Momentum Building Behind the 3M Cloud Library

{"s" : "mmm","k" : "a00,a50,b00,b60,c10,g00,h00,l10,p20,t10,v00","o" : "","j" : ""} Press Release Source: 3M On Monday June 20, 2011, 12:26 pm EDT

ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- 3M Library Systems will debut its new 3M Cloud Library eBook Lending Service at the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference, taking place Thursday, June 23 through Tuesday, June 28 in New Orleans, La. 3M’s innovative new system is composed of both digital content and in-library hardware, along with apps for borrowing and reading, providing libraries with a simple, turnkey system for advancing their digital offerings.

The 3M Cloud Library eBook lending service offers software and hardware, as well as eBooks from a steadily growing list of leading publishers including HarperCollins Publishers, IPG, Random House and Sourcebooks. 3M will announce formal agreements with additional publishing partners in the coming months.

“3M has created a tool to connect libraries to their patrons in new and exciting ways,” says Matt Tempelis, global business manager, 3M Library Systems. “An eBook system gives libraries a way to reach a larger audience in their communities, and to keep patrons coming back. We are confident the 3M Cloud Library has the elegance and simplicity that will help users enjoy this exciting technology.”

Exploring the 3M Cloud Library

The Cloud Library eBook lending service consists of several components that help users browse the electronic catalog and read on the device of their choice:

3M Discovery Terminals: Patrons at the library can browse the content catalog on 3M Discovery Terminals, electronic kiosks with an intuitive touch-based interface. 3M eReaders: Content from the Cloud Library can be synced with easy-to-use 3M eReaders that can be checked out like any other lendable materials. Mobile device compatibility: The service’s eBooks are compatible with PCs, Macs, iPads, Nooks, and Androids. Using their personal devices patrons can browse, check out and read eBooks all without leaving the app. For popular titles, patrons can add their names to a waiting list for the digital and/or print content within the app as well.

This flexible solution allows patrons to check out or buy materials and read on the device of their choice—at home or on the go.

“The 3M Cloud Library eBook lending service is designed for maximum flexibility, letting patrons access and browse the system on the tool they prefer most, and take their books with them wherever they go,” said Tempelis. “With the ability to connect to the library on site, from a home PC or from a digital device, patrons have more options for browsing and reading than ever before.”

Experiencing the Cloud Library

The system is planned for installation beginning this summer at a number of locations across the country, including the Saint Paul Public Library, Minn.; Bergen County Cooperative Library System, N.J.; Maricopa County Library District, Ariz.; Douglas County Libraries, Colo.; Darien Library, Conn.; Richland County Public Library, S.C.; and the State Library of Kansas on behalf of the Kansas Digital Library Consortium. 3M will seek feedback from both patrons and staff at these locations on the service’s ease of use and functionality, using their input to continue to refine the system.

3M Library Systems worked closely with library staff members to design the service, which enabled the creation of a solution that meets the needs of both library staff and library patrons. A global leader in library solutions, 3M Library Systems has a 40-year history of innovation, and will back the Cloud Library eBook lending service with the same outstanding customer service for which 3M is known.

“We carefully selected libraries of varying sizes and technological advancement from around the country to be a part of our beta program,” said Tom Mercer, digital business development leader, 3M Library Systems. “We are working closely with library staff members during the beta phase to fine tune the system in order to create the ideal service for patrons and libraries alike.”

Attendees of the ALA Annual Conference will have the opportunity to view a sneak peek of the 3M eReaders and 3M Discovery Terminal, as well as the 3M Cloud Library App for iPad. Visitors to the 3M booth, number 3126, can also enter for a chance to win an hourly drawing for a Nook eReader.

About 3M Library Systems
3M Library Systems is the only company that develops, designs, and manufactures cutting-edge digital media, circulation management and security solutions. Finding the technology solution that is right for our customers, 3M's promise is to deliver a long term partnership that is built to exceed their expectations. For more information about 3M Library Systems, visit http://www.3m.com/library or follow @3MLibrary on Twitter.

