e-books - we've got 'em!

One of the hottest stories last year in Library Land, the business world and the tech community was the triumphant return of the e-book. E-books (electronic books) may seem new to you but they've been lurking in the darkest corners of Library Land for quite awhile. I remember introducing a collection of e-books at my former library at least 6 years ago and, well, everybody yawned. Very few people found the prospect of sitting at their home computer or even a laptop, flipping through the e-pages of an e-book, very e-ppealing. The e-book was relegated to "not quite a laughing stock" status when SHAZAM, Kindles and Kobos and Nooks appeared on the scene and whaddya know? Suddenly everyone is clamoring for electronic books to enjoy. The very first e-mail I received in the New Year from a DPPL patron asked,

"My daughter got a Sony Reader for Christmas. Does the library have e-books she can check out?"

Yes, Virginia (not her real name), we have e-books for download and audiobooks, too - all you need is a valid DPPL card, an e-reader or mp3 player and a computer connected to the Internet. It takes a few simple steps to get your account ready for use, including some free software downloads - see this information page for more details. Once you've mastered the process, you can go straight to our catalog of e- and audio-books, MyMediaMall - go there now. Another option is to simply use our regular Library Catalog and find the electronic books and audiobooks there, then follow the instructions to get them onto your portable device.

We also know that getting started with new technology can frustrate or confuse even the most mild-mannered library user so we offer personal assistance, too. Go to our Events Calendar and look for the red links to "MyMediaMall Lab." These are one hour, open sessions (no registration necessary, just drop in), held in our computer lab. Bring your e-reader device with you and one of our expert staff persons will be on hand to assist you and answer your more general questions. There are two sessions this month: Thursday, January 6, 2011 from 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM and Thursday, January 20, 2011, from 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM.

So e-books have gone from being a wallflower to being the belle of the ball - if you'd like to take your turn on the dance floor, try MyMediaMall today!