Thursday, December 06, 2012

Library eReaders for Homebound Patrons

See the No Shelf Required blog for a podcast interview about the Dayton Metro Library's program for homebound patrons using Sony eReaders.  They began the program when they noticed that certain materials the patrons had requested were not available in large print, but were available from the library as ebooks where the font could be enlarged on the device.   It makes so much sense to make eReaders available to these patrons!

Listen to the podcast to hear details.

Two years ago NTLP had a program funded by a TSLAC special project grant to help libraries implement or expand services to homebound patrons.  eReaders would be a great addition to any of those programs!  For libraries that don't subscribe to a downloadable ebook provider, they could still offer to assist homebound patrons with ereaders using ebooks from free sources.

Wednesday, December 05, 2012

The Lingering eBook Mess of 2012

Brian Kenney has an excellent article in Publishers Weekly about eBooks and eReaders in libraries. - http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/trade-shows-events/article/54958-the-p-l-sheet-ala-preview-2012.html

It covers a whole gamut of topics, from library book price-fixing in 1966, to the frustration of librarians helping patrons with eReaders so they can move their reading lives to a market that excludes libraries, to the library's inability to offer newly released bestsellers in digital format. 

Here's to more chaos in 2013!