About 3M
3M captures the spark of new ideas and transforms them into thousands of ingenious products. Our culture of creative collaboration inspires a never-ending stream of powerful technologies that make life better. 3M is the innovation company that never stops inventing. With $27 billion in sales, 3M employs about 80,000 people worldwide and has operations in more than 65 countries. For more information, visit www.3M.com or follow @3MNews on Twitter.

3M is a trademark of 3M. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

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Long Beach Public Library Builds eBook Collection

??? Checking out a library book, and remembering to return it, just got easier.

??? The Long Beach Public Library expanded its services last month to include an eBook collection in addition to its already popular downloadable audio book offerings.

??? “We have about 3,200 titles — half are audio books and half are eBooks,” Susan Jones, department librarian of automated services, said. “We are doing collection development and will add another 1,000 eBook titles in the next two months.”

??? During collection development, Jones said librarians would be tracking reading trends of eBook users to see what titles and topics are most popular and what types of eBooks the library should stock.

??? Those who want to check out a free eBook can sign up to keep the book for one or two weeks before the title must be renewed or it automatically expires, which means late fees aren’t possible. There may be waiting lists for popular titles — only one person can check out an eBook at a time — similar to how there are waiting lists for physical book copies at the library.

??? Jones said eBooks can be downloaded onto e-readers, tablets and smartphones. Downloadable eBooks through the Long Beach Public Library are not available on the Kindle (but do work on the Nook), but Jones said eBooks would be Kindle-compatible as early as this fall.

??? Using eBooks is a way for the library to save money and provide an in-demand service to area residents, Jones said. Because the eBooks don’t take up shelf space and don’t require labeling or shuttling from one library to another, Jones said man-hours and book wear-and-tear could be minimized. She added that library patrons now have access to titles outside of normal library hours.

??? “We are really excited about this and the response we have gotten back from readers has been really good,” Jones said. “I’ve used it myself and downloaded recipe books on my smart phone and read them right in the kitchen.”

??? To download free eBooks and audio books to an e-reader, visit www.lbpl.lib.overdrive.com or go to the app store on your smart phone or tablet to download eBooks to those devices. For details or troubleshooting help from a librarian, go to www.lbpl.org or call 570-7500.

View the original article here

3M Cloud Library eBook Lending Service to Launch at ALA Annual Conference

{"s" : "mmm","k" : "a00,a50,b00,b60,c10,g00,h00,l10,p20,t10,v00","o" : "","j" : ""} Press Release Source: 3M On Thursday May 19, 2011, 4:09 pm EDT

3M:

About 3M Library Systems
3M Library Systems is the only company that develops, designs, and manufactures cutting-edge digital media, circulation management and security solutions. Finding the technology solution that is right for our customers, 3M's promise is to deliver a long term partnership that is built to exceed their expectations. For more information about 3M Library Systems, visit http://www.3m.com/library or follow @3MLibrary on Twitter.

About 3M
3M captures the spark of new ideas and transforms them into thousands of ingenious products. Our culture of creative collaboration inspires a never-ending stream of powerful technologies that make life better. 3M is the innovation company that never stops inventing. With $27 billion in sales, 3M employs about 80,000 people worldwide and has operations in more than 65 countries. For more information, visit www.3M.com or follow @3MNews on Twitter.

3M is a trademark of 3M. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

View the original article here

McGraw-Hill eBook Library Debuts As Its eTextbook Platform

 McGraw-Hill eBook Library Debuts As Its Etextbook Platform
by Nancy Herther
Posted On May 23, 2011 On May 12, 2011, McGraw-Hill Professional announced its new ebook platform, the McGraw-Hill eBook Library, described as “a state-of-the-art platform delivering unparalleled access to the publisher’s premium content for institutions around the world.” According to the website, the product was initially scheduled to launch in March 2011. Company officials plan appearances at library-related conferences throughout the coming year to demo the new ebook service, geared to the needs of professional and academic markets. Sold as a service, this provides “flexible one-to-four-year subscription basis with free-of-charge monthly updates and unlimited concurrent usage.” At launch, the service offers more than 1,000 titles in five general subject areas initially: Student Study Aids and Test Prep; Business; Computing; Engineering and Medical and First Aid (http://www.mhebooklibrary.com/staticcms/aboutus). The subscription-based service allows for 1-4 year contracts with new titles added to each segment–at no added cost–during the year(s) of their contract.

