Skip to main content

Downloading ebooks at the library

I love this idea, it is the real integration of mobile technology, allowing it not only to be remote, but also in-person. Patrons bring in their ebook reader and apparently the library has a computer with appropriate dongles that will allow the device to be connected and then the patrons can download ebooks from the library directly into their ebook reading device - avoiding the requirement for the patrons to have internet at home.Hopefully ebook industry will also recognize this form of access and make the direct connections the same across devices.  Public libraries have become one of the community hot spots, they have expanded their service to the community to go beyond just the loaning of books (which I know they were always much more) to having tech services for internet access and downloadable media. While for some this may seem like a step backwards, because patrons have to come in, it is actually a step forward as it is recognizing the device as a legitimate in-person library resource. I'm sure that for a number of people, the ebook device in the library also is offering them the opportunity to get direct instruction and assistance in the device use. 


The article also makes mention that ebook devices are a growing trend for senior citizens, in art for the option of adaptable text size. Truly this is one of the great advantages of ebooks, their accommodation features. Options such as large print can make reading possible and decrease reading errors. I'm glad to see recognition of these kind of features as one of the reasons that people are starting to use ebook readers, it can make such a difference to the reader and make a library's collection that much more accessible to all. 




Library Downloading For Your eBook  The days of checking out a good paperback from your neighborhood library are not over, they're just up against the eBook. Throughout the Southern Tier Library systems, neighbors can bring their personal eBook into their library and download up to five books.  WETM-TV

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Auto Summarization

In dealing with textbooks and students with disabilities, one of the most common things that we would do is to get the textbook in a digital format, as an ebook. By doing this we were able to use a number of tools based on the need of the student. I've had students who could not lift their physical printed textbook, but would be able to access though a laptop installed in their electronic wheelchair, for students with vision issues we could boost the font size or use a text-to-speech tool to have the book read aloud to them. One tool that I used with a number of my students who had issues was the Auto Summarize tool in Word. The tool works well with textbook, but wouldn't work for other texts, such as novels.  I used this to reduce the amount of text that they had to read, the "cognitive load" of the text, but would still enable be able to get the information. Word did a great job, and depending on the student I would reduce the text to about 66% for facts and support...

Ebooks as Textbooks - Part 2 - Highlighting

Highlighting can be a very effective tool in reading and learning no matter the kind of text being read: from novels to textbooks. Most textbooks or other forms of information text will usually used text features along with graphics to help organize information presented in the text.  These elements are done to help focus attention on important or key concepts and provide additional information. The text organization itself can include structural elements such as heading, subheading, index, glossary, paragraph spacing, bulleted or numbered lists, sidebars or side boxes, italics, underlines or bold for words or even sections. Graphic content can include the use of symbols, colors, illustrations, pictures, diagrams, charts, and graphs. Poor highlighting design - too much text has been highlighted.  The act of highlighting is less time consuming and much easier than note-taking ( to be discussed in an upcoming posting). To be ...

Ebooks as Textbooks Part 8: Textbook structure

Textbooks usually have a structure, and it doesn't matter if it is an electronic textbook or a paper printed one, the people who put the textbook together usually make it have a structure to help you better understand what you are reading and learning. Textbooks are usually a type of text known as informational or expository text - this is text written to inform, and can be things like textbook chapters, newspaper and magazine articles, and other reference materials like encyclopedia items. The other kind of text that you usually encounter in school is narrative text, where a story is being told - which could be fictional or non-fiction. And while textbooks are informational text, many will also have narrative text, usually as stories to help you better understand the concept, although in an English or literature class the stories are often more the focus of the learning. Textbook Elements With an electronic textbook it might be hard to see the structure, because you cant riffle...