We ended up going out for dinner today, even though it wasn’t really in The Budget. It was a friend’s birthday, and it was just a small gathering, and I didn’t have to eat. I ate anyway, because everyone kept having me eat off their plates.

Not gonna complain about that. I tried two new things, and they were both surprisingly tasty.

While we were there, though, we ended up talking about the library.

This guy we were out with is the guy who brought me back into the Cult of the Public Library. He loves the library near our house, but he’s not in their service area. Neither are we, but I work within those limits, and do a lot more digital borrowing than he does.

He paid a yearly fee to be included.

The limitations were based on who was in their property tax area. It made sense to me, although it made no sense that I was outside their property tax area. But I’m outside a lot of areas, so…y’know. Whatever. I can deal with it.

Anyway, he said the library sent him a refund of his payment, because they’d dropped that rule. We’re all accepted as regular users at that library now.

As I was about to go to sleep, about five hours ago, I suddenly remembered this, and had to have a look at the library’s website. In between discovering that there was a nighttime mode for their one digital library, and dropping my borrow time on certain formats, I happened across their notice that they’d dropped the limitations.

And I finally found a link that showed me what those limits were.

I’ve spent the last four hours making little note cards of all those limits, because there was so much shit I did not know, and I occasionally become a little too obsessive.

I have a card for Physical Media, letting me know that I can have seventy-five holds, and sixty items out, and that I may renew some of them three times.

I have a card for Gadgets [including GoPro cameras, GPSs for different purposes, laptops, and even Nooks].

I have a card for their two Inter-Library Loan systems.

And I finally have almost all the information I wanted about digi-library stuff.

There are apparently services where what I borrow is mine to keep.

There’s the service I already know, and use a lot–OverDrive Media Console–which lets me have twelve borrowed books [usually on my Kindle, but audiobooks can be transferred to my iPod, even if they have to be converted from WMA]. Holds are held for two days after they come available, and you will get an email notification about it. You can have 12 holds. And books can be checked out for 7, 14, or 21 days, your choice. Early returns can happen, but not on wma audiobooks, which is why I have that set to 7 days.

The great mystery one, though, that’s finally solved? OneClickDigital. I even asked a librarian. In the reference section. Because I figured she’d know how to find stuff even if she didn’t know it. But nothing was helpful there.

I now know. The limits are almost identical to Overdrive, except you can only have ten holds. All items can be returned early, too.

I do not know, however, if they allow transfer to iPods. I must find that out next.

So, yes. I have been excruciatingly nerdy tonight. When I should have been sleeping.

I’m going to try to do that here in a little bit. I just wanted to get this out of my head.