The most difficult choice an avid reader can make is to choose which book to read next. It’s easier when you’re in the middle of a series you LOVE, but when you’re surrounded by a library full of good options, there are a lot of decisions to make before you can choose which books to take with you. How much room do you have in your book bag? If you’re going on a trip, how much space can you spare? How heavy is the book – and can you fall asleep in bed reading it? How compelling is the teaser? What other book should you take in case you don’t like this one? Do you feel embarrassed taking this book up to the circulation counter? We hope not, but we all hide some of our reading habits.
If you have an eReader, your reality is a very different one: you can load one of these devices up with at least 1000 books and read whatever you want, whenever you want to read it. And since the battery life of an eReader can last up to a month, you don’t need to worry about running out of juice when you’re only halfway to Maui (or Kelowna). Did you know that most of the people who come to the library asking about downloadable eBooks are seniors? eBook readers weigh next-to-nothing, carry a lot of books, and allow people to change settings (like text size and font) to make reading easy on the eyes.
Buying eBooks can become expensive quickly, though, and that’s where the library comes in. All B.C. library users have access to a service called Library To Go, which provides all of you with unlimited and free access to thousands of eBooks and downloadable audiobooks. With this service, you can read books on your home computer or eReader (except Kindles -- sorry, Kindle users, Amazon doesn’t want to play in the pool with the rest of the kids). You can listen to audiobooks on computers, MP3 players, smart phones, and some you can turn into CDs and listen to them in your car or on your stereo.
Keen to learn more? Thanks to a CBT Student Works Grant, the library has the pleasure of having local high-school student Marina Cunningham helping library staff and patrons learn how to download eBooks and audiobooks. If you prefer to learn on your own, please visit http://downloads.bclibrary.ca.
Marina can help you use your eReader, show you how to search for books on the library’s website, and teach you how to download eBooks (people with certain devices will have to do the downloading from home, but we can get you started down the right path).
Marina will be at the library most Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays between 3 and 4:30 p.m. (closing time) until May 31. Please call and make an appointment to get Marina’s help, or drop in with your eReader or questions.
The Nakusp Public Library is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 12 to 4:30 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Monday and Wednesday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m. Questions? Please call the library at 250-265-3300 or email bna@netidea.com.