Tuesday, March 23 2004
It's getting a lot easier to check out a library book. You don't even need to go to the library -- or to handle an actual book.
The San Jose Public Library system is touting its new digital library that lets Silicon Valley residents check out and download electronic books (eBooks) online. It works wherever there's Internet access, which means library patrons can browse and find books from home, from work or even with a laptop on vacation if there's a trashy beach book you simply must have.
If you have a San Jose library card, you're allowed to download as many as 10 eBooks. And if a title you're looking for has a waiting list, the library can e-mail you a notice when it's available for checkout. All it takes is going to www.sjlibrary.org, clicking on ``Quick Links'' and selecting ``eBooks.''
I wish I could say our library system was first with this service, but libraries in places such as Cleveland and Seattle beat us to it. Still, we're among the early adopters, and Silicon Valley residents naturally are taking to it like, well, Silicon Valley residents. Almost 1,600 have checked out eBooks since the library quietly rolled out the service at the start of the year, most of the titles non-fiction, life-management works.
Electronic books aren't for everyone, of course. There's no substitute for the feel of a book in your hands, the turning of pages, even a book's aroma. But if speed is of the essence -- and if libraries' hours are cut back because of budget shortfalls -- getting your reading fix online can be a real boon. And besides, there's no worry about fines for overdue books. These eBooks automatically check themselves back in when they're due.
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