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The Paper | Thursday, April 12, 2012
Long overdue? Some readers can’t wait to check out the next e-book, but not everyone is sold By BRANDEE A. THOMAS Regional staff Her classmates called her a bookworm. Her mom referred to her as “voracious reader.” For as long as Lenora Luke could remember, she couldn’t get her hands on new reading material fast enough. Some libraries — including those in the Piedmont Regional Library System — are doing their best to help out the Lenora Lukes of the world with an e-book lending service. “Once I start a good book, I have a hard time putting it down. When I was in school, it used to get me in trouble. Now that I’m retired, it’s not a problem,” said Luke, a Gainesville resident. “The only trouble is that as soon as I finish one book, I want to jump right into the next one.” Since she reads so many books, Luke says it’s more practical for her to borrow them from the library versus purchasing them from a bookstore. Previously, readers like her would’ve had to wait until the library opened the next day to feed their book addiction. Now they can download new titles for free from their local library. “We have 400 copies of books in our (electronic) collection now,” said Beth McIntyre, director of the Piedmont Regional system serving Banks, Barrow and Jackson counties. “You go to our website, click the icon for library e-
books and download the title you want. Most people download the book to their computer or laptop, then transfer it to a reading device like an (Amazon) Kindle or Nook (by Barnes and Noble). “The default lending period is two weeks, but you can choose seven or 21 days. The books are automatically returned to the library, so there are never any fees involved.” According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, one-fifth of American adults have read an e-book in the past year. The survey also reports the average ereader owner reads 24 books yearly, compared to 16 books read by nonowners. Since launching the e-book lending program two months ago, McIntyre says the system has had more than 1,000 checkouts. The average wait time for a listed title, when there is a wait, is about nine days. “We aren’t surprised by the program’s popularity,” McIntyre said. “We’d been getting a lot of requests for this service from our patrons through the library help desks. They were asking when we would be adding it.” The Piedmont system was able to launch the service through a grant from Jackson EMC. Even though the e-book program is free to use for Piedmont library cardholders, the library has to purchase individual checkout licenses for each copy of the electronic books. “We’ve been purchasing
best sellers. Those choices are usually based on the big reviewing sources,” McIntyre said. “Right now, the No. 1 checkout is ‘Witch and Wizard’ by James Patterson, ‘Escape’ by Barbara Delinksy is No. 2 and ‘Explosive Eighteen’ by Janet Evanovich is No. 3.” “When we asked patrons to complete a survey at the end of 2011, they were mostly interested in checking out books for adults, as opposed to kids or teens. Within the adult demographic, they were mostly interested in mysteries. The surprise was that nonfiction — such as biographies and cookbooks — also ranked highly.” Not everyone is completely sold on e-books. “I’m just not a fan,” said Greg Brooks, a Gainesville resident. “When I want to read, I want to turn a page, not stare at a computer screen.” The Hall County Library System is also on the fence when it comes to the fees associated with borrowing titles from e-book distributors. “If I am only going to rent a collection, I want it from a provider that will not be gouging the pocket to access the material,” said Adrian Mixon, director of the Hall system. “This is not just about providing a service but one that can be counted on and is affordable. I have not invested library money in e-books until I am comfortable with the (Digital Rights Manage-
Friends of the Library hosts e-vent to remember By RAMONA GRACE EVANS revans@clickthepaper.com What began as a necessary step for the Piedmont Regional Library has now become a community supported effort. Funded by Jackson EMC’s Operation Round Up, the eBook program jumpstarted in February offering more than 250 top selling titles to library card holders. Various sources have since contributed to the funding for the growing list of titles, including the Friends of the Braselton-West Jackson Library who presented a check for $1,000. This week, the Piedmont Region Library System reported reaching more than 1,200 eBook checkouts since the program’s launch on Feb. 1. It is apparent that eBook device and tablet based reading are on the rise. A study based in the nation’s capitol released on April 5 shows that one-fifth of Americans have reported reading an eBook this year. The Pew Research Center saw an increase in this number following the holiday gift-giving season. Not only has the number of eBook consumption risen, but the numbers of books being read have as well. “The average reader of eBooks says they have read 24 books in the past year, compared with an average of 15 books by a non-eBook consumer,” the study reported. The majority of device readers continue to participate in print version reading,
a number right at 88 percent. Some prefer the traditional book-in-hand reading but the bulk of readers have embraced the quick access, portability and wide selection provided by the eBook format. Reasons for sticking to print versions are the accessibility in reading to children and sharing books with friends. What some thought would be the death of reading, has actually increased books being read on the whole. It is clear that as eBook reading increases, the book storefronts are noticing a decline in sales. Authors and publishers have taken the necessary steps to produce material for device consumption. As the popularity climbs, the Piedmont Regional Library is continuing to grow their list of titles. On May 2 at the BraseltonStover House, the Friends of the Braselton-West Jackson Library will hold their “event to Remember” to raise money for more e-books.
With a Kindle Fire giveaway and the popularity of the program, a large attendance is expected. A live and silent auction will be conducted and raffle prizes will be awarded. Melvin Banks will provide live entertainment and A BoKay Catering will provide the buffet. There will be a cash bar. For tickets, contact Diane Stephens at dianestephens@ hotmail.com or 770-9320246.
Afterwords extends hours Afterwords now has extended hours, staying open until 7 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday and on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, with extended hours until 7 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday.
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The Piedmont system was able to launch the service through a grant from Jackson EMC. Even though the e-book program is free to use for Piedmont library cardholders, the library has to purchase individual checkout licenses for each copy of the electronic books. ment) provider. “The only e-books we offer are through Galileo and netLibrary.” Even among e-book users, there are still some instances when print versions are preferred over electronic. According to the Pew poll, 81
percent of users prefer using printed books when reading with a child and 69 percent preferred printed copies when sharing books with others. Although they are embracing the new technology, don’t look for libraries to
turn a blind eye to traditions just yet. “This is an additional service,” McIntyre said. “In no way does it impact our print circulation at this point. We are not going to reduce any funding to purchase print materials.”
“We’ve been purchasing best sellers. Those choices are usually based on the big reviewing sources. Right now, the No. 1 checkout is ‘Witch and Wizard’ by James Patterson, ‘Escape’ by Barbara Delinksy is No. 2 and ‘Explosive Eighteen’ by Janet Evanovich is No. 3.” Beth McIntyre, Director, Piedmont Regional Library System