Added user features include note taking and bookmarking. The press release stressed the system’s searchability as “simple to use with relevant, thorough results.” Users are able to print only one chapter of each work for their personal use. For libraries, the system comes with MARC records and provides libraries with usage data that allows librarians to “monitor usage with web analytics available through the eBook Library’s DRM interface.”

McGraw-Hill is a major player in the professional and educational markets with a global reach. In 2007, McGraw-Hill launched GradGuru.com, its first major foray into the direct online services market. With the by-line of “a knowledge sharing network where college students can share and find class-specific notes, build their academic reputations and earn rewards,” the award-winning GradGuru offers “a relevant and intuitive social learning environment for students from thousands of universities.” It has also provided McGraw-Hill a direct connection with their ultimate collegiate end-users.

Cengage and McGraw-Hill have been partners in a venture called CourseSmart begun in 2007—along with Pearson, Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishing Group (Macmillan), and John Wiley & Sons. CourseSmart sells digital replicas of etextbooks and now has a catalog of more than 15,000.

In March 2011, McGraw-Hill, along with Pearson, acquired a minority stake in Inkling, an etextbook software company, launched a year ago, that focuses on creating products that incorporate “interactivity, social collaboration and simple ease-of-use.” In the announcement, both companies committed to build interactive editions of their top titles for the Inkling platform. How much these collaborations and experiences have translated into McGraw-Hill’s new ebook platform is yet to be seen.

Electronic textbooks have been available—often as PDFs through school systems that buy publishers’ texts—for many years. In March 2001, NetLibrary (while still an OCLC company) purchased MetaText, a company that created web-based digital textbooks. McGraw-Hill, along with Thomson Learning, Pearson Education, Houghton Mifflin, W.W. Norton, and Jones and Bartlett sold titles through the NetLibrary eBookstore. This was one of the few ‘successful’ efforts of this early era of etextbooks. However, they weren’t alone.

Rovia, an “MIT-bred startup,” was another pioneer in this area, using proprietary web-based software to allow students to access texts from various publishers, using a login system and linkages from course packs, classroom management systems, or direct login access. In the same era, and focusing on WebCT and Blackboard course management systems, WizeUp.com was a company that had agreements with McGraw-Hill Higher Education, Harcourt College, Pearson Education, Houghton Mifflin, W.W. Norton, and John Wiley & Sons.

Another start-up, DigitalOwl, lasted a mere 3 years, burning through an estimated $11 million in venture capital and never formally entering the marketplace. These efforts may not have blossomed, but show that there has been, at least, toe-in-the-water interest in etextbooks for many years now. With the clear market acceptance of elearning and ebooks, publishers are wisely testing the publisher-based model of ebook distribution.

A recent study from Student Monitor, reported in Inside Higher Ed notes that “printed textbooks are still alive and well thanks to a boom in rentals”—not to the availability of ebooks. In fact, the survey found that only 2% of the respondents reported buying etexts—and their rationale? “My professor required me to.” Maybe the future of textbooks is still too embryonic and the market too nuanced to speculate much about the ongoing transformation of textbooks in the 21st century learning environment.

There are still many key issues for etextbooks in higher education. Cost is a major issue, with many faculty seeking to use portions of texts rather than having students overburdened with needing many, expensive titles of which only a small portion may be critical to the course. Another issue revolves around the concept of ownership. Owning a title means you can freely take notes or share with a friend. You may choose to keep some key work for future use beyond the term of that class. You might decide to resell the book to recoup some of the expenses incurred for your education. These factors deserve equal attention to copyright, which still represents a major stumbling block to publishers.

