HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007-05-18 Library expands to users' homes (Hometown News)Library expands
to users' homes
BY ARAH STOVER
Sta writer
NORTH PALM BEACH
— Library patrons will
now be able to enjoy the
benefits of the library
from their homes.
The North Palm Beach
Library is the first library
in palm Beach County to
use Overdrive, a service
that links institutions
and publishers.
It provides the tech-
nology that makes audio
books and e-books avail-
able on computer sys-
'\-pf\Ncibwo Otn
Friday, May 18, 2007
tems.
Being able to provide
more material to their
patrons without taking
up shelf space made the
program attractive to
library staff.
"We can't keep up with
the demands for audio
books here," said library
director Donna Riegel.
E-books, or electronic
books, can only be read
on the computer, but
audio books can be
burned onto a compact
1 See LIBRARY, A3
www.HometownNewsOL.com
Hobie Hiler/staff photographer
Donna Riegel, director of the North Palm Beach Library, in her office last week. The library is now offering digital media
downloads through its Web site, npb.lib.overdrive.com.
Library
From page Al
disc to listen to in the car,
or downloaded to devices,
such as MP3 players, said
Ms. Riegel.
Overdrive's Web site
specifies what can be done
with each item and offers a
list of devices that are
compatible with the sys-
tem. The company is
based in Cleveland.
The program is not com-
patible with Apple Macln-
tosh computers or the
company's iPods, but
Overdrive is trying to
change that, said Ms.
Riegel.
Overdrive was founded
in 1986, and Ms. Riegel
was familiar with it from
her experience working in
the county library in Bing-
hamttn, N.Y. When she
suggested it, the North
Palm Beach Library staff
was quite enthusiastic, she
said. The staff performed
test -runs on the program
for a month before offering
it to the public. All that's
needed to access the
material is a North Palm
Beach Library card and a
computer, said Ms. Riegel.
The link is npb.lib.over-
drive.com; www is not used
as a prefix.
The available selection is
similar to that in the
library. It ranges from mys-
tery, romance, science fic-
tion, biography, travel and
books on the New York
Times best seller list.
"We currently have 125
titles, but we're planning to
get new titles once a
month," said Ms. Riegel.
Depending on what type
of media it is, the rental
period is between 14 and
21 days. When the period is
up, a person's computer
will not be able to read the
text anymore, but patrons
can renew their rentals.
"The text gets down-
loaded to the hard drive, so
one thing people need to
remember to do is delete the
material from their hard
drives when they're done,"
said Ms. Riegel.
She thinks Overdrive will
be successful with patrons
of the North Palm Beach
Library, since it gives them
the convenience of getting
library material without
going to the library.
"They can access. audio
books at four in the morning
if they wanted to," said Ms.
Riegel.
She also believes the pro-
gram's security will make
people feel better about
using the service.
"We cannot tell who is
signed up or what they're
reading," said Ms. Riegel.
Despite not being able to
know who, she does know
that 19 people have signed
up to use the service, and 14
have used it multiple times.
The contract is up at the
end of the year, so the library
staff has about six or seven
months to find out if there is
enough of a demand to keep
it, Ms. Riegel said.
It costs approximately
$20,000 a year to be part of
Overdrive, and the context is
extra, she added.
The first year was paid for
through the library's gift
fund, and Overdrive gave
the library $10,000 of free
context, Ms. Riegel said.
The Village is now working
on putting its budget togeth-
er, so Ms. Riegel has added
the cost for the program to
the library budget she will
propose, she said.