be marked with “public library” by the title.

Clicking on the title will show you additional information, including the date the eBook will expire. 

You can also have the title re-sent to your Kindle, download & transfer it via USB, return the eBook early or delete it from your Kindle library.

Kindle eBooks checked out from the library will remain on your Kindle for two weeks. Three days before your eBook is due, you will receive a reminder notice from Amazon. You will also receive an email when the eBook expires.

When an eBook expires, it will remain on your Kindle until you delete it, but you will be unable to open the eBook. Expired eBooks will be marked with “Loan Ended” on your Home screen.

For more help, visit Amazon’s Public Library Books for Kindle page or email us at yourlibrarian@dubuque.lib.ia.us.

Happy e-reading!

~ Allison, Adult Services