A 2010 Outsell study of the textbook marketplace estimated the 2008 value of digital textbooks at $1.5 billion, growing to $4.1 billion by 2013, a 200% growth rate—yet still far behind the $12.5 billion market for print texts. Textbook publishers are still in the early phases of electronic adoption, focusing on the direct transfer of printed works into ebook products. One hopes that upcoming products will focus more on using the best of electronic tools and tricks to create compelling works that will provide heightened learning and more engaging content. That, however, is not in the foreseeable future as textbook publishers work to test the markets, the needs and preferences of their users—as well as their own assumptions as they move into the electronic era.

“We see our role as publishers changing significantly as we move toward a more information-based business model,” notes Tom Stanton, communications director for McGraw-Hill Education. “McGraw-Hill is focused on identifying and driving new ways to distribute and use digital content and tools. This is about deconstructing the textbook, and creating content and tools that promote learner engagement and academic success. We see the expansion of teaching and learning platforms like McGraw-Hill Connect, which offers students personalized learning, self-assessment, lecture capture, online tutoring, online collaboration capabilities and much more.”

In a 2006 3-day workshop sponsored by NSF, STEM researchers concluded that:

The textbook of the future will be more than a static printed volume, according to the meeting participants. It will function as a guide, interweaving and coordinating a variety of different learning resources including animations, simulations, and interactive exercises. Such a package of resources would be easily searchable, and thus would be learner accessible with a flexible electronic interface. The textbook, whether printed or electronic, will be the organizing hub of an integrated learning environment where the student experience is key. The goal here is to retain the core stability and authority that make the textbook so valuable while at the same time to provide the flexibility, timeliness, and inquiry-focused approach that the Web and other electronic resources offer.

Whether or not this McGraw-Hill endeavor achieves this definition or not, the company joins a growing circle of big-time publishers—Wiley, Springer, and Elsevier—already operating ebook platforms and working to build a structure that incorporates elements of this vision in their design.

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3M Cloud Library eBook Lending Service to Launch at ALA Annual Conference

May 19, 2011 04:09 PM?Eastern Daylight Time?Random House, IPG among first publishers to partner

--(BUSINESS WIRE)--3M:

“We worked closely with librarians to develop this system, which enabled us to create a solution that meets the needs of both librarians and library patrons”

About 3M Library Systems
3M Library Systems is the only company that develops, designs, and manufactures cutting-edge digital media, circulation management and security solutions. Finding the technology solution that is right for our customers, 3M's promise is to deliver a long term partnership that is built to exceed their expectations. For more information about 3M Library Systems, visit http://www.3m.com/library or follow @3MLibrary on Twitter.

About 3M
3M captures the spark of new ideas and transforms them into thousands of ingenious products. Our culture of creative collaboration inspires a never-ending stream of powerful technologies that make life better. 3M is the innovation company that never stops inventing. With $27 billion in sales, 3M employs about 80,000 people worldwide and has operations in more than 65 countries. For more information, visit www.3M.com or follow @3MNews on Twitter.

3M is a trademark of 3M. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

View the original article here

EBooks add diversity to library options

According to Publisher’s Weekly, 2011 has certainly been the year of the eBook format thus far. EBooks have managed to outsell both hardcover and paperback books and in March had over a 200-percent increase in sales. And what you may not know is that the Black Gold Cooperative Library System, which the Lompoc Library System is a part of, has more than 2,500 free eBooks available to anyone with a library card (http://blackgold.lib.overdrive.com/).

The books available are varied — from brand new bestsellers to classics that never go out of style. You can never be charged late fees on library eBooks and they are compatible with nearly every eReader on the market, with the notable exception of Amazon’s Kindle.

The library also has a collection of more than 2,000 downloadable audiobooks and 95 percent of those are iPod compatible. More books are being added every month in both formats.???

