I have posted quite a bit about eBooks lately, but I seem to keep coming across helpful information. Here are a few gems that I would like to share with you today:
What eReader should I buy?
For those of you who were unable to attend one of the videoconferencing sessions presented by Stephanie Thero of Yellowhead Regional Library System on eReaders, here is a brief overview of this session. Stephanie talked in-depth about the usability features of the Kobo, the Sony Digital eReader, the Pandigital Novel eReader, and the iPad (first generation) and recommended her choice eReader.
She cited the Kobo as the best eReader to promote to patrons and I have to agree. It is light, has a comfortable, quilted back, great battery life (up to 2 weeks), and easy-to-use software that works well with OverDrive. It also uses E-Ink, which means that the screen is not backlit like a computer and is easier to read for long periods of time. As the runner-up, the Sony Digital Reader also uses E-Ink and is supposed to have better battery life in its later editions. Both the iPad and Pandigital have backlit screens, are much heavier, and more complex because they are multi-use tablets. All of these devices are compatible with OverDrive.
If you would like comprehensive reviews of eReaders, check out The EBook Reader website. For general eReader information, The Digital Reader and EBookAnoid are good sources.
What do I do if a patron’s eReader is not compatible with OverDrive?
Last week, I had to tell a patron with a Nextbook1 that they could not borrow eBooks from the library because their device was not compatible with OverDrive. Luckily, a week or so later, I stumbled across an article by Rebecca Vnuk entitled “Free E-Books for Happy Patrons.” I do not know if all these resources work with Kindles (with the exception of Baen Books), but they will likely work with “rarer” eReader devices:
• InkMesh is a search engine that searches more than thirty online sources for free e-books. You can search by titles or author. (http://inkmesh.com)
• Project Gutenberg, the original site for free text online, offers more than 33,000 free books that play nicely with any e-reader platform. You’ll find mostly classics and public domain works here. No registration is required, and the site is easy to use. A nice feature is their “bookshelves”-collections groups by topic (www.gutenberg.org).
• Baen Books, publisher of science fiction and fantasy, offers a number of their titles as free downloads. Established authors such as Eric Flint, Lois McMaster Bujold, Mercedes Lackey, and David Weber can be found here. There are currently 120 titles available, with new titles added every month. You can save e-books to your computer. You can save e-books to your computer or send them directly to a Kindle (www.baen.com/library).
• The Online Books Page from the University of Pennsylvania Libraries offers an index of hundreds of thousands of online book freely readable on the Internet (http://digitial.library.upenn.edu/books).
Vnuk, R. (2011). Free E-Books for Happy Patrons. Public Libraries, 126, 50(1), 48.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
It's time for some Spring cleaning!
The warmer temperatures outside and the longer days have me thinking about Spring cleaning. Spring is a great time to get rid of the old and make room for the new, so why not use this changing season as an excuse to weed your library collection (as if you need an excuse - doesn't everyone just love weeding!). Weeding may be a chore, but it really is an important part of maintaining your collection.
So, why weed?
1. It makes it easier for patrons to find interesting and relevant materials.
2. It makes collection more visually attractive and inviting to those browsing the collection.
3. It provides a more appealing, up-to-date collection.
4. Patrons trust the library to supply information that is easy to find and up-to-date.
5. It allows the librarian to identify gaps in the collection so she can make new purchases.
6. It creates space on the shelves for new acquisitions.
7. It increases circulation as attention is drawn to materials that patrons may have previously overlooked.
Now that I've convinced you to weed, here's how:
Evaluate:
Continuous
Review
Evaluation and
Weeding
Defining Your Criteria
The following criteria should be considered for each item in your collection. You will probably make decisions based on some combination of these criteria - that is, an item should probably not be discarded based on meeting only one of these criteria
The CREW method uses an acronym, MUSTIE, to indicate when an item should be removed from the collection. MUSTIE stands for:
Misleading and/or factually inaccurate
Ugly (worn out beyond mending or rebinding)
Superseded by a new edition or a better source
Trivial (of no discernable literary or scientific merit)
Irrelevant to the needs and interests of your community
Elsewhere (the material may be easily borrowed from another source).
