E-Books!

I have spent a lot of time contemplating the transition of libraries and bookstores to e-books. The question that always arises is how one could create a public school library based on lending e-books. E-book lending is not common yet, its complicated, and even more so in a school setting. (Such as, Library Build obviously can not pay for every student at Rowen - 475 kids - to have an e-reader, so how will we promote reading at home if they have no way to read their snazzy e-book? You tell me.)

BUT, I have thought about it. Why? Well, for a number of reasons. First, I think funding would be easier to secure if we provided e-resources rather than brick and mortar libraries. Second, in the long run (albeit about 10 years) the e-book route would be cheaper because you wouldn't spend the 10 years constantly replacing books that got old, ripped, etc. An e-book always remains in good condition. Now of course the problem with all this is that an e-resource library requires a LOT more funding at the start of the project than I currently have.

Today CNN has an article claiming that reading in America (among adults) is actually on the rise because of e-readers. They claim that e-readers make it easier, faster, cheaper to buy books. But, are people who already read just buying the e-readers, or are we actually seeing an increase in the number of adults who read? They didn't address that.

Of interest as well, is an article explaining just how you can borrow an e-book from your library. And its no picnic. Basically, it requires that your public library - and public school library - have a software system in place that allows you to access, lend, and return e-books. Believe it or not, such software is not free.

So in the end, e-books are complicated and expensive, real books are complicated and expensive, whats a public school library to do?