I had a conversation with my sister the other day about eReaders. I have one, and yet I still buy books. Out of all of my expenses, now that I have this device, buying a physical book is probably the most illogical thing to do. But I do enjoy holding a book, feeling its weight, and smelling its pages—be it old or new. So why did I buy the eReader?
There is no questioning the fact that eBooks and eReaders of all sorts are having a tremendous impact on the way that society views reading. Books are suddenly more portable and available than ever. Everything from businesses to classrooms is moving to recognize and, in some cases, even require eReaders. Even the way that the library works has changed to accommodate the lending of book in electronic format.
Although I have had my Kindle for a number of months, I only just recently finished reading an entire book on it. Nothing against the machine, but I guess I was in a non-reading phase for a while. Nonetheless, I have to say I did really enjoy reading on my new device.
Reading Between the Lines: The Pros and Cons of eBooks
You can purchase a Barnes and Noble Nook for as little as $99 and an Amazon Kindle for just $79. Most tablets give you access to apps that allow you to download and read books on them directly, letting you bypass a dedicated eReader altogether.
After looking through the many eBook titles available for download from the library, you might be asking yourself, "Why can’t I find the eBook that I want?" You know it’s a popular author, you know it’s a popular title, but the library just does not have it!
When I first started working at MCPL, we checked out materials using cards inside of each item, and located subjects, titles, and authors through the "old fashioned" card catalog. The library system has come so far with modern technology that we now provide materials by electronic means and assist customers in downloading books to reading devices.
After posting my last blog on this topic, I realized there are other important aspects that affect the availability of eBooks. One important factor is that authors often switch publishers.
By now, most people know what an eReader is and that downloadable books are available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble. The Library is also entering into the digital world, and we’d like to introduce you to what we have to offer. On May 16th from 1:00 - 7:00 p.m., the Colbern Road Branch is hosting a Digital Bookmobile.
The Kansas City Star had an interesting article in last Friday's issue on eBooks. It touches on a lot of the thorny issues libraries face when trying to acquire titles, especially in regard to licensing and financial restrictions.
When I first heard of eReaders, I wasn’t exactly sure what to think of them though I had thought they were fascinating little devices. Granted, I’m usually out of the technology loop by about a year or two, even though I should be on top of these things being in my youth.
