digital books

  • OverDrive Comics and ‘The Best We Could Do’

    The Seattle Public Library has physical comics for children, teens, and adults available for checkout in all of our 27 locations, as well as through our mobile services. We also have comics available through our Hoopla Digital service. But did you know, amongst all of the mysteries, memoirs, and literary fiction e-books, that we also… Continue reading

  • Kids Agree: Books are no longer cool

                     ~ Posted by David W. To many it came as a shock. Just as conventional wisdom chorused that in our increasingly plugged-in society print books were destined to get left behind, a series of studies and articles from such sources as Nielsen, Publishing Technology, Hewlett Packard, The Pew Research Center,… Continue reading

  • How I Learned to Love My Kindle (with a little help from my friends)

    Ok. Ok. I’m a laggard. Now, I don’t consider myself to be a Luddite, but I’ve been hanging on to print for dear life. But, the 13 hour flight to New Zealand loomed ever closer. Was I really going to lug all of that paper with me? Of course, it wouldn’t have been just one… Continue reading

  • A Library In Your Pocket

    The Seattle Public Library system consists of 27 buildings, including the Central Library and 26 neighborhood branches.  All together, this fair system has a total floor area of approximately 600,000 square feet, or the equivalent of 10 and a half football fields (including the end zones). The latest version of Apple’s iPhone is 4.5 inches… Continue reading

  • Maybe it will make sense now: ‘The Manga Guide to Calculus’

    Even though the library’s digital book service Safari Books Online hasn’t been at the forefront of my pleasure reading (no page-turning fiction to be found here!), I thought I’d take a look through it the other day — maybe there would be SOMETHING in it for me. I immediately liked that you don’t have to download any software… Continue reading

  • Are e-Books Really More Eco-friendly?

    What do cars, dishwashing detergent, and Kindles have in common?  Like nearly every other product and service on the market, they are clamoring to convince you that they are eco-friendly.  They claim to save gas, save trees, reduce carbon emissions, reduce shipping distances, and probably cook you dinner and clean your apartment, too.  As you… Continue reading

  • Getting Started with Downloadable books: NetLibrary

    Welcome the wonderful world of digital books. Watch this video to learn how to use our NetLibrary collection. You’ll be able to download books right to your computer. No waiting in line and better yet, no driving around to get the books you want. As with any new technology, sometimes there can be a few… Continue reading

  • Need Computer & Business Books?

    The Safari Books Online database provides easy online access to a wide range of business & computer-related books.  Safari includes books on software programming techniques, programming languages, IT, Web design and computer technology as well as books on Windows, Macintosh, or Linux operating systems.  It includes current books published by O’Reilly, Addison- Wesley and Pearson. Safari allows you to search in book… Continue reading

  • Blurring Boundaries: translating the digital to the book

    With all the press lately about Kindle, the latest wireless reading device to take a stab at capturing the book reading market, it is interesting to see books traveling the other way, out of the ether and on to the printed page. The Laws of Simplicity: Design, Technology, Business, Life by John Maeda an internationally… Continue reading