New York Public Library Has Over 3,000 eBooks To Check Out

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://news.com.com/Libraries+check+out+e-books/2100-1025_3-5485643.html">http://news.com.com/Libraries+check+out+e-books/2100-1025_3-5485643.html</a><br /><br /><i>"...3,000 titles' worth--and the library's 1.8 million cardholders can point and click through the collection at <a href="www.nypl.org">www.nypl.org</a>, choosing from among best-sellers, nonfiction, romance novels and self-help guides. Patrons borrow them for set periods, downloading them for reading on a computer, a hand-held organizer or other device using free reader software. When they are due, the files are automatically locked out--no matter what hardware they are on--and returned to circulation, eliminating late fees.</i>"<br /><br />Here is what I am glad to see - a statistic I knew was right but hadn't seen anything showing it. <i>"At the Cleveland Public Library, Patricia Lowrey, head of technical services, thought technical manuals and business guides would be in greatest demand. "We were dead wrong on that," Lowrey said. "There are a lot of closet romance readers in cyberspace."</i><br /><br />My current ebook is <u>State of Fear</u> by Michael Crichton, one of the few big names that publishes his books in ebook format. Maybe information like the above will push a few more authors into hounding their publishers to expand the audience they reach.

[emuelle1]

Thanks for the tip. I did some checking, and found that my local library has it too http://www.camden.lib.nj.us/ebooks/default.htm. Anyone in Camden County, NJ can get them also.

[Jonathan1]

As long as they support multiple platforms I'm all good with it. But I'm noticing that a vast majority of the reader formats that libraries are choosing are MS only, at least for desktops, they don't work on Linux and they don't work on Apple. Thanks for not being bias. :?

[Felix Torres]

As long as they support multiple platforms I'm all good with it. But I'm noticing that a vast majority of the reader formats that libraries are choosing are MS only, at least for desktops, they don't work on Linux and they don't work on Apple. Thanks for not being bias. :?

If you were to check out librarian circles you'd find they are not particularly enamored with MS or Adobe, but the libraries have to use the tools that are *legally* available to them.
Well, guess what?
MS is the only OS developer actively pursuing the ebook market and they have been doing it for five-plus years now. And they have a strong relationship with Overdrive, the developer of the system most libraries use. They can offer libraries a proven turnkey system *now*. They just sign the contract and Overdrive sets them up. No fussing setting up an IT department; they just get on with *their* business: being librarians...

Given that the libraries are loaning out copyrighted works, not Gutenberg-grade commons texts, they *have* to use a system with time-based DRM or the publishers won't let them loan out anything.
MS has the tech do this legally.
LINUX doesn't.

You have a beef, take it up with Torvalds or Perens or the other IP-hostile LINUX luminaries.

This is one case where what goes around comes around.

[capo]

It's probably coming. The reality at present is that it's a Windows world. It only makes sense to have your product/service reach the largest possible audience. The same priciple makes this service available in NYC and other populated areas but generates blank looks from the librarians in my little town... :(

[disconnected]

I just wish my local libraries would catch up with this. I saw this news somewhere last week, and looked at the New York library site. If you're lucky enough to live, work, or go to school in New York it's all free. You can also get a non-resident library card for 100.00 a year. Right now it wouldn't be worth it to me, but if they starting getting all the current mystery ebooks, I'd reconsider. I don't know how many virtual copies of books they have, so I don't know if there's a long waiting list to borrow the most popular ones. It would help if people could "return" the books as soon as they finish them. Right now that feature only works with Adobe, not the Mobipocket format.

[emuelle1]

What they need to do next is work on downloadable audiobooks, sort of like Audible.com. A guy I used to work with really sold me on the Audible concept, but my wife doesn't agree that I need to pay the monthly fee. Doh. That would be cool to "borrow" them on my ipaq to listen to in the car.

[acollet]

I really hope this takes off.. this would be awesome!

[notesguy88]

As long as they support multiple platforms I'm all good with it. But I'm noticing that a vast majority of the reader formats that libraries are choosing are MS only, at least for desktops, they don't work on Linux and they don't work on Apple. Thanks for not being bias. :?

Fortunately, the NYPL e-book library offers the books in PDF format. That's as multi-platform as you can get with PDF readers available for Windows, Macs, Linux, several flavors of Unix and even OS/2! The mobile format is available on Mobipocket reader which is available for PocketPC/WM, Palm OS, Symbian, WM Smartphone and SE P800/900.

[Swordsman74]

I think this is a great step in the right direction - regardless of it being MS only or not. Only when the demand for other formats increases to the point of being worth their effort will they begin to expand to those other systems. The problem I have with PDF's is that Adobe's PPC version won't let you read DRM-encrypted files...

