Zionsville Times Sentinel

Community

August 10, 2011

Library awarded grant to enhance eBook collection

Staff report CNHI

Patrons of the Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library will soon have access to more than 2,000 popular new eBooks and audiobooks through the eIndiana Digital Consortium.

The library and members of the consortium are the recent recipients of a Library Services and Technology Act grant to increase and enhance its eBook and audiobook catalogue due to the growing demand for the service. The goal of the project is to offer consumers a wider range of choices and increase the availability of titles.

“The consortium was developed to leverage each library’s buying power in order to provide customers a superior product,” said Jake Speer, executive director of the Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library. “This grant will provide for a substantial upgrade to our eBook collection that enables patrons to have greater access to today’s most popular titles.”

According to a recent report from the Pew Internet and American Life Project, the share of adults in the United States who own an e-book reader doubled to 12 percent in May 2011 from 6 percent in November 2010. This was the first time since Pew began measuring e-reader use in April 2009 that ownership of eBook devices has reached double digits. Furthermore, the report found that ownership among adults ages 18 to 49 grew more rapidly than any other age group. (Source: Purcell, Kristen. E-reader ownership doubles in six months (http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/E-readers-and-tablets/Report.aspx) Pew Internet & American Life Project. Jun 27, 2011).

“Audio books and eBooks have become very popular in the Zionsville community,” Speer said. “With accessibility and affordability of e-reader devices, demand for eBooks has skyrocketed over the past year.”

The eIndiana Digital Consortium consists of 32 Indiana public libraries  providing a comprehensive collection of digital resources from OverDrive, a leading distributor of eBooks, audio books, music and video. Customers of member libraries may download eBooks and audio books to their computer or transfer them to an iPod, MP3 player, e-reader or other portable device. This service is available 24/7 and users may check out up to three items at a time.

Customers may visit the Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library’s website, www.zionsville.lib.in.us, and click on the OverDrive link to take a guided tour or view the Quick-Start Guide to learn how to start downloading content today.

The collection’s upgrade is made possible through a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered through the Indiana State Library. For more information about the eIndiana Digital Consortium, including holdings and current membership, visit http://cidc.lib.overdrive.com/.

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