Macmillan Confirms Ebook Pilot for Libraries

Is one of the big six publishers, Macmillan, ready to dip a toe back in the waters of library ebook lending?

As the demand for ebooks is growing day-by-day in the library world, publishers are changing the terms in lending e-books to libraries. Reportedly, Macmillan is working on a  Pilot Project to lend e-books to libraries. The company has not yet disclosed the details, but watch for more information.

NetLibrary is Changing to eBooks on EBSCOhost

Troy Public Library's NetLibrary eBook collection is scheduled to switch to a new platform called EBSCOhost.  All of our eBooks that were available through NetLibrary will be available on the new EBSCOhost platform.  Additionally, the NetLibrary name will be retired.

If you are a regular user of NetLibrary eBooks, you need to be aware that your NetLibrary account will no longer be available to you after this switch occurs. Any information that is associated with your account (such as notes you have taken in specific eBooks) will be deleted with your account. 

To use eBooks on the new EBSCOhost platform, you will need to create an EBSCOhost account. Account creation is easy, and you can find step-by-step instructions here.  For a tutorial on how to search for eBooks in EBSCOhost, please view this tutorial.

eBooks from EBSCOhost will function just like NetLibrary eBooks did.  They will not be downloadable. Instead, you will be able to view them directly from within your browser. They are non-holdable, can't be used on eReaders, but are always available for viewing. Additionally, after creating an EBSCOhost account, you will be able to make notes in eBooks you view.

We hope you try out eBooks on EBSCOhost. Please let us know if you have any issues by leaving us a comment.

Get Free eBooks from Kaplan Publishing

Did you get a new eReader for Christmas and need to add some books to it? Kaplan Publishing is giving away over 130 free eBooks that work with the Nook (both black and white and color versions), now through January 10. Titles include books about education, medicine, and also many test preparation books that Kaplan is known for. To access these free books, visit this site.

Update (1-13-11):  Kaplan has extended their free eBook offer through January 17.

OverDrive Shatters Records

If you have had problems accessing our OverDrive site since Christmas, you are not the only one. According to OverDrive's Digital Library blog, checkouts and new user registrations hit all time highs in the period leading up to and after the Christmas holiday. Additionally, for the first time ever for Overdrive, eBooks out-circulated eAudiobooks. 

Statistics for the Troy Public Library have also followed that trend. In December 2010 we have had our highest recorded monthly circulation of OverDrive titles. We have also seen our biggest increase in new patron registrations. In December 2010 we have seen a 75% increase in the amount of eBook checkouts compared to December 2009. Also, the Technology Center has been busy answering questions about a variety of eReading platforms, including the Nook Color, Kobo Reader, Pandigital Novel, Android smartphones, and more.

If you haven't tried OverDrive, now is a perfect time. You can find a list of eBook compatible devices here and eAudiobook compatible devices here. Like all eResources provided by the Troy Library, you will need a valid Troy Library card to be able to use OverDrive. To get started, go to troylibrary.info, click on the "Download eBooks, Audiobooks" link, and select OverDrive.

eBooks Account for 9% of 2010 Book Sales

According to a recent press release from the Association of American Publishers, year to date eBook sales account for 9% of book sales in the U.S. for 2010. This is a dramatic increase over last year. In 2009, eBooks sales only accounted for 3.31% of total book sales.

This is interesting news, and reflects what we have seen at the Library. Checkouts of our downloadable eBooks available from OverDrive have increased over 50% this year. With the continued launch of new eBook readers, price reductions on other popular eReaders, and the availability of eReaders at more retailers, eBook sales and downloads will undoubtedly continue to increase. 

If you have yet to try eBooks, now is the perfect time. The Library offers two different eBook services, NetLibrary and OverDrive. With NetLibrary, eBooks are viewed on screen within your web browser. With OverDrive, eBooks are downloaded directly to your computer and can be transferred to a variety of devices. To access Troy Library's eBooks, click here.

Amazon's Kindle App is Now Available for Android

Android and ebook fans can rejoice! Amazon has just released their Kindle app for Android devices.

Here's a list of the major features from the Kindle for Android website:

• Get the best reading experience available on your Android phone. No Kindle required
• Access your Kindle books even if you don't have your Kindle with you
• Automatically synchronize your last page read and annotations between devices with Whispersync
• Adjust the text size, add bookmarks, and view the annotations you created on your Kindle, computer, or other Kindle-compatible device
• Read in portrait or landscape mode
• Tap on either side of the screen or flick to turn pages

The Whispersync technology seems to be one of the most unique features of the Kindle app. It will synchronize where you last read on multiple kindle devices (iPhone, Android, Kindle, iPad). This a cool feature, that might help transition regular book readers into ebook readers.

You can find the Kindle application on the Android Market and the App Store for Apple Devices.

