12-22-2009, 05:03 AM | #1 | |
Sir Penguin of Edinburgh
Posts: 12,375
Karma: 23555235
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: DC Metro area
Device: Shake a stick plus 1
|
Libraries should buy ebook readers (from The Boston Globe)
Quote:
http://www.boston.com/ae/books/artic..._want_to_read/ ******** There is a significant flaw in his argument, and a simple cost-benefit analysis will demonstrate it. If a library focuses on 10 ebook readers and has 1k ebooks, only 10 people at a time can use those thousand ebooks. That's a significant capital investment which will boost the user base by 10 people. On the other hand, if a library focuses on the ebook itself and has a 1k collection of public domain ebooks, an infinite number of people can use them. There is a vast storehouse of free ebooks out there. And that's why libraries should get into ebooks, not hardware. |
|
12-22-2009, 05:46 AM | #2 |
Guru
Posts: 785
Karma: 100000
Join Date: Dec 2007
Device: Sony PRS-300. PRS-650, PRS-900, iPad2, Iconia A500, Irex Iliad (sold)
|
I can't access the full article from work (thanks WebSense!), but from the blurb you provided and your comment I don't think it's a totally bad idea.
You are absolutely right in terms of cost-benefit analysis, but one benefit of this approach is to raise "awareness" in public about electronic book readers and availibility of e-books in general. |
Advert | |
|
12-22-2009, 06:01 AM | #3 |
Junior Member
Posts: 7
Karma: 10
Join Date: Jan 2009
Device: Sony Reader PRS-505 - Silver
|
I disagree to your analysis. You can still have an infinite amount of people accessing the thousands of ebooks that the library offers. The limit could apply to the ebook devices being lent out.
|
12-22-2009, 06:18 AM | #4 |
Zealot
Posts: 129
Karma: 1000153
Join Date: Jan 2007
|
Swedish libraries has ebooks that you could borrow, and has had that for quite some time. Last I checked alot of them was in epub. There is not a huge amount of books available yet but e-readers havent really started to sell here in sweden so it might be better later on. You can borrow them for a month and then you will have to re-borrow them again if you havent finished the book. Pretty nice. But I see a problem here for the libraries, with a physical book there is a certain desire to have it in the bookshelf, with ebooks the reader has already overcome that desire and if he can borrow most books there will be a very little need for him to buy any. It is perhaps more of a problem for the publishers but if the publishers dont want their books to be available at the libraries then it is the libraries problem also.
Just some toughts on the subject |
12-22-2009, 06:24 AM | #5 |
Sir Penguin of Edinburgh
Posts: 12,375
Karma: 23555235
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: DC Metro area
Device: Shake a stick plus 1
|
Except that he's only talking about checking out the device, not the ebooks. While you are correct in that one could check out the ebooks as well as the devices, he is only talking about the latter and thus his argument is flawed.
|
Advert | |
|
12-22-2009, 07:33 AM | #6 |
Wizard
Posts: 1,096
Karma: 4695691
Join Date: May 2008
Device: Kindle Paperwhite
|
ebook readers are pretty fragile. i see that as being an issue since most people aren't really that careful, and many couldn't afford to pay for a reader they broke.
|
12-22-2009, 08:14 AM | #7 |
Reader
Posts: 519
Karma: 24612
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Utrecht, NL
Device: Kobo Aura 2, iPhone, iPad
|
That is incorrect. The idea would be that people that borrow an e-reader will get the taste of it and buy one themselves. So the lending of the e-books isn't limited to those 10 people who have borrowed the e-readers. In other words, the e-reader should become viral.
|
12-22-2009, 08:59 AM | #8 |
Connoisseur
Posts: 87
Karma: 6366
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Bandung, Indonesia
Device: KPW, KFHD, K3, K2, iPad
|
Doubt this will happen. An analogy will be stores lent VHS/DVD players instead of the tapes/discs.
And even if one doesn't have an ebook reader, he/she can borrow an epub and use a reader on a computer. |
12-22-2009, 11:11 AM | #9 | |
Guru
Posts: 897
Karma: 950683
Join Date: Oct 2009
Device: Kobo Libra2
|
Quote:
Of course this way back in the day when video stores where all mom and pop operations, before Blockbuster and the like. Perhaps you're not old enough to remember this? -Marcy |
|
12-22-2009, 11:16 AM | #10 |
.
Posts: 3,408
Karma: 5647231
Join Date: Oct 2008
Device: never enough
|
I'm pretty sure his logic is based on the idea of getting eBook Readers into libraries to get people used to eBooks, and introduce both libraries and readers to the new technology-that way the libraries can "stock" more eBooks, readers will buy their own eBooks, etc.
edit: similar to the VCR analogy that Marcy above just mentioned |
12-22-2009, 11:18 AM | #11 |
Wizard
Posts: 2,806
Karma: 13500000
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Portland, OR
Device: Boox PB360 etc etc etc
|
you could even rent the nintendo etc to play games
|
12-22-2009, 11:19 AM | #12 |
.
Posts: 3,408
Karma: 5647231
Join Date: Oct 2008
Device: never enough
|
|
12-22-2009, 03:46 PM | #13 | |
Ugly alien
Posts: 144
Karma: 225
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Québec, QC
Device: tricorder
|
Quote:
|
|
12-23-2009, 01:01 AM | #14 | |
Guru
Posts: 785
Karma: 100000
Join Date: Dec 2007
Device: Sony PRS-300. PRS-650, PRS-900, iPad2, Iconia A500, Irex Iliad (sold)
|
Quote:
I think this is definitely the way forward for libraries into the digital age - as an added service to the normal library business. I have read somewhere (I think it's in the UK) about libraries having a fair deal of success with this especially with the older population and people who aren't very mobile. This is where libraries lending out e-readers would help with people getting familiar with the technology. Also, something tells me there is a thread or 10 on this forum discussing this issue already |
|
12-23-2009, 06:57 AM | #15 |
Enthusiast
Posts: 36
Karma: 308
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Denmark
Device: Kindle 3
|
In Denmark you can get a Sony PSR-505 from a library, at least here in Copenhagen. They don't have a whole lot though, so the waiting period is a couple of months. Too bad, since I'd really like to borrow one - and often.
You can also get ePub ebooks, but I don't think the selection is very big yet. |
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Any libraries in the UK that lend to ebook readers? | harryE123 | General Discussions | 15 | 09-05-2010 07:59 PM |
Where to buy ebook readers in seattle? | tofubean | Which one should I buy? | 8 | 02-25-2010 02:54 AM |
Help with Boston Globe RSS recipe | horsegoalie | Calibre | 14 | 12-17-2009 06:56 PM |
Boston Globe article titled "Nuance's OmniPage 17 has scan-to-Kindle feature" | Gerry | News | 9 | 06-07-2009 06:18 AM |
E Ink profile in Boston Globe | starrigger | News | 0 | 04-24-2009 02:47 PM |