The concept of eBooks is not exactly new, but for a lot of people, there’s a firm belief that there’s really nothing better than a print book. Many people say to me that there’s an associated emotion with holding a physical book that just can’t be beat. But eBooks do have their benefits — they are great for the environment, easily transported, and the experience of holding an eReader quickly proves to be incredibly convenient and comfortable.

A library patron recently told me that receiving an eReader literally changed her life. She absolutely loves reading but her severe arthritis meant that holding a book was extremely painful. But with a lightweight eReader’s ergonomic design, she is now able to read as much as she wants to without pain. By utilizing the library system’s collection of eBooks, she’s able to access an eBook at any time of the day, any day of the week at no cost.

The library has recently made other improvements to keep up with the fast paced technology of the 21st century. The library now has a new mobile friendly catalog that makes using the library catalog with a Smartphone easier than ever. You can also now receive library notifications via text message and the library collection is being updated with new formats like mp3 formatted audiobooks and blu-ray DVDs.

For more information on library services, email

lomref@blackgold.org or call 875-8775.

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World's First Airport eBook Library Opens In Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport

World's First Airport eBook Library Opens In Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport HPFB.init(); 
World's First Airport eBook Library Opens In Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport

First Posted: 03/21/11 11:16 AM?Updated: 03/21/11 11:16 AM

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Read More:Aiport Ebook Library, Airport, Ebook Library, Ebooks, Nstitute For Information Industry, Taiwan Airport, Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Books Newsshare this storyGet Books AlertsSign UpSubmit this storydiggredditstumble

aviationrecord.com:

Airports across the world have created a myriad of innovative ways to keep their passengers entertained, from airport spray tanning in London to an airport wedding service in Amsterdam. Now Taiwan's international airport has put a high-tech twist on airport reading — with the world’s first airport library for ebooks.

Read the whole story: aviationrecord.com

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eBooksAirports across the world have created a myriad of innovative ways to keep their passengers entertained, from airport spray tanning in London to an airport wedding service in Amsterdam. Now Taiwan's i...Airports across the world have created a myriad of innovative ways to keep their passengers entertained, from airport spray tanning in London to an airport wedding service in Amsterdam. Now Taiwan's i... Related News On Huffington Post: ?
eBook Sales Increase Nearly 116% In January, Paperback Sales Plunge Nearly 31% EU Opposition To Agency Model For Selling eBooks Suggests Hard Times Ahead For Publishers Stephen Leather's eBook Sales Rival Stieg Larsson's Expensive eBooks: Would You Pay 238 Dollars? Charting The Global eBook Market eBook Lending Takes Off, Worries Publishers 

eBook Sales Increase Nearly 116% In January, Paperback Sales Plunge Nearly 31%

In January's Association of American Publishers (AAP) report, they revealed that eBook net sales went from last year's 32.4 million dollars to 69.9 million dollars,... 

EU Opposition To Agency Model For Selling eBooks Suggests Hard Times Ahead For Publishers

On Tuesday 1 March, several publishing offices in Europe were raided by inspectors from the European Commission. "They burst in like cowboys" said Francis Esmenard,... 

Stephen Leather's eBook Sales Rival Stieg Larsson's

Two names dominate the Kindle U.K. Top 20 for electronic book sales: Stieg Larsson -- the late Swedish author whose “Millennium Trilogy” has sold 53... 

Expensive eBooks: Would You Pay 238 Dollars?

In light the earthquakes in Japan today, I wanted to read up on the 1994 Northridge Earthquake — a 6.7 magnitude earthquake in Los Angeles... 

