Ebooks

  • Your Next 5 Books: Historical fiction ebooks

    In this column we regularly highlight a Your Next 5 Books submission that we find interesting, funny, unique, or useful to other readers. Submit Your Next 5 Books entry now, or stop by and see us in person, and maybe you could see your (anonymous) reading habits on Shelf Talk! 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

  • Downloading for Dinner – Part II

    Yesterday’s post took a look at the library’s growing collection of electronic cookbooks. After browsing the collection, a curious librarian might wonder how using a print copy differs from using an ebook? With the help of a willing participant and a few pieces of technology, an experiment was conducted comparing use of the same title in… Continue reading

  • Downloading for Dinner – Part I

    When looking for a good cookbook, many people do not realize the library has a growing and diverse ebook collection. Using the term “cookery” as a subject keyword and limiting to ebooks reveals the library’s current holdings of 399 titles about food preparation, as well as food culture and history. A quick perusal shows the… Continue reading

  • To Oz on a Nook

    One of the best things about using an e-reader, as I keep saying, is the tons of out of print wonderful books available now. (“Tons” I use metaphorically, because being e-books, they don’t weigh a thing.) I eagerly browse the OverDrive Gutenberg E-Books and have hit the jackpot a number of times. Lately, since it’s… Continue reading

  • Loading up my Nook for vacation

    There are more than 750 people on the hold list for Ann Patchett’s State of Wonder. No waiting for me, however. I searched for the ePub version, checked it out, downloaded it to my laptop and transferred it to my Nook in less time than it took me to type these two sentences. I could… Continue reading

  • An eBook for True Booklovers.

    If 2011 is the year of the eBook, it might also be considered the year of the eBook rant, as editorials declare their undying loyalty to leather tomes. eBooks just don’t compare, they say. How can you curl up with an eBook, they ask? eBooks just don’t feel the same in your hand, they don’t have the same texture, they don’t have… Continue reading

  • Telling downloads: Top downloadable books

    Did you know that the company the library uses for digital books (OverDrive) publishes its top ten lists of titles downloaded every month? Me either. I took a look at the top ten adult fiction and nonfiction titles downloaded from libraries in the U.S., Canada and the UK to see if I could glean any… Continue reading

  • Catnip for the technophobe: Learn to love e-books

    As a great fan of detective stories, I have learned over the years that the genre includes many forgotten gems, no longer in print or on library shelves.  Part of the pleasure of reading such books is discovery of new authors—the phrase ‘new to me’ describes the work of so many authors it is impossible… Continue reading

  • Lunchtime Errand: Download Audiobooks at the Library

    My audiobook world just expanded exponentially, thanks to designated “download” stations at the Central Library. During a recent lunch break, I downloaded two audiobooks directly to my iPod, bypassing several steps that I need to take when downloading from home. And before I go any further, let me just say this: I LOVE this service!… Continue reading

  • Cabin Fever? Let Virtual Story Times Come to Your Rescue!

    With the weather being so contrary this time of year, kids and their caregivers are likely to be experiencing cabin fever. Getting out and about and visiting the library can be tricky on icy days and you may have exhausted your bag of home entertainment tricks. How about introducing a virtual story time? The Seattle… 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

  • A Digital Bookmobile? Its on the road!

    I remember when audiobooks were on vinyl! Really! (Shorter books and plays, mostly). Imagine listening to a book on a turntable, and having to flip it every 20 minutes. Imagine a part of the story skipping on a scratch …on a scratch …on a scratch. Sure, vinyl’s cool and all, and I won’t argue that… Continue reading

  • Kindergarten choices

    At this time of year, preschool parents are discovering that they have a tough decision to make – kindergarten selection.  As a parent of a preschooler myself, I’ve recently been immersed in the wonderful world of classroom sizes, test scores, transportation options, extra-curricular activities, PTSA involvement, after school care, and profiles of teachers and principals.   If… Continue reading

  • My iPod, the best present ever!

    Ah, what could be better than young love? How about young gadget love! Libraries are all about transformation and discovery, and we regularly enjoy our patrons’ enthusiasm as they discover new ways of experiencing life and culture. This account of one librarian’s thrilling honeymoon with her new iPod will bring back fond memories for some, and perhaps tempt… Continue reading

  • Getting started with downloadable books – Overdrive’s Adobe format

    Welcome the wonderful world of digital books. Watch this video to learn how to use our Overdrive collection. You’ll be able to download books right to your computer. No driving around to get the books you want. As with any new technology, sometimes there can be a few glitches the first few times you use… Continue reading

  • What’s going on in the library catalog?

    You might have noticed some changes in the library catalog recently. It’s true; we’ve been adding some new features and trying to make some existing functions work better.  Check out some of these new features that have been added: Reviews If you’ve been searching for a way to share your opinions about books, movies, or music,… Continue reading