Comments on: eBooks and eReaders: There Can Be Only One

By: Tess Elliott

Tess Elliott — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 22:46:46 +0000

My Kindle is always in my backpack for the moment when I have the time to read a chapter in transit. It sure beats carrying something more bulky. But everything on it came from Project Gutenberg, and is free. My art books have to be bought because I must have the highest quality images, but the great classics are keeping me company. Am re-reading all of Jules Verne. I usually don’t have time to check books out, though me and my friends pass books around–we are not in high income brackets. But anything that helps me grab some reading time is something I will love. That said, I believe our libraries are getting hammered and we need them. They have cut hours back here so much that unemployed people are almost the only ones who can use them–and it even hurts THEM when there aren’t enough hours to share the classifieds. It is brutal in NYC.

By: willem

willem — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 11:24:09 +0000

I’m afraid that for librarians of all people to be boosters of the one company that shows little interest in them is.. well perhaps it will feature as a canditate in some future Darwin Awards. Publishers and many authors are frankly not convinced that libraries have a role in the ebook world. This says it best: http://stephenslighthouse.com/2011/01/14/will-kindle-ever-add-support-for-library-books/

“Let’s not play dead or promote Kindles as viable options for libraries. Is this enough pressure or are we wimps?”

By: populargrl

populargrl — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 20:04:04 +0000

I think the most important is reading books and not the way you get the book. Today there are many possibilities to get a book, even from the internet. I’d love to have a Kindle, because I will have better access to books.

By: Barbara Henry

Barbara Henry — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 01:51:52 +0000

I have an original nook e-ink and use it all the time. Buy a few books, but mostly get free or borrow from libraries. Our local has small but growing ebook collection from Overdrive, I purchase non-resident card $30/yr from a nearby larger system with larger ebook collection and as a NY state resident I have a free card from eNYPL which has something like 15,000 ebooks. So I have no lack of ebooks to borrow. The Kindle is the best out there, but I don’t want to have to purchase books, paper or electronic. So the nook is the best choice for me at this point in time. But I do feel concerned when some of our heavy local library users decide to go Kindle. Without need, demand and circulation our ebook collection does not grow as fast as it could. Not that people should not get exactly what they want but a Kindle user at this point in time means the library is in fact left out of the ebook equation. I hope someday that Kindle will embrace our public libraries. But all that is being said is right on the mark. The good thing is that we all have choices.

By: The easily distracted should not buy eReaders. | Life:Merging

The easily distracted should not buy eReaders. | Life:Merging — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 06:08:17 +0000

[...] Good posts re: eReaders & eBooks & libraries (by folks smarter than me): Closed Stacks – What an eReader Can’t Do Librarian in Black – Why I am a library traitor… Go To Hellman – 2010 Summary: Libraries are Still Screwed Librarian by Day – eBooks and eReaders: There Can be Only One [...]

By: Michelle Luhtala

Michelle Luhtala — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 03:48:46 +0000

A-Z list of things to consider when comparing print to digital reading

By: robin

robin — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 18:28:36 +0000

I’m going to have agree with Liz on this. Truly believe we will see Kindle books move into a sustainable lendable model. Kindle/Amazon just opened up lending in the last couple of weeks, so I’m willing to give them a few weeks to work it out. It’s called Beta. LOL

By: Erik

Erik — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 17:07:48 +0000

This is a great article and you address the needs and issues library face well. Part of the problem also lies in the fact that academic research material is handled one way and trade material another way. Academic eBooks and the vendors that work with them have a pretty good system, no check in check out models, either single user or unlimited multiple user models. With trade/fiction items we always face the rights and license issues; basically what has the publisher, author or rights holder agreed to. As long as trade and academic are operated this way, we’ll never have just one, you are absolutely correct. For libraries it’s especially challenging, you face k12 students, academics doing research and leisure reading and in public libraries you face everyone.

In all the years I have worked with libraries, the past few have been the most challenging, mostly due to poor information out there and challenges with the vendors in each market. Who does what and how and is it good.. Honestly, there are some really poor models, but then again, they are only working within the system of what they can do with what’s available, but there has to be a better way. Students and patrons are ahead of the curve and they are in some sense waiting for the library to catch up. It’s not the libraries fault, really not anyones fault, the tech has changed so fast and so much within a short time, hard to stay ahead of the curve. Keep spreading the word and having conversations, the best thing you can do is talk about the issues and connect with pubs and vendors.

By: Bobbi Newman

Bobbi Newman — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 11:59:40 +0000

I agree, at my job where we do offer OverDrive books my approach is different but my personal choice as an individual is the Kindle.

By: Bobbi Newman

Bobbi Newman — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 11:58:46 +0000

yep I always recommend people look at what is actually available from their library before buying a device because it will work with library books. Also I’m not sure how long you read in one stretch but if its several hours you might want to reconsider the colored screens. They are a harder on the eyes than e-ink options. I would love to have an iPad but I know I couldn’t use it for anything other than brief reading.