For more information on the CREW Method, check out this book:
http://chinookarch.bibliocommons.com/item/show/77546040_the_crew_method
Happy Weeding!
(Source: Chinook Arch Regional Library System Weeding Workshop, October 2004)
So, why weed?
1. It makes it easier for patrons to find interesting and relevant materials.
2. It makes collection more visually attractive and inviting to those browsing the collection.
3. It provides a more appealing, up-to-date collection.
4. Patrons trust the library to supply information that is easy to find and up-to-date.
5. It allows the librarian to identify gaps in the collection so she can make new purchases.
6. It creates space on the shelves for new acquisitions.
7. It increases circulation as attention is drawn to materials that patrons may have previously overlooked.
Now that I've convinced you to weed, here's how:
Evaluate:
- Content (is it out of date, inaccurate, inappropriate, trivial)
- Format (fragile, ugly, ripped)
- Use (number of circulations)
Continuous
Review
Evaluation and
Weeding
Defining Your Criteria
The following criteria should be considered for each item in your collection. You will probably make decisions based on some combination of these criteria - that is, an item should probably not be discarded based on meeting only one of these criteria
The CREW method uses an acronym, MUSTIE, to indicate when an item should be removed from the collection. MUSTIE stands for:
Misleading and/or factually inaccurate
Ugly (worn out beyond mending or rebinding)
Superseded by a new edition or a better source
Trivial (of no discernable literary or scientific merit)
Irrelevant to the needs and interests of your community
Elsewhere (the material may be easily borrowed from another source).
For more information on the CREW Method, check out this book:
http://chinookarch.bibliocommons.com/item/show/77546040_the_crew_method
Happy Weeding!
(Source: Chinook Arch Regional Library System Weeding Workshop, October 2004)
Friday, March 4, 2011
Thinking of obtaining an iPad?
With over 15 million units sold in the last year, its safe to say the iPad is not just a flash in the pan. Essentially the tablet from Apple is a bigger version of the iPod. You can listen to music, play games, download apps, browse the internet, read email and read eBooks too. All this is done via wireless connection, or through the 3G network, depending on the model you get. With many other manufacturers coming out with their answer to the iPad, Apple is doing what it can to ensure their product stays relevant.
Earlier this week Apple announced the iPad 2. The size remains the same, but the central processing unit (CPU) is twice as fast, and the graphics capabilites are up to 9x faster as well. The iPad also comes with two cameras, one on the front and one on the back. All this without reducing the screen size, but the device is thinner than it's predecessor. The iPad 2 is available for sale in Canada on March 25.
Only a few days after the iPad 2 was announced, rumors began swirling that the iPad 3 will be available for the Christmas rush. There hasn't been much speculation as to what the iPad 3 will have that the iPad 2 didn't get. It looks like the iPad 2 is just a stop gap measure to ensure it stays relevant while other manufactures come out with their own tablets. So if you must have the latest features and are patient, then maybe wait a few months to find out more of the iPad 3. Otherwise, if you just want something to read your eBooks and browse the internet, then the iPad 2 will likely suffice.
Earlier this week Apple announced the iPad 2. The size remains the same, but the central processing unit (CPU) is twice as fast, and the graphics capabilites are up to 9x faster as well. The iPad also comes with two cameras, one on the front and one on the back. All this without reducing the screen size, but the device is thinner than it's predecessor. The iPad 2 is available for sale in Canada on March 25.
Only a few days after the iPad 2 was announced, rumors began swirling that the iPad 3 will be available for the Christmas rush. There hasn't been much speculation as to what the iPad 3 will have that the iPad 2 didn't get. It looks like the iPad 2 is just a stop gap measure to ensure it stays relevant while other manufactures come out with their own tablets. So if you must have the latest features and are patient, then maybe wait a few months to find out more of the iPad 3. Otherwise, if you just want something to read your eBooks and browse the internet, then the iPad 2 will likely suffice.
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