Libraries Now Loaning eBooks

By Amber Lester Kennedy Thursday, November 03, 2011

Local libraries are expanding their offerings from the physical to virtual this month, as both Williamsburg and York County’s libraries will now be loaning eBooks.

Williamsburg Regional Library began offering eBooks this week, available to download through the library’s website, and the York County Library plans to roll out the service at the end of the month. York Library Director Kevin Smith said the service comes in response to popular demand.

“The demand started a couple years ago,” he said. “People asked about it when we reopened the day after Christmas last year. They say, ‘Look what Santa brought me; I was told you could make it work for me.’”

Although some loyal patrons might shudder at the thought of checking out a virtual book, the popularity of eReaders like the Nook, Kindle and iPad has only grown since the Kindle was introduced in 2007. Smith is a traditional reader who prefers the printed page, but his wife loves adding books to her Nook. “It is the newest trend in library and information science. We’re adapting,” he said.

Williamsburg Regional Library Adult Services Director Barry Trott said the library would have offered the service sooner, but was waiting for one that was compatible with most of the eReaders on the market. They found that service in OverDrive, a leading distributor of eBooks, audiobooks and digital content for publishers, libraries, schools and retailers. Poquoson Public Library also uses the service.

OverDrive currently hosts more than 650,000 digital titles from 1,000 publishers, according to its website. Just as Netflix has to work out distribution agreements with movie studios, OverDrive has to work with publishers to add their books to the selection. Some books might be available longer than others, while entire publishing houses might opt out of the service.

The libraries will be purchasing “copies” for their digital library; although readers will be able to have quick and easy access to books, they still might have to wait to check out the books they want. “For example, instead of perhaps buying five copies of the latest best-seller, we’ll buy three copies in print and two in digital,” Smith said.

The service is free for library cardholders. The Williamsburg Regional Library paid for the service with a grant from Friends of WRL, while the York County library will be using money from private donations. Williamsburg eReader users can sign up now by visiting the library’s OverDrive site, where they will need to download and install free software to make the site compatible with their devices.

Patrons can use a valid library card number to sign into the eBook site and download titles. Users can place up to three titles at a time in their cart, but only one title can be checked out at a time. Each book will list how many copies are available; if all copies are checked out, patrons can place a hold on some books.

Williamsburg will allow its users to choose a check-out time period of either seven, 14 or 21 days; York County plans to offer a standard two weeks for new releases and bestsellers. The eBooks automatically expire at the end of the lending period, becoming disabled files the reader cannot open. Because the books automatically expire, readers will never incur late fees. At this time, there is no option for renewing a book, Trott said.

Books can also be returned early when completed, with different processes for different mobile devices. Find detailed information on the process here.

The collection isn’t huge right now, he said, but the library plans to add titles over the course of the next year. “We’re really excited about where this is going,” he said. “This is something that will allow us to reach so many more people.”

For more information about the new service at Williamsburg Regional Library, contact Adult Services staff at 259-4050, via Ask A Librarian or through the library’s Instant Message service.