Charting The Global eBook Market

In February, the International Publishers Association asked each of its executive members to answer four questions about their developing e-book markets, granting The Bookseller and... 

eBook Lending Takes Off, Worries Publishers

In the past few months, online clubs with such names as BookLending.com and Lendle.me have proliferated. The sites, some of which have gathered thousands of... Read more from Huffington Post bloggers: James McGrath Morris James McGrath Morris: Will eBooks Make Midlist Authors Extinct? Jennifer Havenner Jennifer Havenner: eBooks Have Resurrected the Printed Book Michael A. Stackpole Michael A. Stackpole: Who Benefits From High Ebook Prices? Mark Coker Mark Coker: eBook Market Exploding, Confirms New IDPF Survey Karin Slaughter Karin Slaughter: Will eBooks Create An Elite Reading Class? 

James McGrath Morris: Will eBooks Make Midlist Authors Extinct?

The digital book age promises to deliver an endless assortment of titles with the click of a mouse but also portends to destroy the economic foundation that supports a large class of writers known as midlist authors, the triple-A minor league players of publishing. 
Jennifer Havenner: eBooks Have Resurrected the Printed Book What does a printed book have that eBooks don't? Permanence. The role of the printed book is still critical, if not for the publishing industry, but for the human race. 
Michael A. Stackpole: Who Benefits From High Ebook Prices? Clearly, higher prices do not benefit consumers. And Amazon is now getting 20% less for each book sold, so it's not benefiting them. Higher ebook prices only benefit one group: Publishers. 
Mark Coker: eBook Market Exploding, Confirms New IDPF Survey The International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF), in an email to members Friday, reported U.S. wholesale ebook sales for the month of January, 2010 rose 261 percent to $31.9 million from the same period a year ago. 
Karin Slaughter: Will eBooks Create An Elite Reading Class? Every story opens up a new world. My only worry is that I'm not sure how much longer a lot of people are going to be able to afford the price of admission.
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Post to Facebook.Post to Blogger.Post to Twitter.Post to WordPress.Post to TypePad.Post to Tumblr.Post to Yahoo! View All Recency ?|? Popularity Missy Diaz ? 0 minute ago (1:53 PM) 6 Fans I hope the US follows suit and has an ebook library in major airports soon. Yay! Missy_Diaz: I hope the US follows suit and has an ebook http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Missy_Diaz/airport-ebook-library_n_838381_81500109.html Permalink ?|

"Hunt for History" Offers School Library Media Specialists and Teachers Chance to Win Valuable Prizes on History ...

ABC-CLIO Will Award 45 Winners in Annual Contest, Prizes Include iPads, Online History Database Subscriptions, eBook Collections

(PRWEB) March 22, 2011

ABC-CLIO , an award-winning publisher of history reference and research resources in print and online, is calling for school library media specialists and social studies teachers around the country to join the 2011 "Hunt for History " and win valuable prizes such as iPads and subscriptions to the company's suite of databases and eBook Collections.

To take the Hunt for History challenge, school library media specialists and teachers sign up for a free 60-day preview of the 13 ABC-CLIO online databases, and then use this wealth of history resources to find and submit the answers to 15 questions about worldwide historical events, people, issues and dilemmas. Prizes will be awarded weekly during the month-long contest, providing many opportunities to win. The competition launches on March 22, and the deadline for submitting answers is April 30, making it a great way for school library media specialists and teachers to celebrate National Library Week in mid-April.

"With our Hunt for History competition, school library media specialists and teachers will enjoy collaborating on a fun scavenger hunt for the answers to challenging questions about history," said Becky Snyder, president, ABC-CLIO. "At the same time, they have the chance to win great prizes that will help their students delve deeply into history and build research, writing and critical-thinking skills."

This year's Hunt for History five grand-prize winners will receive an Apple iPad and subscription to the ABC-CLIO databases for one year. The ABC-CLIO collection of 13 databases meets the needs of today's learners with authoritative reference materials from leading scholars, resources that focus student research and understanding, and analytical essays that model critical-thinking approaches and stimulate scholarly debate.

Sixteen first-prize winners will receive a one-year school-wide subscription to any four ABC-CLIO databases, and 24 second-prize winners will receive access to the ABC-CLIO eBook Collection for one year.

