Book-Talk Monday: Library E-Books
Friday afternoon, I took two books back to the library. Two overdue books. See . . . this is one of the main reasons why I rarely check books out from the library—my penchant for forgetting to turn them in by the due date. And that’s even with receiving at least one e-mail reminder a few days before they’re due. And it’s not like the library is that far away. Maybe a mile, at most. I just don’t usually drive out that end of the subdivision. (Of course, if I’d actually managed to read them, I might have remembered to take them back when I was finished. But they sat on my endtable for the entire three and a half weeks they were in my house, untouched.)
So when I got an e-mail notification that the Nashville public library had added Kindle e-book lending to their system, I had to try it out. I went through the “wishlist” on my Kindle for books of which I’ve read the sample chapters and wanted to read more. I picked a Mary Balogh book I thought I’d enjoy and checked it out. I could choose a 7, 14, or 21 day span, so of course I chose 21 days.
What I didn’t realize is that in that 21 days, I’d have two editing projects and two requests for endorsements come in. But unlike the hard-copy library books I checked out, on the day that the e-book was “due,” I didn’t have to do anything. Plus, if I checked the e-book out again, if I’d made any notations or highlights in the e-book, they would still be there.
Now, I know, I know, many of you who read my blog are librarians and this has serious implications for the library system in this country (and others, too, I’m sure). But considering that it had been over two years since I’d checked anything out from the library and in the past month I’ve checked out four books (two real books, which I turned in two weeks late, and two e-books), I’ll now be using the library much more often than in the past few years.
What do you think about the e-book revolution hitting libraries? Will you use that feature? What do you think this means for the future of the public library as an institution?
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KayeDacus.com 
My library has had e-books available for a long time using a program called Overdrive Media Console, which also supports audio books. I’ve checked out both audio books and e-books, which can be read/ listened to on the computer or transferred to a mobile device provided you have the free Overdrive app. (Some books, depending on the license, can be downloaded directly in the app, others you have to use the computer and transfer, which is a bit of a pain but not the library’s fault.)
My library also just started a Kindle program. I don’t have a Kindle, but I do have the Kindle app on my iPad, so I’ve been meaning to look into whether I can use that to check books out of the library. It seems like it would work, I just haven’t gotten around to trying it yet. It’ll be cool if it does.
I’m 100% with you on the expiration vs. having to return books, because even as an avid library user, I often forget to bring back or renew my books. One thing that does help me is after I either finish a library book or decide I’m not going to read it after all, I put it on a little table next to the front door, and next time I go out the door I grab the books and put them in the car. I’ve also tried to just get in the habit of logging into my library account every few days to see what I have out and what’s due soon, renew what needs to be renewed, etc. That makes more sense if, like me, you usually have 7-10 books out at any given time than if you’re just a sporadic user.
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The Nashville library system has been doing e-books for a while, but not Kindle until they rolled out Kindle Lending in late September. The interesting thing with it is that though I do my browsing and choosing business on the library’s Overdrive page, when I click to “checkout,” it takes me to the book’s page on Amazon.
The nice thing with the service is that even though they have limited number of licenses for e-books (just like having limited number of real books in circulation) I was able to put a hold on an e-book. And as soon as my turn came up, I got an e-mail notifying me it was ready. At that point, they would hold it for me for three days (for me to go through the checkout process) or I could let it expire and put another hold on it for later. Even though I’m in the middle of reading two other books right now (one for freelance content editing and the other for an endorsement), I went ahead and checked it out for the 21-day span, knowing that if I can’t get to it in that time, I don’t have to worry about taking it back.
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Ours works the same way with the hold requests too, though I’ve never had an option of how long of a checkout period I wanted. I looked at the library’s web site, and it the Kindle program is supported on mobile apps, so I’m going to have to try it!
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My state’s library e-book system uses Overdrive too and we also just got Kindle friendly e-books recently. I think my parents have used it, but there weren’t a lot of e-books that interested me… However, they just got a lot of Star Wars novels in Overdrive audiobook format, so when I’m on school break, I want to try and borrow those.
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I also forget to turn books back in :p. Not sure about e-lending. Haven’t tried it though I think our library has it as an option but I’m not sure.
With 4 kids we utilize the library a fair bit in the summer which helps since we go every week…
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I think that’s part of the reason why I so easily forget to take books back—because going to the library isn’t part of my regular routine.
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My library is doing e-lending also. Love it! Now I don’t have to go to the library or ask my husband to pick up a book I’ve had on hold. As to the impact on libraries, we’ll have to wait and see. But if the impact on libraries is anything like it is on book sales, we’re in for another great ride finding out. Good post, thanks.
