Rochelle Hartman, one of my favorite people in libraryland, has written a new blog post on Tinfoil + Raccoon, the blog she declared dead some time ago. If you’re thinking about buying an ereader and are drawn to the idea of being able to check out ebooks from your local public library, you should read this. If you’re a librarian who is getting lots of questions from patrons about checking out ebooks, you also should read this for some excellent tips and talking points.
Personally, although I have a Sony Reader and theoretically could be borrowing books from the library, the only library system in my area that has the appropriate Overdrive license is Chesterfield County, and I haven’t made it down there yet to get a library card. Having occasionally browsed their collection online, I’m not particularly motivated to do it anytime soon, either.
Thanks for pointing out this article. The situation the author describes is exactly why I don’t have a desire to buy an ereader. At least 99% of my reading material comes from the public library and the selection of INTERESTING ebooks is very small. If you are looking for something fairly popular and recent by an author like James Patterson or Stephanie Meyer, it is most likely going to be in audiobook form rather than ebook form. My Zune is Overdrive-compatible so that works better for me than an ereader.