TRURO - Reading books from your local library can now be as simple as sitting at your own computer - at home or even in a car.
"It's wonderful, it really is," said Lesley Brann administrator of Adult and Outreach Services at the Colchester East Hants Public Library. "We've already had a lot of positive feedback from people."
The online service was established by the Nova Scotia Provincial Library, which injected $40,000 to establish a downloadable book collection for rural regional libraries. The Halifax Regional Municipality has been offering the service since 2008.
"For people on the move it is going to be wonderful," Brann said. "(For) commuters, it's going to open up a much larger collection for them to download for their drive into Halifax or New Glasgow or Amherst, wherever it happens to be that they are driving to."
Additionally, users can download audio versions, which can be listened to while relaxing at home, while exercising or whatever, she said.
"It will be the same for exercisers. They're the people who like to go for their walks and be listening to the audio books at the same time. This is going to substantially increase the access to materials."
The start-up online collection includes 646 audio-book titles and 378 e-book titles on more than 70 subjects, fiction and non-fiction. Titles are available for both adults and young people and there is also access to some French works.
But Brann said the collection is going to be growing, as regional library boards will collectively be investing $38,000 annually for new titles to added on a regular basis. The number of titles is expected to double by this time next year.
"For people learning French, this is a wonderful opportunity for them as well," Brann said.
Likewise for people who have to drive some distance to get to a library, for seniors or shut-ins or others who have difficulty physically checking out books.
The audio and e-books are also valuable for people with print disabilities including vision loss, learning disabilities, or a disability that prevents them from physically holding a book.
And, you won't have to worry about late fees.
"It's going to be good for people who live a distance from the library and are unable to return their books," Brann said. "These will have automatic check ins.... On the day it is due it just won't be available any longer."
Users can also put their names on a waiting list for a particular book that isn't immediately available. But, just as with other library services, users require a library card and P.I.N. to get into the system. The downloadable book collection is available at http://digitalmedia.library.ns.ca .
