An ebook is a file containing text and/or images that can be read on a computer or another electronic device.

You will need to register with one of the libraries offering ebooks.lu to take advantage of this service. Please visit one of the participating libraries to sign up for free.

The ebooks offered in ebooks.lu are protected by a Digital rights management system which can be seen as a kind of digital lock. You will need a special tool to open ebooks once you have downloaded them. You will also need an Adobe ID to unlock the ebooks them (see Section 1.2. – The Digital Rights Management System). Please go to https://accounts.adobe.com to sign up for an Adobe ID account.

Once you have an Adobe ID, you will be able to download an application that will allow you to borrow and read ebooks.
If you wish to read ebooks on your computer, please select the Adobe Digital Editions application. If you would prefer to read ebooks on your smartphone or tablet, please download the app PocketBook Reader.
The set-up instructions are detailed in Section 2 below.

When you download an ebook, you will be able to read the copy borrowed for a total of 14 days. Once this period ends, it will no longer be possible to access the ebook on your device, and the ebook will become available in the digital library again.
Please note that ebooks can also be consulted online without downloading additional software.

To summarise briefly: to download and read ebooks, you will need to

• either install Adobe Digital Editions on your computer,
• or install the Pocketbook Reader on your tablet or smartphone,
• and sign up for an Adobe ID.

We recommend that you sign up for an Adobe ID so that you can switch between reading devices during the loan period. If you do not have an Adobe ID, reading is limited to the device on which you downloaded the ebook.
Adobe Digital Editions and Pocketbook Reader are free apps to manage the digital locks on ebooks. The applications allows you to open ebooks throughout the loan period and, should you wish, to also transfer them to other reading devices.
The digital rights management (DRM) system is a protection tool that has been integrated into all ebooks. It controls use of the ebooks, including their download, the loan duration and the transfer to reading devices.
The software has been developed to protect files from copyright violations, such as unauthorised duplication. This digital lock also ensures that ebooks are automatically returned when the loan period expires, i.e. that ebooks can no longer be viewed when the loan period has ended.

You will need to use different providers and platforms to open ebooks in the three different languages. We offer ebooks in French (Numilog), English (Overdrive) and German (Ciando).

The borrowing principle is always the same. Each individual platform is explained below.

If you prefer browsing the available ebooks directly on the vendor’s platform, please find the links below:

English ebooks (Overdrive)

German ebooks (Ciando)

French ebooks (Numilog)

If you have chosen an ebook that is available on the Numilog platform (mainly books in French), the consultation options will be shown on the details page of the book.

Click on “Télécharger ce livre au format EPUB pour une durée de 14 jours” to download the ebook.

You are able to download ebooks on several devices as long as they are authorised with the same Adobe ID.

Use the app PocketBook Reader or Adobe Digital Editions to open the ebook …

… and the ebook will be downloaded to your library.

If you have chosen a book that is available on the Overdrive platform (mainly books in English), you will need to click on “Borrow” to view the consultation options.

You have to authenticate yourself with your library card. Click on “sign in”.

You are now redirected to a-z.lu. Enter your library card number and your password:

After clicking on “borrow”, Overdrive asks you to confirm that Adobe Digital Editions is installed on your computer. Note: This is misleading as you only need an Adobe ID, the application can be Adobe Digital Editions or the app Pocketbook Reader

Open the ebook with Adobe Digital Editions or the app Pocketbook Reader and the ebook will be downloaded to your device.

If you have already chosen a book that is available on the Ciando platform (mainly books in German), you will need to click on “ebook anfordern” to download the ebook.

Once you have connected, a message will appear. As you are using your bibnet.lu membership card and not a Ciando account, please click on the first “Next” button (ignore the part “Bestehende Nutzer” about existing users).

You will then need to select the device that you wish to use to read the ebook.

The icons correspond to the following devices:

Once you have chosen a reading device, click on “Weiter” to confirm. The following message will only appear the first time you connect to the platform. It informs users that a “cookie account” will be used. This means that your membership ID will be used rather than a Ciando account. You will only need a Ciando account to make reservations.

On the next page, click on “eBook Download starten”.

Use Adobe Digital Editions or the App PocketBook Editions to open the ebook and the ebook will be downloaded to your device.

To be able to borrow ebooks, you will first need to register with one of the 12 partner libraries offering the ebooks.lu service. Once registered, you will receive a library card and password to access the resources.

To register for ebooks.lu you need to be at least 14 years old.

If you have a valid library card from one of the participating libraries you have already access to the ebooks.lu service.

You receive this error message when your library card is expired. Please renew your library card at your library.

You are trying to download an ebook from Ciando, but the error message “Ihr Passwort / Login ist nicht bekannt” is displayed?

