Ebooks

Ebooks are of interest to Librarians because their potential for distribution and storage may improve on current methods and ebooks, may potentially elliminate and expand possibilities for readers, bookshops and Libraries. As each new book is published, purchase and shelved, it takes the shelf space of a previous book, which ideally should remain in a library collection. Ebooks may provide a part solution to this. Both Sony and Amazon (Kindle) have released device's, both of which are mentioned in Australian Personal Computer Magazine, December, 2008. The interesting thing about the Kindle is the plan to allow ebooks to be proliferated wirelessly because it is an allways connected device, like a mobile phone, While the Sony device needs to be connected to a PC which is Online. Both these devices may be able to support major library funtions such as storage. Sutherland Library have a system called Digital Download, that uses Overdrive software which I have used. I attended the opening last year and now use both the audio and electronic books, both of which are very good. The future has interesting possibilities for ebooks!