ebooks
This article appeared in the Jan. 13 issue of the Peoria Journal Star. Since I have seven ebooks published I found it iteresting.
EAST PEORIA - Mark Lasswell hates the thought of lugging books with him, but he still wants to be able to enjoy a good book while waiting for appointments.
He used to purchase electronic books to download to his Palm Pilot, but now he checks them out of Fondulac District Library's eBranch.
"I've started reading more now that we have eBranch," Lasswell said. "I've probably read 20."
And since he's the president of the Fondulac library board, he gets to promote e-books whenever someone sees him scrutinizing his PDA and asks him what he's reading.
E-books are getting good reviews from traditional readers, too.
"I am a book person and I am hooked on e-books," said Nancy Gillfillan, director of Fondulac District Library.
She liked the idea of e-books and spread the word to other librarians about this trend.
"I got them all hooked," she said.
In all, she now has 42 libraries in Illinois that have joined together to offer this service to their patrons.
Gillfillan was president of the Illinois Library Association last year and heard more about the e-book trend. She wrote a grant proposal, and in October received a $130,000 grant called "Leading the Way" from the Illinois State Library.
Each of the 42 libraries in the project received 100 books to start an eBranch and money to buy 200 more titles. Each library also received a PDA so staff can demonstrate how to download books. Training for the libraries was also part of the grant.
"It's affordable or I wouldn't have done it," Gillfillan said.
Although the grant money gets e-books started in all of the libraries, there are additional costs. She said each library will pay a fee each year to continue to program and will probably want to purchase more books beyond what the grant money covered.
Gillfillan says she loves books but also sees the advantages of e-books.
"Parents are waiting," she said.
But beyond the parent waiting for soccer practice to end, there the waiting everyone does - at the doctor's office, the airport or even in traffic.
She also thinks e-books will be helpful to travelers, who could download a travel book to their PDA and take the information about their destination on their trip. And business travelers can take e-books with them to save space in their luggage.
She also said people can cuddle up in bed with their PDA without disturbing their spouse.
"Some people like them in bed because they are backlit," she said.
Right now, Fondulac Library has about 700 titles in its eBranch. Patrons can go to the library's Web site - www.fondulac.ib.il.us - and click on the eBranch. There are detailed directions about how to register and download books. Patrons can also download the MobiPocket software needed for e-books.
"I have people afraid of technology using it," Gillfillan said.
There are other benefits to a paperless book, too.
"There are no fines, no overdues. It's just done," she said.
Patrons also don't have to worry about library hours, since e-books can be downloaded anytime. The books are downloaded to PDAs or even home computers, and expire after a certain length of time.
"It's all virtual," Gillfillan said.
Each library will determine the length of time before an e-book expires, or disappears from a PDA. Some e-books can only be downloaded by one person, while many of the classics can be checked out by several people at a time.
The books that can be checked out by several people would be good for book clubs or high school classes, Gillfillan said.
Pekin Community High School is part of the program, and librarian Cynthia Clark said students will be using the eBranch soon.
"Our school uses a lot of technology, especially in new ways," Clark said.
Clark is on the board of trustees for Fondulac Library and said she wanted the Pekin High library to be included in the grant money.
She said a class will use the e-books this semester for a class project.
"We have a lot of classics that the teachers are excited about," Clark said.
A class will be assigned a book and can download it on a PDA or a computer at school or at home. A message board will be set up, Clark said, and the students will communicate online and will answer questions about the book. PCHS students will use the bar code on their student identification cards to register for e-books.
Clark said she's pleased the program will help Pekin High students who live outside the Pekin Public Library district. The high school library can borrow books from area libraries for those students, but it can take up to two weeks to get a book.
She can purchase an e-book and have it available in 48 hours. E-books cost about the same as a book.
"It's a wonderful opportunity," Clark said.
Libraries from Byron to Marion were included in the grant, Gillfillan said. The libraries are now getting their Web sites updated to include their eBranch. So far, 12 of the 42 libraries have a link on their Web site.
The libraries are also trying to get the public educated on the e-books, she said. Area libraries involved include Morton, Washington, Farmington, Metamora, Peoria Heights, Princeville and Dunlap.
"We've had people that couldn't individually afford it. We're doing more with less, that's been the whole point," Gillfillan said.