You don’t have to log on Ciando. As you are already authenticated on a-z.lu as a library user you are using Ciando with a so-called “Cookie-Konto”.

To download an ebook, you need just click the first button “weiter”.

If the first button is not displayed please delete the cookies in your browser.

Delete Cookies

PC

Firefox: Menu – Privacy & Security – Cookies and Site Data

Chrome: Menu – More tools – Clear browsing data

Microsoft Edge: Menu – Settings – Cookies and Site Permissions – Manage Cookies and Site Data Tools

Mobile devices

Android Chrome: https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/2392709?co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid&hl=en

iOS Safari https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201265

The possibility to return an ebook before the due date depends on the platform.

• German ebooks (Ciando): For technical reasons the early return of an ebook is not possible. The ebook will stay two weeks on your device.
• French ebooks (Numilog) return possible (only with Adobe Digital Editions PC or Apple computer version, early return in app is not possible)
• English ebooks (Overdrive): return possible with Libby or Adobe Digital Editions (PC)

To learn how to return a borrowed book, see the last section of the guide for your device.

The limit of simultaneous borrowing depends on each platform. You can borrow a different number of ebooks by platform at the same time for download on PC, tablet, smartphone or eReader.

• German ebooks (Ciando): 4 simultaneous ebooks
• French ebooks (Numilog): 8 simultaneous titles (ebooks or audiobooks)
• English ebooks (Overdrive): 8 simultaneous titles (ebooks or audiobooks)

So the total of simultaneous loans is 20 ebooks if you use the maximum that is possible for each platform.

No, unfortunately the Amazon Kindle e-ink screen (all models) is not compatible with the ebooks.lu offer.

Reason: Amazon refuses to support the Adobe DRM system and accepts only its own DRM system. Although Kindle eReaders can open EPUB ebook files, thsi does not apply to EPUB files with Adobe DRM.

Unfortunately, there is no connection between electronic downloads and a-z.lu. That’s why borrowed ebooks aren’t displayed in your a-z.lu user account.

To check your active ebook loans, please open Adobe Digital Editions or Pocketbook Reader

If you have any further questions, please send an email to help@consortium.lu.

Since Apple launched iOS 13 a lot of users complained that they can’t download ebooks anymore after upgrading their iPhone or iPad. Please follow these steps to download ebooks to Adobe Digital Editions or Pocketbook Reader as long as Apple and the app providers haven’t solved the technical problems.

Open the Safari app and use the search engine of the Luxembourg library network (www.a-z.lu) to find the ebook you wish to borrow.

Once you have found an ebook you are interested in, click on the title and then on “Online Access”.

You will then be redirected to the ebook provider’s platform.

If you have not yet logged in, use your library card number and password to log in now.

After logging in, the ebook details will be shown on the provider’s platform.
Click on “Télécharger” or “Download” to download the ebook.

Once the ebook file has been downloaded, touch the icon on the top right (downloads) and click on the name of the ebook file.

In the following window touch the button “Download”.

A white page with the file name will be displayed.

Touch the “open with” icon on the top right.

In the following dialogue, choose “More”. Depending on the number of apps that you have installed, you might need to scroll to the left before this option is visible.

In the next step, choose “Open in Adobe Digital Editions” (or Pocketbook Reader).

Now the ebook will be opened in Adobe Digital Editions (or Pocketbook Reader).

Si vous avez toujours des problèmes avec le téléchargement, veuillez nous envoyer un courriel à help@consortium.lu avec des captures d’écran ou messages d’erreur.

We work together with two different providers so that we are able to offer you audiobooks in English, French and German.

You will find French audiobooks on the platform Numilog. English and German Audiobooks are on the platform Overdrive.

How you can borrow books on each platform is explained below.

If you prefer browsing the available audiobooks directly on the vendor’s platform, please find the links here:

English and German audiobooks (Overdrive)

French audiobooks (Numilog)

If you want to search for a specific book on the Numilog webpage, select “recherche avancée” and as “Format” “Audios”. The search results will now only include audiobooks:

Click on “écouter ce livre audio” if you want to borrow an audiobook:

Since you can only listen to the audiobook by streaming it, please insert your email address in the next step. You will receive a link by email that allows you to continue to listen to the audiobook in the browser whenever you want and with whatever device during the whole loan period. Without this link, you cannot go back to your audiobook!

You are now on the overview page of the audiobook. If you want to start listening, click on the “play” button or chose a chapter, e.g. “piste 1”. You can stop listening by clicking again on the “play” button.

If you want to continue listening after having closed the browser, click on the link “relancer la lecture”, which you have received by email.

After clicking on the link, you are redirected to the overview page of the audiobook and you can continue listening. This link also allows you to use different devices. Unfortunately, you do not automatically jump back where you left off. When you close the browser, please remember at what part of the audiobook you stopped listening to come back easily to the right chapter.

