Library Notes: Kindle comes to the Shelter Island Library
Attention all Kindle owners: Amazon’s popular eReader is now compatible with the Shelter Island Public Library’s digital resource collection, Live-brary. This means that you will now be able to download books to the device for free. Yes, that’s right, free — so if you’ve been looking for an incentive to make the move to an eReader, this may be the impetus you need.
Downloads of books have been available for some time for owners of the Sony eReader, Barnes & Noble Nook, tablets and PCs, iPads, smartphones and other devices, with Amazon being the last holdout. But on September 21, the giant e-tailer announced that it would now participate, bringing joy to millions of Kindle owners.
According to the American Library Association, about 67 percent of libraries nationally now offer access to ebooks, up 12 percent from two years ago. In a recent article in the New York Times, publishing analysts said that demand for library ebooks will steadily increase. Forrester Research estimated that roughly 15 million of the various eReader devices would be purchased in the United States this year.
Denise DiPaolo, director of the Shelter Island Library, is thrilled with the extension of e-lending to the Kindle. “Our customers have been asking us for a year when they would be able to borrow with their Kindles,” she said. Ms. DiPaolo notes that there is one important difference in downloading to a Kindle versus other devices. Fulfillment of a reader’s request actually occurs at Amazon so anyone wishing to use this service will need an Amazon account. Users do not have to purchase anything or provide a credit card number but they must provide a valid email address.
To begin enjoying library books on your Kindle, start by going to the library’s website, readshelterisland.org. Click on free ebooks and audiobooks on the right side of the page. This will bring you to Live-brary.com. To select from the Kindle eBooks collection only, click on the image of the Kindle found on the left column and start searching the collection. When it’s time to “checkout” your eBook, you can even choose your desired borrowing period, 7 or 14 days.
The eBook will magically “disappear” from your device at the end of the borrowing period. No books to return to the library. And no overdue fines.
Popular titles may have a waiting list, just like in the non-digital world. In that case, you place the item on reserve and will be notified via email when it is available for download. If you are used to downloading books via a 3G connection, however, you may need to switch to Wi-Fi. According to a recent issue of the eBook Reader, an online newsletter, public library books must currently be downloaded via Wi-Fi or a USB connection. Still, that’s a small price to pay for access to a wide array of electronic content for free.
If you are having problems with the set up or simply want some hands-on assistance, Ms. DiPaolo said that she or her staff will be happy to help you get started. Just call the library at 749-0042 to schedule an appointment and you’ll be downloading and reading before you can say “it’s like magic!”
See you at the library!
NEW FICTION
The Leftovers, Tom Perrotta
Learning, Karen Kingsbury
The Language of Flowers, Vanessa Diffenbaugh
Kill Me If You Can, James Patterson and Marshall Karp*
Incognito, Gregory Murphy
House of Holes, Nicholas Baker
Girls in White Dresses, Jennifer Close
The Buddha in the Attic, Julie Otsuka
Bohemian Girl, Terese Svoboda
Bed, David Whitehouse
The Astral, Kate Christensen
The Night Train, Clyde Edgerton
Only Time Will Tell, Jeffrey Archer*
Second Grave on the Left, Darynda Jones
The Stranger You Seek, Amanda Kyle Williams
The Submission, Amy Waldman
This Beautiful Life, Helen Schulman
Back of Beyond, C.J. Box
The Bitter Truth, Charles Todd
The Cut, George P. Pelecanos
Dick Francis’s Gamble, Felix Francis (also in large print)
The Gentlemen’s Hour, Don Winslow
The Headhunter’s Daughter, Tamar Myers
The Keeper of Lost Causes, Jussi Adler-Olsen
The Most Dangerous Thing, Laura Lippman
A Trick of the Light, Louise Penny
Flash and Bones, Kathy Reichs (large print)*
The Ideal Man, Julie Garwood (large print)
Justice, Karen Robards (large print)
Split Second, Catherine Coulter (large print)
NEW NON-FICTION
As Thousands Cheer, Laurence Bergreen
Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness, Alexandra Fuller*
Dispensing Beauty in New York & Beyond, Annette Blaugrund
Ghost in the Wires, Kevin D. Mitnick
In My Time, Dick Cheney*
Jane Fonda, Patricia Bosworth
Just One Catch, Tracy Daugherty
The Long Night, Steve Wick
A Stolen Life, Joyce Lee Dugard*
Talk Show, Dick Cavett
American to the Backbone, Christopher Webber
20 Years Younger, Bob Greene
1493, Charles C. Mann*
Age of Greed, Jeffrey G. Madrick
Breast Cancer, Greg Anderson
Exorcising Hitler, Fred Taylor
Inside Scientology, Janet Reitman
Lighthead, Terrance Hayes
Clark Howard’s Living Large in Lean Times, Clark Howard
The Fatal Gift of Beauty, Nina Burleigh
Render Unto Rome, Jason Berry
Thunder Dog, Michael Hingson
*New York Times best seller
