Kindling Interest

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Electronic readers like the Amazon Kindle are changing the nature of reading. So it is only natural that libraries are responding by lending these devices to their patrons for personal use or perhaps a test drive for their own purchase.

Among the libraries dipping their toes in the water is the Arlington Heights Memorial Library in Illinois. Deb Whisler, director of marketing and communications, said the library has a collection of 20 Kindles, funded in part by proceeds from the library’s Friends group’s used book sales. And even though the library is not publicizing their availability other than through word of mouth and a sign at the welcome desk, there is a waiting list of eager patrons.

Whisler said library cardholders can check the devices out for one week. Each comes preloaded with popular fiction or non-fiction titles.

"While it's clear that this generation of e-readers has taken hold with the public, we're still at the experimental stage for how public libraries will utilize them," said Paula Moore, executive librarian. "At Arlington Heights Memorial Library, we strive to add value while promoting the joy of reading among our residents.  Offering Kindles for loan is a way for our customers to try out an e-reader and discover something new about their reading preferences. In our community, it's been a resounding success."

Among those who put her name on the waiting list was Arlington Heights resident Jamie Bartosch. But she said it was well worth the more than two-month wait. “It was fantastic,” she said. “I loved being able to try, and, of course, I want one.”

With only a one-week checkout period, she said, “You had to really hurry, but it gave you a good sense of what it was like to read a book on Kindle.”

Bartosch picked a Kindle containing 10 pre-loaded non-fiction titles, including The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch.

One of the pleasures the device provided was the ability to change the size of the type, she said. “Late at night, you’re tired and want bigger fonts than you would have sitting on a plane during the day.”

No Limits for Smaller Libraries

Both larger and smaller libraries have been offering electronic readers.

The Howe Library, a relatively small library with 75,000 volumes in Hanover, New Hampshire, has been lending Kindles since January of 2008.

Mary White, library director, said that although each device can hold about 2,000 titles, the library is only offering a limited number of titles because the library's goal is merely to give patrons the chance to try out the device.

Howe did not dip into its operations budget in order to purchase the Kindles; they were purchased with money donated by the Sunup Foundation in memory of Joy Lange Boardman, a longtime volunteer. “We had a very generous donor who offered to give us some money for whatever we determined we needed,” White said. “Because a Kindle seemed a bit of a frill, we didn't feel comfortable” funding it out of the regular materials budget.

The library started out purchasing three. “And then they were so popular, and we had such a long hold list  –maybe 90 people – that once the Kindle 2 came out, we purchased a Kindle 2, and we leave that in house.”

White said most people just want to try out the technology to see if it is something that interests them.

“There are some things I think we need to be thinking about,” White said. “It's not just a new gizmo. The fact that you can enlarge the size of the type is very significant for people with low vision.” Also, she said she read on one Kindle blog about a severely disabled individual who could never hold a book or turn a page. “But having a Kindle totally opened up his world. Those are the kinds of things we need to be thinking about . . . filling some gaps for servicing some people who haven't been well serviced.”

When the library first acquired the Kindles in October 2008, they were loaded with many of the New York Times bestsellers, as well as books by such local authors as Jodi Picoult.

White said she advertises the Kindles on the library's Web site, as well as with signs on the circulation desk and through the monthly e-newsletter. In addition, the library also advertised the Kindle by bringing it to Rotary and to the local retirement housing community.

She said the library has lent the Kindles 184 times to date, primarily to patrons middle-aged or older range.

“It's very easy to use. That's one of the things I like about this. It's so user-friendly. That's the key to me, because we don't have a lot of staff time for troubleshooting.”

Libraries offer much more than just print books, from movies and music to e-readers and audiobooks to tools and cake pans. Check with your library to see the full extent of their offerings. For great thinking on the various ways we can, might, will, and should get our information, try some of these titles:

Googled: The End of the World as We Know It

by Ken Auletta

Veteran reporter Auletta spent two and a half years researching the phenomenon of Google; its intensely private founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin; and the quirky staff of engineers whose obsession with efficiency led to a powerhouse search engine aimed at helping users find the answer to any question. This is an engrossing look at Google and the broader trends in information and entertainment in the Internet age.

Pull : The Power of the Semantic Web to Transform Your Business

by David Siegel

Siegel envisions the future of “smart computing” which will unfold over the next 10 years, where your data “follows you around” and is accessible from anywhere through the Web, predicting that hardware and operating systems will become obsolete as the Web itself becomes the computer.

The Case for Books: Past, Present, and Future

by Robert Darnton

Historian and library director Darnton has written expansively and lucidly on the history of books and libraries. This collection of his influential essays from the past decade neatly encapsulates one significant part of his immense legacy and contribution to intellectual history.