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Open Library & e-Books

Written on: November 29th, 2011 in Blog Posts, News

Libraries are adopting electronic books (e-books) in a big way.  The Delaware Division of Libraries has recently signed a contract with OverDrive, a library “aggregator” of electronic media, to offer this technology to Delaware library patrons.  OverDrive will offer the latest in copyrighted e-books, and it also offers access to over 34,000 older, public-domain titles.

What about the thousands of out-of-print titles which are still under copyright?  How will libraries make these resources available to their patrons?  To address this problem, Internet Archive, a non-profit organization, has recently introduced its “Open Library” resource.  This will allow patrons of cooperating libraries to borrow these e-books at no cost to them.

At the recent meeting of the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA) in New Mexico, COSLA unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding with Internet Archive.  State librarians in all 50 states will coordinate a project to acquire and digitize 1,000,000 copyrighted titles and make them available to their patrons.  Here in Delaware, State Librarian, Dr. Annie Norman, will be the point person on this project.

The Open Library lending program encourages libraries to send their books to the Internet Archive to be digitized. Internet Archive will retain the books in storage, which will allow them to make one digital copy available electronically.  Each participating library will contribute 10 books.

There are currently 100,000 titles in the Open Library.  More than 1,000 libraries in eight countries are participating.  To learn more about the Open Library, see their homepage (http://openlibrary.org/borrow).

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Flickr photo courtesy of goXunuReviews

November 15 is America Recycles Day

Written on: November 14th, 2011 in Blog Posts

America Recycles Day is  dedicated to the promotion of recycling in the United States; one day to educate and motivate people to Reduce – Reuse – Recycle. http://americarecyclesday.org/

Check out the Green Living LibGuide for recycling ideas in addition to ways to practice living green and sustainability throughout the year. http://guides.lib.de.us/green

New Booklists for November

Written on: November 2nd, 2011 in Blog Posts

It’s turning cold, the leaves are falling and it’s time to snuggle up with a good book. Check out November’s booklists on the Genres Libguide for some suggestions.

http://guides.lib.de.us/genres

“Fall into Reading” is an eclectic list of books, all with some variation of the word “fall” in the title. The Thanksgiving Day booklist features books where the holiday is an integral part of the plot.

The LibGuide also features recommended and award-winning books for each genre. Check each book’s availability or place a hold directly from the LibGuide. Happy Reading!