Hunt for History is open only to teachers and librarians in accredited, public and private schools in the United States and U.S. territories and is limited to one entry per individual. For more information, go to http://www.abc-clio.com/huntforhistory.

About ABC-CLIO
Founded in 1955, ABC-CLIO is an award-winning publisher of reference titles, academic and general-interest books, electronic resources, and books for librarians and other professionals. The company, headquartered in Santa Barbara, Calif., publishes under four well-respected imprints. ABC-CLIO serves the history profession, history teachers, and students and scholars of history with a complete line of databases, books and eBooks, along with social studies reference and curriculum resources for middle and high school libraries and classrooms. Greenwood publishes high-quality, authoritative reference books and general-interest topics across the secondary and higher education curriculum. Praeger is widely regarded for scholarly and professional books in the social sciences and humanities, with emphasis in modern history, military studies, psychology, business, current events and social issues, international affairs, politics, visual and performing arts, and literature. Libraries Unlimited/Linworth publishes professional materials for librarians, media specialists, and teachers. For more information, visit http://www.abc-clio.com.

###

LISA WOLFE
ABC-CLIO
773-227-1049
Email Information

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Abilene Public Library enters the eBook business

 Larry Steagall

When it decided to hop into the eBook business, the Abilene Public Library didn't even have to publicize what it was doing.

Demand for downloadable literature was so high that people started using the library's eBook service as soon as it went live in January.

"We were surprised by how many people found it before we even said a word about it," said Ricki Brown, city librarian.

The library previously had offered downloadable music and audiobooks for users, but the eBook initiative represents something different altogether. It's taking the service that libraries are best known for and digitizing it.

But the timing makes sense: with Nooks, Kindles, iPads and tablets of every stripe taking over the market, reading a classic suddenly looks hip again.

The library partnered with eBook distribution company OverDrive in the endeavor, which currently features 218 titles. In two months, those books have been digitally checked out 774 times, Brown says.

Patrons at the Tom Green County Library in San Angelo download from the same system as Abilene users.

So how does it work? Library card holders shop for a title, then download it straight from the library's website. Users can choose a one- or two-week checkout period.

From there, they can read it on a computer (using additional downloaded Adobe software), or export it to a mobile device for on-the-go reading.

The download expires and essentially deletes itself at the end of the checkout period, which leads to an unexpected benefit: the potential death of late fees.

While the program works for most tablet readers, the Amazon Kindle isn't compatible with Adobe software, which has cost the library one of the most popular devices on the market. That might change in the future, but library staff can only guess when.

Due to the usual bit of early troubleshooting that came with the launch, the library has posted a lengthy series of tutorial videos on its website and YouTube page. Each device's operating system has its own set of quirks, and compounding the problem is the fact that the market is saturated with them at this point.

Which begs the bigger, if speculative question: where does all this downloading leave the library building itself in the years to come?

"The bricks and mortar library is not going away," said Janis Test, the library's information services manager. "People have been predicting its demise for years and years."

The more likely outcome, Test says, is hard and digital books each having a niche, the way radio, television and all of our other entertainment distractions coexist today.

But the early returns suggest that the old library stacks will have to make room for their digital counterparts.

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Ebook policy leads to boycott by local library

The Kewanee Public Library notified patrons Wednesday that the library, with the approval of the libray board, will boycott all publications of the publisher HarperCollins and their subsidiaries effective immediately.
"The publisher has just changed its policy for circulating ebooks," according to library director John Sayers. "The new policy states when we purchase an ebook it will be limited to only 26 circulations and then will disappear from our ebooks list. We would then have to repurchase it for another 26 circulations and then another 26. We have 49 libraries in our ebook group so it would not take long to have the book disappear," said Sayers.
The head librarian said they hope HarperCollins will change their ebook policy and that this is just a temporary action.
"The library is sorry if this affects any of your favorite authors and we thank everyone for their understanding," said Sayers.

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Internet Marketing Ebook Library

Internet Marketing Ebook Library

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