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Frankly, given what I’ve seen at my neighborhood branch public library, e-books aren’t really going to make much of a difference. There’s a sign on the door that social services will be called to pick up kids who are dropped off w/o their parents and are still there at closing time. Also, the main reason why adults (usually late teen to early twenties men) are at that branch is to use the computers/internet. I feel very uncomfortable whenever I go in there, because not only are they not afraid of staring, some of them have no compunction against coming up and trying to corner me over by the Reserved book shelf if I’m picking up a book I requested be sent to me at that branch. Unfortunately, I can’t afford to live in the neighborhoods with the libraries in which I’d love to just go and hang out for the afternoon.
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With that kind of atmosphere, I don’t blame you for not wanting to go. That’s really too bad. I guess I’m very lucky to live near a really nice branch.
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I’m at a very SMALL library, and we don’t do e-books yet. We have a library in our region (Paducah), that does, though, so some of our folks get them that way. The main reason we haven’t expanded to ebooks is price. To be involved in the consortium (which Overdrive IS), is very expensive, and my budget just can’t take it. I love the concept, don’t like the idea of having to shift print budget to e-budget. It will probably come, though.
As for overdue books? Hey, we don’t have a problem with overdues – as long as you pay your fine! 😀 We look on it as your contribution to the building fund! LOL
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See . . . there’s the rub. Because the library has no feature to be able to pay my overdue fines online, I haven’t paid those yet, either.
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That’s one thing I think my sister’s library in Louisville has, online payment. It would be nice! Of course the fines at my library are a nickel a day . . . LOL And we max out book fines at $5. It takes QUITE a while to get those nickels to add up to $5! 😀
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Fines at my library are a quarter a day. Ouch! They also max out at $5, but we have online payment, so it’s easy to pay up when you forget about 4 books for 2 days :-\
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Here in Lexington, it’s 15 cents per day, but it also maxes out at $5-6. Given that I’m someone who tends to have a lot of items on my account, it doesn’t take me too long to get to the $5.
I don’t mind paying the fines, I figure it allows LPL to buy more books. 🙂
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I work in a library, my daughter is getting her master of library science, and my sister is an author, so I’ve reflected on this issue often. I believe that e-books are a great thing and I don’t feel they threaten the future of libraries. The vast expansion of available media and information means there are many library patrons who depend on library services that did not even exist previously. Our typical patrons, especially those over forty often need assistance initially to learn how to download e-books and e-audiobooks. While our younger patrons are tech savvy, they need assistance identifying which web sites are credible enough to use for research papers and how to properly cite information gleaned online. Finally, there will always be people who love holding a traditional book in their hands — the feel and the smell of the paper and the anticipation of entering a different world. For these people a trip to the library is like Christmas! I think the future of libraries and librarians is secure both because of the new types of media available, and the love many bibliophiles hold for traditional print books.
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Laurie, you reminded me of something that I should have included in this post—maybe I’ll continue this topic next Monday, once I’ve had a chance to look up exactly what he said. I went to an all-day writer’s workshop a week ago in which Bob Mayer made a comment about how e-readers (people) are different from mass market, trade, and hard-cover book readers. I’ll have to check my notes when I get home this afternoon to see exactly what he said, but it was definitely food for thought—especially since I’m both an e-reader and a traditional-book reader, though I’m definitely not as avid of a consumer of either as I used to be of traditional books back years ago before graduate school, editing, and publishing contracts. Of course, added in the mix for me is audiobooks. I’ve been an Audible.com subscriber/customer since 2005, and now that I’m working again, I’ve started listening to audiobooks again—in the morning when I’m getting ready and in the car commuting to/from work. And because of that, I can have two books going at the same time—the one I’m reading (whether in e-format or paper) and the one I’m listening to.
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I would be interested in that info, also. As a librarian, it’s interesting what diversity we have. Audio-book patrons don’t tend to check out print, and vice-versa. And then there is the computer crowd. Sometimes I wonder if they even notice all the books around! 😉
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That would be an interesting continuation of this discussion. I’ve heard that too. I use traditional print, e-books, and audio and like them all, but I guess it isn’t that common.
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I’d love to hear that info too, Kaye. I vote for continuing the topic next week.
I have a Nook and my library does have e-lending. However, the selection is beyond pitiful. Before we moved here we were avid users of the library. The Concordia Parish library system of my childhood was packed with old books and very few new ones. Rural parish with the rural buying budget to match… I loved it. All of my favorite childhood books have been out of print for over 50 years.
