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Kobo eReader
Salt Spring Island Public Library now has Kobo eReaders for loan to the public. Library patrons will have greater access to thousands of free electronic books this week after the library purchased three Kobo eReaders upon receiving a grant from the IslandLink Library Federation.
The download of eBooks through the Salt Spring Island Public Library website grew 66% per cent last year, and the library expects that as more patrons purchase eReaders, this number will continue to grow exponentially. For patrons who want to try out eBooks, they can now check out one of three Kobo eReaders. Due to the limited number of eReaders, they will be available on a first come first serve basis for a 3-week loan period, and there will be no renewals.
Library patrons can access and download eBooks through the Overdrive website, which is accessible through the library’s homepage. BC Libraries have formed a consortium for eBook buying and access, which means that libraries have more buying power operating as a co-operative than on their own, and that the eBook selection on the SSIPL website is the same as for users in other communities across the province.
The B.C. consortium currently owns 15,887 e-books, and expects that number to grow as publishing houses like Random House of Canada allow public access to their titles, as they did this spring. In addition, large publishing houses are working with libraries and are listening to the demand from readers for increased Canadian content. BC Libraries buys eBooks from OverDrive, a digital distributor of e-books and audiobooks. OverDrive is a digital platform that holds the books, and allows the user to download the book and keep it for an allotted time. Library patrons who own their own eReaders can pick up a brochure about how to download eBooks from OverDrive at the library. Books can also be downloaded to Mac and PC computers, iPads, iPhones, Blackberry, and other eBook devices.
The Salt Spring Island Public Library would like to thank IslandLink Library Federation for their generous support in the purchase of the Kobo eReaders.
Questions about the readers can be answered at 250 537-4666 or info@saltspringlibrary.com
Video tutorial on how to download and transfer eBooks from Overdrive (Library to Go) to your Kobo eReader. Created by the West Vancouver Memorial Library.