More eReaders Are Coming

At the beginning of the year, if you wanted to buy an ereader there were three main choices: the Amazon Kindle, the nook from Barnes and Noble, or a Sony Reader. Since then, the market for ereaders has exploded.

One of the new entries into market is the Apple iPad. Though developed as a mulit-function device that can surf the web, play games, and more, Apple made sure that the iPad can function as an ereader. Apple added the iBookstore to iTunes which gives iPad owners the ability to download ebooks direct to their device. While reviews of the iPad overall have been positive, reviews of it as an eReader have been mixed.

Another new eReader coming to market is the Kobo eReader. Developed through ebook retailer Kobo (which is partially owned by brick-and-mortar book retailer Borders), the Kobo eReader is basic: It doesn't feature a color touchscreen like the nook, nor does it feature wireless connectivity to download books like the Kindle or the nook. What it does have is a low initial price: $149.99, which is lower than the cheapest offering from Sony. With this low price and promotion through Borders, the Kobo eReader should be a popular device that will introduce many more people to ebooks.

A third new anticipated eReader is Spring Design's Alex eReader. The Alex eReader features a double screen display and is powered by Android like the nook, but the bottom color LCD is much larger. This allows the Alex eReader to run basic Android apps such as a web browser, email, and calculator apps, and also allows you to watch videos from sites such as YouTube. Early reviews have been generally positive; however many believe that because of the high price ($399), people would be better buying an iPad.

eBooks have seen tremendous growth over the past year. In 2009, ebook sales reached $169.5 million. No longer are ebooks and ereaders associated with a single store and device, like the Kindle. With the launch of the iPad and other new ereaders, ebooks sales will undoubtedly continue to grow.

Fun Friday: Electronic Books, the Early Years

Interested in the beginnings of electronic books? Popular blog Boing Boing has posted a magazine ad from 1986 regarding Radio Shack's new line of "Electronic Books." Take a look here.

Ken Auletta on eBooks and Publishing

Ken Auletta, author of Googled: The End of the World as We Know It, was a recent guest on the NPR program Fresh Air. He discussed how the rise in popularity of ereaders and ebooks is affecting book publishing and the book industry. He also discussed how ebooks are being marketed and priced, and what the rise of ebooks means not only for the future of book publishing, but also for the future of independent bookstores. While libraries are not mentioned specifically, this is an important trend for libraries to follow.

Go here to listen to the piece.

Win a Sony Reader from OverDrive!

Do you check out downloadable eBooks and eAudiobooks through OverDrive, available from the Troy Public Library? If so, you have a chance to win a Sony Reader! All you need to do is take a short survey about your OverDrive use. The survey is available by going here, and then clicking on the "We want your feedback!" link along the right-hand side. the survey takes only 5 minutes to complete.

If you haven't tried downloadable eBooks and eAudiobooks before, now is the perfect time. For more information about downloadable material available from the Troy Public Library, visit here.

Read an E-Book Week Wrap-Up

Thank you for following us during Read an E-Book Week. Hopefully you have found some new Library resources that you can use.

For more about Read an E-Book Week, click here to read an interview with Rita Toews, the creator of Read an E-Book Week.

In addition to ebooks provided by the Troy Public Library, you can find many sources of ebooks on the web, including several that provide free ebooks. Some examples include:

Kobo
This commercial ebook store sells ebooks that can be downloaded and viewed on your computer. Many of these books can be transferred to eReaders. While you have to pay for the majority of ebooks from Kobo, you can find a list of free ebooks they offer here.

Project Gutenberg
Declaring itself as "the first producer of free electronic books", Project Gutenberg has existed since 1971. All ebooks from Project Gutenberg are in the public domain. They are all free, and can be read online. Additionally, the can be downloaded in a wide array of formats, including EPUB, TXT, PDF, and HTML.

Google Books
Google has been conducting an ongoing project to digitize books held in many different libraries. The result of this is Google Books. Google Books provides a variety of titles, both old and new. Many old titles that are in the public domain can be viewed in their entirety. More current titles only have a limited preview available: if you want to read the entire contents, you would have to find the book in a library or purchase it. Google Books also contains digitized scans of many different magazines. For more information, click here.

Have fun reading ebooks, and continue to follow The Tech Desk. We will continue post information about new ebook sources available from the Library and highlight developments in ebooks and ebook technology.

Read an E-Book Week: World Book Online Reference Center

Today, we finish our profiles of Troy Public Library ebook providers by taking a look at the World Book Online Reference Center.

In a way, the World Book Online Reference Center itself is a gigantic ebook. This eResource contains the complete text of the print edition of the World Book Encyclopedia. You can easily search for encyclopedia articles by entering terms in the main search box.