Our first trip to the library here was very disappointing, at least for me. None of the stuff I was interested in reading could be found anywhere in the system. Getting something through inter-library loan is a shot in the dark because most of the time the librarian never submits the request. Even getting a book from another branch in the system is a crap shoot!
I do not utilize the library system here. Most of the librarians are very rude too. I’d rather track my book down online. At least then I’m guaranteed to find a copy of it somewhere and actually receive it in a reasonable amount of time.
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Well, I have a feeling that in another few years, this model will have moved to a national lending platform—so long as the publishers can figure out how to make it work so that all of the CEOs and CFOs and executive editors and marketing/sales people can still get paid for all those books “they” produce.
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Oh Rachel! It makes me sad for your community to hear this about your library system, but I hear it in lots of places. One of the things for which library schools are the WORST is teaching customer service, and that’s what librarianship IS, these days. I encourage our patrons wanting ebooks to get a card in our larger sister library a couple of counties away in addition to our library, since it’s free AND you can do most things online. Most of our folks travel there for shopping, etc., anyway.
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Next week I will be utilizing the library at LSU-A to do some newspaper research and I’ve heard good things about those librarians. The head librarian is a total local history nerd, so that could work out well for me. You can never have too many of those!
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My husband and I move around a lot so I’ve been to many, many libaries. I am always amazed at the unfriendly people behind the desk. The library in our current location has one of the worst helpers I’ve ever encountered. She acts as though she would rather poke you with a stick than loan you a book. I wonder how someone could be so miserable working at a library. They are such wonderful places. 🙂 Our library doesn’t have the e-loan system yet, but I would certainly utilize it if it offered interesting books. We have the interlibrary loan system which I love and use quite often. I don’t think e-loan would prevent me from going to the library especially if it’s a well-stocked, friendly place (I just love the feel of a library), but you never know. I’m certainly surprised at how much I read on my Kindle app considering I was totally against the idea at first. Electronic books, HA!, and then I fell hard. 🙂
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I love the idea of e-books, but it frustrates me that the software is limited to Kindle only. I had a nextbook that was supposed to work with Kindle, but then found out it wasn’t the right Android OS and would have to buy a new next book… I think until the market settles a little more and they aren’t releasing new models every 6 months, I’ll have to forgoe the e-books. 😦 I do love that my library has a drive through window now, that makes pick ups and drop offs faster. I’m glad to see that libraries are growing with their communities and making reading available to a broad group of individuals.
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I think the e-book revolution hitting the libraries is fantastic. It gives more people access to book. Yes, I will use this feature but only if I can’t get the book in print. The future of the public library as an institution looks bright in that more books will go out however the people visiting the actual libraries will go down and this could cause problems with hiring many librarians.
Jan K.
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I hardly ever turn in library books on time. My library at home doesn’t have an e-book feature yet, but my colleges library does and I have to use it for papers and research. I feel like the e-book is becoming very popular but I have to say I still like to hold the book in my hands when I read.
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I have tried to get on board with e-books. I was even given a Nook for my birthday this past year by my employers. I had a tough time connecting the Nook with my library system, and even then books I wanted to read were not available. I guess for me at this point, it’s just easier for me to order books via library and pick them up. I would be awful about returning books on time, luckily my library sends out a reminder email. I do like that ebooks can’t be overdue…but when it all comes down to it, I enjoy holding real books!
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I haven’t entered the e-book world yet. I trade alot of book on http://www.paperbackswap.com and just haven’t seen the need to invest in a reader yet.
I just love the feel of a real book in my hands.
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I don’t know if our library has e-books available yet. I haven’t had much time to go there lately or to go on their website.
But I don’t own an e-reader either so it doesn’t matter to me either way. I don’t know if I’ll ever have one. I’m on the fence. I really think books are so much more fun to read. I hate the glare of a screen and I hate being reliant upon gadgets. Give me the crisp smell of the pages of a book any day! (though I see how having an e-reader saves you a lot of space when you have more than one book to tote around!)
I think we’re too reliant upon gadgets as it is. What happens when the batteries die or the electricity goes out? Or the internet shuts down. Gasp! lol
Btw, have you seen that commercial…
“Once upon a time there were books, now there’s (kid’s e-reader brand)”
UGH! Kids are already overstimulated by video games, television, computers etc. Now instead of books we’re going to get them hooked on e-readers that don’t just show the printed word, they make the book into a “movie” cartoon. We wonder why so many kids are BORED when they are in school….they expect everything to be constantly moving, constantly exciting, constantly animated in 3-D from an early age. No wonder they can’t sit still long enough to listen to a teacher! (speaking from a teacher’s perspective)
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