May is Short Story Month

We celebrated poetry in April during Poetry Month, so why not recognize short stories in May? The idea comes from the website StoryADay.org, where they promote the writing and reading of short stories. And why not? Short stories offer digestible, bite size chunks of fiction. Perfect for summer days in the back yard when your attention can get a little…distracted.

"When you read a short story, you come out a little more aware and a little more in love with the world around you."
-George Saunders, Interview

There are so many great short story authors and collections out there. Where to start? A great way to get acquainted with the masters of the form is through our “Always Available” collection in MyMediaMall. These eBooks can be downloaded unlimited times and never go away. You can find collections by writers ranging from Jack London to Philip K. Dick.

If you're new to downloading eBooks through MyMediaMall, the “Always Available” collection can be a good place to start. Download an Overdrive app for your device, select our library then start downloading. See our getting started page for MyMediaMall for help.

If you're looking for something more contemporary, you can also search for “short stories” from the MyMediaMall home page or look in our catalog for more titles.

Have fun and enjoy those short stories!

New MyMediaMall Makes Downloading eBooks Better

Downloading eBooks just got easier (and nicer looking) with the new MyMediaMall. If you go to MyMediaMall now, you'll find a visually rich, an easy to navigate experience, and the ability to read right in your browser (plus all of the familiar features). Let's take a closer look at the new MyMediaMall.

MyMediaMall's new homepage

Right at the top you'll see a list of helpful categories to browse. You'll also see lists of titles that are popular on MyMediaMall right now. You can click directly on one of these covers or use the ribbons below the cover to remember the item for later.

Browsing a list of books with the new MyMediaMall

Here's a list of "all eBook fiction." One of the best new features is prominent "Available Now" button. Clicking this shows you everything that is available for download. The filters to the left are easier to use now too.

Viewing books in the new MyMediaMall

When you click on a book, you get a very nice display showing the cover, information about the book and related picks. The "Borrow" button is front and center, enticing you to read the selection, in this case Haruki Murakami's 1Q84.

The new bookshelf makes downloading and reading online easier

I selected the book to borrow and can view my bookshelf. The bookshelf makes it easy to see what you have checked out, when it expires, and how to read the content. In this case, you can read 1Q84 right in the browser by selecting "Read (for your browser)" or download it for Kindle.

The newest feature--reading in your browser!

The in-browser reading experience is pretty nice. Here's the first page of the book. There are options for resizing the text, changing the line spacing, just like an eReader.

We think that the redesigned MyMediaMall is a great improvement. It is bright and visual, easier to navigate, easier to return items early, and easier to fill your basket and begin reading. So, go to dppl.org/eDPPL now and look for MyMediaMall to get started!