One of the additional components that World Book Online Reference Center offers is a separate collection of ebooks. To access these ebooks, click on the “E-Book Center” link that is displayed on introductory World Book screen. World Book’s ebook collection consists of thousands of titles, covering both fiction and non-fiction. You can search by title and author, or click on the genre links to help find the ebook you want to read.

The majority of the ebooks in World Book Online Reference Center are in the public domain. Because of this, you will obviously not find any recent bestsellers. You will find classics such as Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, and Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.

World Book Online Reference Center ebooks are displayed in the HTML format. Sections of them can be emailed and printed. They are always available online. Additionally, they can be downloaded to be viewed later on your computer.

To access World Book Online Reference Center, you can click the image at the top of this post. You will need a valid Troy Library card. To access it through the Library's website, go to troylibrary.info, click on eResources and then click on Encyclopedias and Reference. From the list that is displayed, select World Book Online Reference Center.

Read an E-Book Week: Gale Virtual Reference Library

One of the great sources of research ebooks that the Troy Library provides is the Gale Virtual Reference Library. This collection contains titles that cover many different areas, including business, literature, and social science. Some key titles include all 16 volumes of the Business Plans Handbook, Grzimek’s Animal Life Encyclopedia, and multiple volumes of both Children’s Literature Review and Something About the Author. The content is displayed in HTML format, with an option to view the original page as a PDF. All of the content found in Gale Virtual Reference Library ebooks is the exact same content as found in printed editions.

Articles in Gale Virtual Reference Library ebooks can be printed. They can be emailed. There is also an option to listen to the article, or to download the article as an MP3 so that you can listen to it later.

If you want to try out Gale Virtual Reference Library, just enter a search term in the box at the top of this article. You will need a valid Troy Library card. To access it from our website head to troylibrary.info, click on eResources, and then click on Encyclopedias and Reference. Finally, select Gale Virtual Reference Library from the list.

Read an E-Book Week: Learning Express Library

While NetLibrary and OverDrive are the major providers of ebooks to the Troy Public Library, several of the eResources we subscribe to also have ebooks. For the rest of the week, we will take a look at some of these less obvious places to find ebooks.

Learning Express Library is an eResource that provides practice tests for several different academic subjects, standardized tests like the ACT and SAT, and careers. It also includes courses that cover a variety of topics such as math and reading skills improvement, job searching, interviewing, and more.

While mainly focused on practice tests for various exams, Learning Express Library also features a sizable ebook collection. All ebooks from Learning Express Library are in the Adobe PDF format. They can be viewed inside your browser with Adobe Reader. They can also be easily saved to your computer for access anytime.

Learning Express Library ebooks reflect topics that are covered by the practice tests and courses they provide. You will find ebooks on such topics as academic test preparation, math skills, and job searching skills. While the initial Learning Express Library ebook page displays all of the ebooks that are available, there is some limited search capability to help you find what you are looking for. You can search by subject, title, or author. There is no advanced search.

To access Learning Express Library, you will need a valid Troy Library card. To get started, go to troylibrary.info, and then click on the eResources link. Select Education, and then click on Learning Express Library. Create an account to fully use all of the features of Learning Express Library. To learn more, click here. If you wish to just access the ebooks available from Learning Express Library, click here.

Read an E-Book Week: OverDrive

Today we continue celebrating Read an E-Book Week by profiling OverDrive, a vendor that supplies ebooks to the Troy Public Library.

Like NetLibrary, OverDrive features a variety of ebooks that cover many different subjects. It includes many recent bestsellers such as Fantasy in Death by J.D. Robb, The Help by Kathryn Stockett, and Game Change by John Heilemann. OverDrive offers ebooks in EPUB, Adobe PDF, and Mobipocket format. Ebooks in OverDrive are not always available. Instead, they function like physical books in a library. If someone already has an ebook checked out that you wish to view, you must place that ebook on hold. When it is available, you will get an email notifying you that it is ready to be checked out.

Additionally, OverDrive ebooks are not viewable directly within your browser. In order to view them, they must be checked out and downloaded to your computer. After checking out an OverDrive ebook, be sure to download and install the appropriate software so that you can view the ebook. This software is free, and a download link is provided when you check out an ebook. When you have the correct software installed, you can then download and read the ebook on your computer.

An advantage of OverDrive ebooks is that many of them can be transferred to eReaders such as the Barnes and Noble nook and Sony Readers. While this process is relatively straightforward, each device does have different software requirements. If you are having problems, OverDrive does have an extensive help menu to answer questions you may have.

When searching for an ebook in OverDrive, the basic search allows you to search by title or creator. If you want to search by a specific ebook format, you will need to use the advanced search feature. Advanced search also lets you search by language, publisher, subject, and more. It also features a check box that lets you limit your search to items that have copies that are available to be checked out. This is helpful if you want to check out an ebook immediately and don’t want to have to put an item on hold.

