Media

Wednesday 28 March 2012

• Ebook borrowing popular (Marlborough Express)
• Waikato readers eager for ebook services (Waikato Times)

Wednesday 21 March 2012

• E-books increasingly popular (NewstalkZB)

Tuesday 20 March 2012

• Borrowing e-books proves popular (Voxy)
• E-books @ the library a popular choice (Scoop)
• E-books popular in libraries (Public Libraries of New Zealand)
• Travel Light Roadshow – ebooks in New Zealand public libraries (NZeRT)

E-books Popular in Libraries

• Public Libraries NZ

Borrowing e-books from the public library is an increasingly popular option amongst New Zealanders, according to figures released by The Association of Public Library Managers (APLM). The end of last year saw a number of new e-book lending options launched in Public Libraries throughout New Zealand. “Although it is still early days for e-books in libraries the lending numbers paint a clear picture”, said APLM spokesperson, Paul Nielsen of Hauraki District Libraries.  “Since November there have already been over 13,000 e-books checked out across the country”.

Many public libraries have adopted a consortia approach to e-book lending, making a wider selection of e-books available to library members to borrow. In many cases this has meant that ebooks can be borrowed free of charge. This collaborative approach not only benefits library patrons, it also ensures the best value for money from rate-payers’ dollars.

With e-books available at over 70% of New Zealand public libraries to date, there have been some dramatic increases in borrowing. Since the service was launched a few months ago, some areas are seeing increases in borrowing of up to 400%. Downloadable audio-books have also proved popular with nearly 2,500 checked out over the same period.

“There is keen interest and appetite for digital content out there”, says Mr Nielsen. “Many of the communities served by libraries with increased digital borrowing are small and predominantly rural, so this usage dispels some myths about e-books only being for the richer, city types”.

This demand was evident during ‘Travel Light this Summer with Library e-books’ roadshow events in the Wellington and Wairarapa region last December. These hands-on education sessions were designed to introduce readers to their library’s e-book collections and help decipher which of the myriad e-reader devices best met their needs. Nearly 200 people of varying age and digital ability turned out across the region to get the e-book lowdown.

Library staff are currently undergoing training to up-skill in this area in order to deal with the influx of customers and technological questions. Many libraries are also planning to launch their own public education sessions on e-books and e-readers in coming months. Public librarians will play a key role in demystifying digital books and audio by offering knowledgeable, practical and impartial digital services and advice.

Contact your local library to find out more.

Thursday 8 December 2011

• E-books are coming to our libraries (Wairarapa Library Service)

Wednesday 7 December 2011

• Free ebooks now at a library near you! (APLM)
• Masterton joins world of ebooks (Wairarapa Times-Age)
• Travel Light This Summer With Library Ebooks (New Zealand Book Council Newsletter)

Tuesday 6 December 2011

• Libraries showcasing ebooks next week (Scoop.Wellington)
• Libraries showcasing ebooks across Greater Wellington (Voxy)

Monday 5 December 2011

Libraries showcasing ebooks across Greater Wellington

The “Travel Light this summer with Library ebooks” tour will be on the road in the Wellington/Wairarapa region in the week beginning 12 December. The tour is being held in conjunction with the recent launch of ebook lending services across the country. As you may or may not know, this summer ebooks will be available from 56 of the 67 public library systems nationwide!

The tour leader is freelance librarian Sally Pewhairangi of Finding Heroes who is relishing the role of library ebook guru. “I’m really looking to forward to helping raise public awareness of the ebook resources and expertise that resides in your local library” says Sally.

“The aim of this tour is to de-mystify everything ebook for the reading public. Experience has shown us that there is a real need for detailed information on how to use ebooks at your local library, as well as helping readers to accurately assess of the myriad ereader devices”, says Paul Nielsen, tour coordinator and Hauraki District Libraries Manager. The ereading devices that will be demonstrated are the Kindle, Kobo, iPad2, Android tablet and Sony Reader.

Participating libraries in the region are: Hutt City, Kapiti Coast District, Masterton District, Porirua City and Upper Hutt City. For more information contact your local library, or visit the tour blog at http://libraryebooktour.wordpress.com/ . Keep an eye out for tour stops around the country in February and March 2012.

Travel Light this summer with Library ebooks is a collaborative venture facilitated by the Association of Public Library Managers (APLM).

Ends.