March 28, 2024
Annapolis, US 47 F

eReaders Coming To A Library Near You

Patrons will let their fingers take a walk on the wild side at the Anne Arundel County Public Library (AACPL) eReader launch party and “Petting Zoo.” AACPL will celebrate the distribution of 200 brand-new eReaders to its 15 locations. The event will be held at the Annapolis Area Library, 1410 West St., on Wednesday, November 2 at 11 a.m.

Annapolis Area Library customers will be the first to get up close and personal with the Library’s Nooks, Color Nooks (Barnes and Noble) and Kindles (Amazon). Two library staff members will be available to answer questions and to demonstrate how to operate the eReaders. A special appearance by Sneaks the Library Cat is also scheduled.

The Anne Arundel County Public Library Foundation, Inc. provided $50,000 in financial assistance to purchase the eReaders from funds donated to the Foundation.

“It is a very exciting time for the Anne Arundel County Public Library and the Foundation is proud to be a part of providing Library patrons with this cutting-edge resource,” said Eric Edstrom, president, Foundation Board of Directors.

The Nooks, Color Nooks and Kindles are pre-loaded with up to 30 titles (borrowers cannot upload books on their own). Children’s titles are available only on the Color Nooks. The check-out period for the devices is three weeks. Each branch will have eReaders available for borrowing on November 2. Patrons can also begin to place holds on the devices on that day.

For those patrons with their own eReaders, the Library provides free access to over 5,000 eBook titles through the Maryland Digital eLibrary Consortium, powered by OverDrive Digital Library Reserve. Additional copies and titles of downloadable eBooks and eAudiobooks outside of the Consortium are reserved only for those who hold an AACPL card.

“There are those who have been questioning the relevance of libraries in this digital age. The advent of eBooks and eReaders and the Library’s role in providing books in this format available at no cost and making the total eReader experience available to all of our patrons speaks to the continued importance of libraries, as well as to the profession’s remarkable ability to change with the times,” noted Anne Arundel County Public Library Administrator Skip Auld.

Patrons must have a valid library card, Internet access, and the applicable software (available free from the OverDrive website), in order to download content to their device. The eBooks are available in Adobe PDF and EPUB formats. Compatible eReaders include: Alex; iPad (iOS v4.0 or newer), Kobo (Borders); Nook, Color Nook (B&N); Kindle (Amazon) and Sony eReader. Android, Blackberry and iPhone, as well as computers running Mac OS v10.4.9 (or newer), Windows 98 SE (or newer) and Windows Mobile 5 and 6 are also suitable vehicles for download.

The eBooks can be accessed through the Library’s website, www.aacpl.net. From the homepage, go to “eLibrary” and then click on “eBooks.” AACPL patrons are encouraged to sign in to “My Account” to ensure that they see all the latest offerings available.

The checkout period for eBooks is one to two weeks, depending on the material. The books simply expire at the end of their loan period, meaning no late fees can accrue. Patrons are limited to four eBooks and/or audiobooks at a time, although the books can be returned early.

For more information, go to www.aacpl.net or call 410.222.7371.

Source: AACPL
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