Borrowing books from the comfort of home

Library hopes to kindle reading flame with e-books Monday, March 01, 2010 Michele AngermillerSPECIAL TO THE TIMES LAWRENCE -- Doing a book report and don't have time to drive to the library? Itching to catch up on the "Twilight" series right this second but don't feel like jumping into a car? The Mercer County Library system will launch an e-books program starting today that will make it easier to get the books you need without the hassle of driving. The new program will give library patrons the option of borrowing books from the comfort of home through their home computers. Holders of library cards can browse titles and check out a book by downloading a copy to their PCs or laptops. According to Ellen Brown, director of the library system, 422 titles will be available in addition to more than 6,000 audiobooks offered now. In fact, e-books are becoming increasingly popular in these tough economic times, Brown said. Managers of Princeton University's semester-long pilot program of the Amazon KindleDX electronic reader are reporting success, with results showing that student participants reduced the amount of paper they used to print course readings by almost 50 percent. Princeton launched its pilot program in the fall to help determine if e-readers can reduce the use of paper at the University without adversely affecting the classroom experience. Fifty students in three courses agreed to participate in the voluntary project -- titled "Toward Print-Less and Paper-Less Courses: Pilot Amazon Kindle Program," managed by Princeton's Office of Information Technology and the Princeton University Library in cooperation with Amazon.com. The e-books can be read on a PC or Mac using free reader software called Adobe Digital Editions. They can also be transferred to popular e-reading devices such as the Amazon Kindle, Sony Reader and the Barnes & Noble nook. Many e-books feature "re-flowable" text, which allows a user to resize the text and alter the display to fit any screen size. The Sony Reader and the nook are designed to look and feel like a book for users on the go. The devices feature a screen that is intended to be easy on the reader's eyes. Popular titles by authors such as James Patterson, Charlaine Harris ("Dead Until Dark") and Robert Parker plus nonfiction titles such as Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers" will be available, Brown said. Titles will be added each month. Laura Nawrocik, IT technician for the library, said that there is a five-book limit of e-books at checkout, and the software is designed to allow borrowers to have the books out for seven to 10 days. "The files will stop working when you get to the 10-day period," she said. There will also be an electronic wait list for popular titles, as well as an "always available" list that will include classic books. Users may, of course, return books early. "The library system is trying to extend to its users nontraditional library sources," she said. "In these economic times, the library is trying to lighten the load for its patrons, be it by offering free DVDs and movies, and now the e-books." To check out e-books or downloadable audiobooks, users need a valid library card, a computer and an Internet connection. Once downloaded, digital media can be used on a computer or transferred to popular devices such as MP3 players, iPods, Smartphones, and more