Tip: Libraries offer downloadable books
Local libraries are offering thousands of exciting new books, although none is a (paper) page-turner.
Downloadable e-books and audio books are available for free from all libraries in Nassau and Suffolk. They can be accessed on a wide range of wireless readers, including Barnes & Noble's Nook, Sony's e-reader and Apple's iPad, iPhone and iTouch. They also are available for many mobile devices running the Android, Windows Mobile or BlackBerry operating systems. Amazon's Kindle, however, is not among the devices that have access.
"The service is growing by leaps and bounds on a weekly basis," says Kevin Verbesey, director of the Suffolk Cooperative Library System. Suffolk calls its online service Live-brary (live-brary .com), and there are more than 13,000 e-books and audio books available.
Nassau has a similar service it calls Digital Doorway (nassau.lib.overdrive .com). "It's a very, very popular service," says Mary Beth Beidl, assistant director of the Nassau Library System.
Verbesey and Beidl noticed a spike in their services right after Christmas. "A lot of people got various types of e-readers for the holidays," Beidl says.
To take advantage of the services, you must be a library card holder in either county. One benefit of using an e-reader is that you can adjust the size of the type, which means that every book can be viewed in large print. And in many cases, the e-reader weighs less than a hardcover book.
The initial download process is a bit time consuming. Depending on your device, you will have to download free software from Overdrive, available on the Nassau and Suffolk library websites. You also may have to download free software from Adobe and sign up for an Adobe account, which is also free. Once all the necessary software is loaded, the process becomes easier. If you have any trouble, Verbesey and Beidl say, bring your device to your local library, where a librarian will assist you.
Also be aware that libraries can only lend out the number of e-book copies they purchased, just like books on the shelves. If the book you want is unavailable, you can place a reserve on it. You will receive an alert when it is available.
Generally, you can "check out" five titles at a time. And there are no worries about overdue books. When your lending period is over (usually seven or 14 days), the book will automatically return itself.
