There’s no easy way to announce change, so I’ll just come out and say it. OverDrive is going away. It’s being replaced by an app by Bibliotecha Ltd called the Cloud Library.

If you use OverDrive, you’ll probably find this something of a welcome change, since OverDrive can be a pain in the butt to use. And if you don’t use OverDrive, then this is the perfect time to start reading and listening to eBooks. Especially for those of us still waiting to get plowed out so we can actually get to the physical Library.

To download the new app, go to the Apple or Google store app on your device and search for cloudLibrary. Once you download it, you’ll be prompted to select your country, state, and nearest library from a drop-down menu. Then you’ll input your Library card number, which always starts with “bbh.” So even though I ask you “What’s your Library card number?” at the checkout desk, and you tell me, “1024,” your Library card number is actually bbh1024. Yes, we’ve been keeping the “bbh” part a secret from you all this time. Sorry.

The cloudLibrary has a few advantages over OverDrive, but the biggest one is that it doesn’t ask you to select your library and input your card number three times every time you want to check out a book.

You can browse the Cloud Library by genre (all 60), format (eBook or audio book), or availability (available now or there’s a hold list). And each book has a paragraph-long description, so you can get some idea of what it’s about before you check out.

You can keep each book for three weeks, at which point it automatically returns, or return as soon as you’re done.

Bring your device in on Wednesday, March 1, and Joanna Breen and I will be available to help you download the new app and get you eReading!

Upcoming events

Calling Student Artists: March is our Student Art Show in the Upstairs Community Room. Prepare your art for a March 1 installation!

Caring for Bears: Friday, Feb. 24, 11 a.m. Maine bear rehabilitator amd behavioral researcher Dawn L. Brown will talk about caring for orphan bear cubs, her observations, and bear patterns of development. (Sorry, no live bears!)

How Difficult Can This Be: The F.A.T. City Workshop: Wednesday, March 1, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Rick Lavoie, M.A., M.Ed.,  presented by Laurie Cavanaugh, CPSP, Regional Parent Support Coordinator.

Monday Night Book Club: Monday, March 13, 7 p.m. “Devil in the White City” by Erik Larson. Facilitator Leslie Volpe, 633-0557.

Book Focus Group: Monday, March 20, 4:30 p.m. Facilitator John O’Connell, jwoconnell@gmail.com.

For more information and a complete listing visit: bbhlibrary.org/events or stop by!