If you want to return the book before the end of the loan period, click on “rendre le livre” in the top right corner of the browser. This allows other people to borrow the audiobook immediately; otherwise, it is blocked until the end of the loan period:

You can search for a specific audiobook directly in the app Libby, by Overdrive. Go to “Library” and click on the search field. You can refine your search by clicking on “more options”, e.g. to define “Audiobooks” as the format you are looking for. You can also define more search criteria, such as the language or the genre, to limit your search results:

If you prefer to browse your library collection, go to “Explore”:

If you find an audiobook, you would like to listen to, click on “borrow”. This redirects you to your registered library card. You have to confirm the loan by clicking again on “borrow”:

You can now open the audiobook. You can also download the audiobook and listen to it when you are offline (not connected to the internet).

You find all your loans in the category “Shelf”. There you get all the information about your loans and the holds (reservations) you have placed. On the top right side of the title, a green check mark tells you that the audiobook has been downloaded. This allows you to listen to the audiobook while being offline:

You can define yourself the conditions under which the audiobooks are downloaded. You can also select the option that audiobooks can only be downloaded when you are connected to the Wi-Fi. Go to “Actions” on the right side of “recent loans” in the category “Shelf” and select the option that suits you best by clicking on “change download rules”:

On the right side of the title, you also have the possibility to return your ebook before the end of the loan period. You can also renew your loan in the same place. To do so, click on “manage loans”:

• You don’t have a library card yet?

To be able to borrow ebooks and audiobooks, you will first need to register with one of the 12 partner libraries offering the ebooks.lu service. Once registered, you will receive a library card and password to access the resources.

To register for ebooks.lu you need to be at least 14 years old and live in Luxembourg or in the neighboring regions.

Online registration at the National Library

It is possible to register online at the National Library. A library card from the National Library allows you to have access to all ebooks and audiobooks on ebooks.lu. Please follow the instructions here.

• Do you already have a library card from one of the partner libraries?

If you are older than 14 years old and you have a valid library card from one of the participating libraries you have already access to the ebooks.lu service.

Online renewal of your registration at the National Library

You can renew your registration at the National Library online. If your library card of the National Library is not valid anymore, you also lose access to the ebooks and audiobooks on ebooks.lu. Please follow the instructions here.

If you are older than 14 years old and you have a valid library card from one of the participating libraries you have already access to the ebooks.lu service.

Online renewal of your registration at the National Library

You can renew your registration at the National Library online. If your library card of the National Library is not valid anymore, you also lose access to the audiobooks on ebooks.lu. Please follow the instructions here.

You receive this error message when your library card is expired. Please renew your library card at your library.

Online renewal of your registration at the National Library

You can renew your registration at the National Library online. If your library card of the National Library is not valid anymore, you also lose access to the audiobooks on ebooks.lu. Please follow the instructions here.

Please always return the audiobook as soon as you have finished it. Otherwise, the audiobook will be blocked for 14 days and no other library user can borrow it. All audiobooks can be returned early before the end of the loan period.

You can return French audiobooks directly in the browser. Please click on “rendre le livre” in the top right corner of the browser:

English and German audiobooks can be returned directly in the app Libby, by Overdrive. Go to “Shelf” and then click on “Manage loans” on the right side of the title that you wish to return. Click on “Return Early”:

Audiobooks and ebooks in English and German are all borrowed from the same platform. English and German combined, you can borrow a maximum of 8 items (audiobooks and ebooks) at the same time.

French audiobooks and ebooks are borrowed from the same platform. You can borrow a maximum of 8 items (ebooks and audiobooks) at the same time.

French audiobooks require an active internet connection, as they are only available by streaming. You always need an internet connection while listening to the audiobook.

It is possible to listen to German and English audiobooks when you are offline provided the audiobook is fully downloaded. Audiobooks are by default automatically downloaded in the app, Libby, by Overdrive. You find more information about the download options in chapter 7.2.

You can continue listening to French audiobooks even after closing the browser. When you are borrowing a French audiobook, you are asked to enter your email address. You then receive a link that allows you to reopen the audiobook in your browser and to continue listening whenever and with whatever device you prefer. To do so click in the email on “relancer la lecture”. You find more information about how to listen to a French audiobook in chapter 7.1.

Unfortunately, there is no connection between electronic downloads and a-z.lu. That’s why borrowed ebooks and audiobooks are not displayed in your a-z.lu user account.

You can check your active loans of English and German audiobooks directly in the app Libby, by Overdrive in the category “Shelf”.

If you have any further questions, please send an email with the screenshot and the error message to help@consortium.lu (in English, French, German or Luxembourgish).