EAST PEORIA - Mark Lasswell hates the thought of lugging books with him, but he still wants to be able to enjoy a good book while waiting for appointments.
He used to purchase electronic books to download to his Palm Pilot, but now he checks them out of Fondulac District Library's eBranch.
"I've started reading more now that we have eBranch," Lasswell said. "I've probably read 20."
And since he's the president of the Fondulac library board, he gets to promote e-books whenever someone sees him scrutinizing his PDA and asks him what he's reading.
E-books are getting good reviews from traditional readers, too.
"I am a book person and I am hooked on e-books," said Nancy Gillfillan, director of Fondulac District Library.
She liked the idea of e-books and spread the word to other librarians about this trend.
"I got them all hooked," she said.
In all, she now has 42 libraries in Illinois that have joined together to offer this service to their patrons.
Gillfillan was president of the Illinois Library Association last year and heard more about the e-book trend. She wrote a grant proposal, and in October received a $130,000 grant called "Leading the Way" from the Illinois State Library.
Each of the 42 libraries in the project received 100 books to start an eBranch and money to buy 200 more titles. Each library also received a PDA so staff can demonstrate how to download books. Training for the libraries was also part of the grant.
"It's affordable or I wouldn't have done it," Gillfillan said.
Although the grant money gets e-books started in all of the libraries, there are additional costs. She said each library will pay a fee each year to continue to program and will probably want to purchase more books beyond what the grant money covered.
Gillfillan says she loves books but also sees the advantages of e-books.
"Parents are waiting," she said.
But beyond the parent waiting for soccer practice to end, there the waiting everyone does - at the doctor's office, the airport or even in traffic.
She also thinks e-books will be helpful to travelers, who could download a travel book to their PDA and take the information about their destination on their trip. And business travelers can take e-books with them to save space in their luggage.
She also said people can cuddle up in bed with their PDA without disturbing their spouse.
"Some people like them in bed because they are backlit," she said.
Right now, Fondulac Library has about 700 titles in its eBranch. Patrons can go to the library's Web site - www.fondulac.ib.il.us - and click on the eBranch. There are detailed directions about how to register and download books. Patrons can also download the MobiPocket software needed for e-books.
"I have people afraid of technology using it," Gillfillan said.
There are other benefits to a paperless book, too.
"There are no fines, no overdues. It's just done," she said.
Patrons also don't have to worry about library hours, since e-books can be downloaded anytime. The books are downloaded to PDAs or even home computers, and expire after a certain length of time.
"It's all virtual," Gillfillan said.
Each library will determine the length of time before an e-book expires, or disappears from a PDA. Some e-books can only be downloaded by one person, while many of the classics can be checked out by several people at a time.
The books that can be checked out by several people would be good for book clubs or high school classes, Gillfillan said.
Pekin Community High School is part of the program, and librarian Cynthia Clark said students will be using the eBranch soon.
"Our school uses a lot of technology, especially in new ways," Clark said.
Clark is on the board of trustees for Fondulac Library and said she wanted the Pekin High library to be included in the grant money.
She said a class will use the e-books this semester for a class project.
"We have a lot of classics that the teachers are excited about," Clark said.
A class will be assigned a book and can download it on a PDA or a computer at school or at home. A message board will be set up, Clark said, and the students will communicate online and will answer questions about the book. PCHS students will use the bar code on their student identification cards to register for e-books.
Clark said she's pleased the program will help Pekin High students who live outside the Pekin Public Library district. The high school library can borrow books from area libraries for those students, but it can take up to two weeks to get a book.
She can purchase an e-book and have it available in 48 hours. E-books cost about the same as a book.
"It's a wonderful opportunity," Clark said.
Libraries from Byron to Marion were included in the grant, Gillfillan said. The libraries are now getting their Web sites updated to include their eBranch. So far, 12 of the 42 libraries have a link on their Web site.
The libraries are also trying to get the public educated on the e-books, she said. Area libraries involved include Morton, Washington, Farmington, Metamora, Peoria Heights, Princeville and Dunlap.
"We've had people that couldn't individually afford it. We're doing more with less, that's been the whole point," Gillfillan said.
posted by Bob Liter at 8:14 AM
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