Sat Nov 21 2009
By LISA NICELY
How do you like your books -- traditional or electronic?
As e-books and other technological advances become more accessible, there are more options when it comes to reading.
"It's about choices," said Marilyn Hite, director of the Defiance Public Library, which carries both books and e-books. "It's not replacing anything. There are just all sorts of wonderful options."
E-books can be read on personal computers or e-book readers. It has the same information as a conventional book.
Hite said e-books are gaining in popularity and becoming more common.
"It's happening in education first," she said. "Textbooks and other study guides are available as e-books only. There's a new generation now were all their music is downloaded to take with them."
The library itself offers an e-library from its website. The library is a member of the SEO Library Consortium that offers a digital catalog, download center and instructions on how to download items. Individuals can check out 10 titles at a time and can have them out for 21 days. After that time the patron can no longer open the file to read the book. The time period is in the consortium's licensing contract. The consortium also has software that allows for the e-books to be downloaded.
Hite stressed that e-books really haven't taken off as much as they could.
"They just haven't found the right piece (of technology) for it," she said. "People are downloading them on MP3 players, but they can't do it on an Apple. The software is not compatible to an iPod. The download can happen on any portable device besides that."
The library at one part of time had the rocket e-book readers, but does not anymore. However, more people are using the e-library and downloading items.
Hite said the library is considering putting in a computer just for e-book downloading use. It is also looking at adding another e-book collection called TumbleBook. TumbleBook is for younger children. Books can be read to them and are motion active. They also come in Spanish and French to introduce children to foreign languages or increase their vocabulary.
The SEO Library Consortium has also added music and is looking to adding movies to its e-library site as well.
Archbold Public Library is also part of a e-library system. They are part of the Ohio e-book project, where patrons can download e-books, CD and audio books at http://ohdbks.lib.overdrive.com.
Joyce Klingelsmith, library director, said by joining the project the library can offer access to downloading more audio books, music, videos and e-books than the library could do on its own.
Klingelsmith said a limited number of patrons check out e-books.
"A person has to know how to use the technology to download something to the computer," she said. "We also don't offer any e-books readers. We've not had the demand for e-books as much as for books on CD."
The technology for e-books is coming around. In 2007, both Sony and Amazon released e-book readers that they are hoping will take off. The readers can hold more than 150 books each in their memory cards.
However, while technology is coming around some authors are not. One of 2007's highest grossing books cannot be found as an e-book. J.K. Rowling has not allowed any Harry Potter book to be made into an e-book, according to her literary agency. In various interviews with the media she has cited concerns about piracy as well as an opinion that books were meant to be read on paper.
Horror author Steven King, however, has no problems with e-books having released "Riding the Bullet" as such.
Comments
By Posting to this site, you agree to our Terms of Service Be polite.
Inappropriate posts may be removed.
Crescent-News.com doesn't necessarily condone the comments here, nor does it review every post.
Login above or Register to comment.
0 Total Comments Home | Back
Copyright Defiance Publishing, LLC 1995-2009. All Rights Reserved.
Content may not be republished without the expresse written consent of the publisher.
Content may not be republished without the expresse written consent of the publisher.
Dix Communications