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An iPhone screenshot of Emma Clark Library’s mobile app. Photo from Ted Gutmann | |
December 21, 2011 | 03:57 PM
In an age when the e-book seems to be gaining on the paperback and a person can access books, music and movies on a portable device, what does the future hold for the library, haven of physical media?Ted Gutmann, director of Emma S. Clark Library, does not foresee the end of the library as we know it. "I don't think it's going anywhere too quickly," he said. "Regular circulation – books, DVDs and other physical items — are still quite strong."
Circulation statistics have continued to rise in the past several years and are, in fact, up 1 percent since last year, he said. That doesn't mean, though, that local libraries are not undergoing a digital evolution of their own.
Emma Clark patrons, for example, can download e-books and other online materials through Live-brary, a shared central database for county libraries. Those who access Live-brary through the Emma Clark website can download e-books, audio books, music and video directly to their smartphones, tablets and computers. The checkout time varies from seven to 14 days, for as many as five items at a time. When the media is due, it disappears from the borrower's cart.
Live-brary, which has existed as an online database for several years, began offering e-books a few years ago. However, it was when Apple's iPad and Amazon's Kindle became compatible with e-book software and more content became available that downloads soared. Emma Clark began publicizing the service on its website, with flyers in the library, in its newsletters and in local news outlets. Between August 2010 and August 2011, usage jumped 235 percent, with 10,861 downloads, Gutmann said.
"Patrons are taking advantage of what we're offering," he said, citing additional statistics showing Emma Clark patrons third in their usage of e-book services after Sachem and Smithtown libraries.
"It's bringing the library into the next century," said Ron Monroe, a user new to the availability of e-book downloads.
"We get a lot of questions," reference librarian Jennifer Mullen said. "There are many devices and with each one being different, we sometimes have to give instructions."
The Live-brary site lists compatible devices and provides step-by-step guidance for downloading materials. While the majority of users follow directions from the site, users can schedule an appointment with a reference librarian for additional assistance.
"We're expecting a lot of people to come in after the holidays," Connie Roberts, another reference librarian said, in anticipation of a wave of e-readers and other digital devices received as gifts. Roberts has observed, though, that those who download material continue to check out traditional books. Many use their e-readers for travel, she said, since it allows them to take along several books.
Patron Erika Heilmann was excited when she learned about the convenience of the e-book download service. "It will save me a million trips back and forth to the library," she said.
There is also news for those who continue to have a more traditional relationship with the library. The launch of Emma Mobile, a new library app, can simplify a variety of activities. Gutmann and his team designed the app to streamline borrowing, allowing library patrons to easily search catalogs, set up and check accounts and conduct title searches simply by scanning a book's barcode. The app also provides a calendar of events and sends notifications to a user's device.
Gutmann will tell colleagues about Emma Mobile at the Computers in Libraries conference in Washington, D.C., in March.
"This is where everything is going," he said. "Our computers are going to be these handheld devices, so we want to be a part of that."