On a side note - let me explain my current battle in the land of ebooks. I bought an MS Reader ebook on Amazon that contained maps of the area described in the book. I was suprised (and pissed) when I found out that these maps are 240x320 and therefore unreadable and useless!! You can't read any of the names of places and when you try to zoom in it just gets "blocky"...
I called up Random House and they referred me to an email address for support from ContentLinkInk.com - their ebook website. I wrote three emails to them within two weeks asking them to reissue the ebook with higher resolution maps - and got no response. I finally called Random House again and they told me they don't know how to contact those guys by phone but coincidentally less than an hour after hanging up with them I received a one-sentence reply from ContentLinkInk saying that they are researching to see if this can be done. Of course, when I reply asking how long it might take, I got no response.
So, this weekend, I went out and bought the third book in paper format. I just couldn't justify buying the ebook knowing it would have useless maps... It appears that companies are not spending much time or effort on enticing people to purchase ebooks. I do hope this can be changed...

[ironguy]

San Jose library started their ebook lending last March. Here's an added bonus. They also tie in to San Jose State library so students can access either way. Kinda nice if you're doing research.

[Felix Torres]

I think this is a great step in the right direction - regardless of it being MS only or not. Only when the demand for other formats increases to the point of being worth their effort will they begin to expand to those other systems. The problem I have with PDF's is that Adobe's PPC version won't let you read DRM-encrypted files...

On a side note - let me explain my current battle in the land of ebooks. I bought an MS Reader ebook on Amazon that contained maps of the area described in the book. I was suprised (and pissed) when I found out that these maps are 240x320 and therefore unreadable and useless!! You can't read any of the names of places and when you try to zoom in it just gets "blocky"...
I called up Random House and they referred me to an email address for support from ContentLinkInk.com - their ebook website. I wrote three emails to them within two weeks asking them to reissue the ebook with higher resolution maps - and got no response. I finally called Random House again and they told me they don't know how to contact those guys by phone but coincidentally less than an hour after hanging up with them I received a one-sentence reply from ContentLinkInk saying that they are researching to see if this can be done. Of course, when I reply asking how long it might take, I got no response.
So, this weekend, I went out and bought the third book in paper format. I just couldn't justify buying the ebook knowing it would have useless maps... It appears that companies are not spending much time or effort on enticing people to purchase ebooks. I do hope this can be changed...

And you know what?
You shouldn't have had to.
The latest version of MS Reader lets you pan and zoom on graphics so they could have easily inserted a 768 by 1024 or even larger version.
The tech is there; they just have to actually *use* it.

[yvilla]

This is great news for a New York Stater like me! I've been a member of the KnowBetter eBook lending library connected with Fictionwise for quite some time now, but have been hoping for more lending sources. And I've frequently checked my local County library system, with disappointing results, so was really delighted to read that I could get borrowing privileges at the NYPL.

So, a big thanks for posting this! :) I've applied online and am now eagerly awaiting for my library card to arrive by snail mail.

[welovejesus]

It would be nice if there were an eBook Library Access for everyone. It seems that those attached to big cities or progressive states have an advantage of those in rural America. Perhaps one day there could be a nationally based library, with a large selection!

[Mark Johnson]

Perhaps one day there could be a nationally based library, with a large selection!


Whoa! Fire up the scanners at the Library of Congress!

It really is tragic that content has gotten so incredibly bottled up behind copyrights (and DRM). Why is it that patents are only what 12 years? but copyrights go something like 70 years past the death of the author? Sure anyone should be able to make a buck on what they produce, but there's got to be some limit.

I completely agree with the logic that creators must have incentive to create. However, what I don't get is how if we've decided that 12 years is a sufficiently long "protection" for a cancer drug (pretty important) then how does it make sense that a cartoon like Mickey Mouse gets "protected" for generations?

It's kind of hard to argue that Walt Disney would have been sitting at his drawing board thinking: "gee, I've got this cute idea for a cartoon mouse that people would probably like, but gosh, if I can't be sure that my great-grandkids will still be getting license revenue when I've been dead for 70 years, then it's just not worth it to me to draw. Forget it! I'm going to be an accountant!"

The system is absurd...

[Philip Colmer]

Out of interest, I contacted the library service for Cambridgeshire, the county where I live in the UK. I've just received a reply stating that they are looking to offer a similar service using the same suppliers but they are at an early stage so won't be offering the service in the near future.

The reply went on to let me know that Essex (another county in the UK) are already offering the service.

It is good to see e-books becoming more popular and, above all, recognised as a useful format for libraries.

--Philip

[Philip Colmer]

I think this is a great step in the right direction - regardless of it being MS only or not. Only when the demand for other formats increases to the point of being worth their effort will they begin to expand to those other systems. The problem I have with PDF's is that Adobe's PPC version won't let you read DRM-encrypted files...
From the sites that I've looked at that use this service, they are promoting Adobe Reader and Mobipocket Reader, but not MS Reader. I find this interesting given that the underlying platform from Overdrive supports all three formats.

The other thing I find curious is that you'll find most books being made available in a single format, i.e. you don't get given the choice. So, for example, one of the libraries is offering "Working With Hannah" in Adobe Reader format but "Sharpe's Triumph" in Mobipocket format. I think that part of the reason here is because it is down to the libraries themselves to purchase the content, so either they, or the publishers, are making the decision of a single format.

--Philip