Like all eResources provided by the Troy Library, you will need a valid Troy Library card to be able to use OverDrive. To get started, go to troylibrary.info, click on the "Downloadable Audiobooks, Video" link, and select OverDrive.

Additionally, OverDrive is currently running a contest to help celebrate Read an E-Book week. Just go here, read the post, and leave a comment about the OverDrive ebook you are currently reading and where you downloaded it from. The winner will receive various goodies from OverDrive. Good luck!

Read an E-Book Week: NetLibrary

NetLibrary is one of two major vendors that supply ebooks for the Troy Public Library. Let's look at what they offer.

NetLibrary features over 17,000 ebooks that cover a wide range of subjects. While these ebooks are not able to be downloaded and saved on your computer, they open directly within your web browser and are always available to be viewed online. The majority of NetLibrary ebooks are in HTML format, however, some display as PDFs. There is no additional software needed to view NetLibrary ebooks, other than Adobe Reader for the few ebooks that are in PDF format. NetLibrary ebooks do allow you to print pages from them. However, because they are not saved to your computer, NetLibrary ebooks can not be transferred to ebook readers.

NetLibrary also features an "eBook of the Month." This month, the featured ebook is J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye: Bloom's Modern Critical Interpretations. If you have a NetLibrary account, you can access it here.

The NetLibrary site offers several ways to locate ebooks. You can do basic searches by title, author, and subject. There is also an advanced search that lets you search by publisher and ISBN, and also allows you to combine search terms.

To be able to use NetLibrary, you will need a valid Troy Library card. You must also register for a NetLibrary account in person at the Library. Come to the Technology Center or Adult Reference Desk for assistance. After creating account, go to the troylibrary.info, click on the "Downloadable Audiobooks, Video" link, and select NetLibrary.

Celebrate Read an E-Book Week

Read an E-Book Week was started in 2004 to help promote ebooks and the concept of reading electronically. While ebooks did take some time to catch on, they have become increasingly popular in recent years with the launches of such devices as the Sony Reader, the Amazon Kindle, and the Barnes and Noble nook. In 2009, ebook sales reached $169.5 million. With the upcoming launch of the Apple iPad and other ereaders, these sales will undoubtedly continue to grow.

The Troy Public Library offers two services that provide ebooks: NetLibrary and OverDrive. But did you know that several other eResources offered by the Library also contain ebooks? Each day this week, we will be profiling a different source of ebooks available from the Troy Public Library.

Click here for more information about Read an E-Book Week, and be sure to check back daily for more information about ebook offerings from the Troy Public Library.

OverDrive Sets Records in 2009

OverDrive, one of suppliers of downloadable ebooks, eaudiobooks, and video to the Troy Public Library, has announced that 2009 was another record-setting year. This follows tremendous growth in 2008, and again demonstrates the growing popularity of downloadable, on-demand, items for portable devices.

Highlights include:

• 8.7 million digital titles checked out (63% increase over 2008)


• 70% increase in audiobook checkouts over 2008, while ebook checkouts increased by 53%
  


• The OverDrive digital catalog for libraries grew to 300,000 titles with the addition of 100,000 ebooks, 27,000 audiobooks, and 4,000 music and video titles

Additionally, OverDrive increased support for a variety of devices in 2009. The past year saw the introduction of iPod compatibility for WMA format eAudiobooks, the addition of the EPUB format, and the ability to download items directly to mobile devices running Windows Mobile or Android.

To view Troy Library's OverDrive collection, go to the Library's home page and click on the Downloadable Audiobooks, Video link under the Library Links. Then click on OverDrive.

Troy Library Offers Titles for eBook Readers

Are you buying an ebook reader as a gift for someone? Or thinking of taking the plunge and purchasing one for yourself? Here at The Tech Desk, we have been following the skyrocketing use of portable electronic book readers.

The Troy Library offers many titles, free of charge, in the .epub format, which can be used with two popular readers: the Sony Reader and the Barnes and Noble Nook. (Sorry, not Amazon’s Kindle.)

Go to the Library's home page and click on the Downloadable Audiobooks, Video link under the Library Links. Then click on OverDrive. There, you will be able to browse and download (with a Troy Public Library card) ebooks to use on your new gadget.

For more information, contact the Library's Technology Department at techroom@troymi.gov or chat with us online from the Library's home page during open Library hours.

Early Look at Nook

The hype has been building since the October 20, news conference about the Nook, the new eBook reader available from Barnes and Noble. Now the first hands-on reviews have started to arrive. Is the Nook a better option than the Kindle or Sony Reader? Take a look the following and decide for yourself:

• Your First Look at Nook: The Technologizer Review (via technologizer.com)


• Barnes and Noble Nook Review (via gizmodo.com)


• Barnes and Noble Nook Review (via cnet.com)


• Barnes and Noble Nook Review (via engadget.com)