E-book lending changing Twin Cities libraries

[Lin2412]

Now I feel like [URL="http://www.mprnews.org/story/2014/12/26/ebook-lending-changing-twin-cities-libraries" URL]should've been a vital part of my high school and college days:

The Ramsey County library in Roseville circulates more materials than any public library in Minnesota. But you might not know that by looking at it.

"We've hit a tipping point where we now have more virtual visits than physical visits in the library," said Susan Nemitz, director of the Ramsey County library system, a key testing ground for the new, electronic public library.

Metro-area libraries are using two e-lending systems: Ohio-based Overdrive and 3M's Cloud Library.

The new phone and tablet apps are bringing in more readers than original download technology, said David Burleigh, an executive with Overdrive, which offers about 1.8 million titles to libraries around the world.

"Libraries have done a good job of buying front list, what's exciting, what's new. The day it's released it's probably going to be at your library," said Mercer. "And they still do a really good job of that."

Mercer said a half million patrons have borrowed about 3 million books this year across 3M's online system in the U.S. and Canada.

Kirk Pederson, a Richfield library patron, said improved online access helped him shift to e-books for his fiction reading. He said it's convenient to not have to go to the library.

"I'd say right now I probably do about 75 percent e-books, 25 percent hard copy," Pederson said.

[HarryT]

What do you mean by "Twin Cities", please? Which cities are you referring to?

[Kumabjorn]

Originally Posted by HarryT

What do you mean by "Twin Cities", please? Which cities are you referring to?

That usually refers to Minneapolis/ST. Paul.

[tubemonkey]

"We've hit a tipping point where we now have more virtual visits than physical visits in the library," said Susan Nemitz, director of the Ramsey County library system, a key testing ground for the new, electronic public library.

Welcome to the future.

[GA Russell]

Here you go, Harry!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minneap...0%93Saint_Paul

Their baseball team is called the Minnesota Twins!

[faithbw]

I'm not surprised. I work at library and even most of my reading patrons are reading on tablets or Kindles. They usually need assistance fixing Overdrive and/or their Kindles so they can borrow more e-books. They love being able to borrow e-books. I can count on my fingers how many people ask me to find a print book for them.

[Tarana]

The Twin Cities, in this case, does indeed describe the Minneapolis/St Paul, MN area.

I actually borrow pbooks from Ramsey County. I'm not a resident so don't have access to their elibrary (I'm in next county over). One of the reasons why they try library innovations here is because of the high number of readers here. Plus, we have the money because the legislature supports libraries.

Still, they have the same problems my library has for ebooks. Hardly any science fiction. Fantasy is primarily limited to paranormal romance. Overdrive may have 2 million titles, but they are not all available to your library. Fortunately, I love mysteries and crime novels and that is a popular genre.

It's all a good thing really. Our population has increased by over 1 million in the last decade and there have been ZERO new libraries opening in the Mpls/St. Paul area. I suspect that staff are not being replaced as they retire or leave due to budget constraints. Finally, the ecopies don't wear out. More people using ecopies means the library doesn't need to purchase as many hard cover copies for permanent collection, which is always an issue when new books come out.

I haven't really noticed fewer patrons at the library, although I see far fewer elderly now. Not a coincidence though - it's been quite cold.

[FizzyWater]

Originally Posted by Tarana

Finally, the ecopies don't wear out. More people using ecopies means the library doesn't need to purchase as many hard cover copies for permanent collection, which is always an issue when new books come out.

Well, depending on the publisher, they do in a way. Some have a limitation of number of times borrowed and some are only good for a year. So they "expire", rather than "wear out".

[jehane]

Originally Posted by faithbw

I'm not surprised. I work at library and even most of my reading patrons are reading on tablets or Kindles. They usually need assistance fixing Overdrive and/or their Kindles so they can borrow more e-books. They love being able to borrow e-books. I can count on my fingers how many people ask me to find a print book for them.

Just wondering how much training library staff get in using the various apps on different platforms. A few months ago I helped someone sort out their Overdrive audiobook app on their phone when the library staff weren't able to. We were actually in the library at the time and I noticed that they weren't able to resolve the problem after some time. It wasn't the usual setting up issues, he'd gone into a different menu and couldn't find his way back into the book menu.

[dkperez]

Yes, even in the areas outside the metro (Minneapolis/St. Paul) they still move a lot of ebooks in Minnesota. Unfortunately, the same ancient parochial "no, they're OUR ebooks and YOU can't borrow them" is still in full force. Not everywhere, but definitely in Hennepin County (Minneapolis).

The library in Northfield has at LEAST monthly sessions to help people learn to use their readers and tablets, as does the Senior Center. I suspect a lot of other places are doing similar things.

[Tarana]

"no, they're OUR ebooks and YOU can't borrow them" is still in full force.

I know, such a hassle. I mostly borrow audiobooks and if my library system doesn't have them, they get them from another library on CD. Can't do the same for ebooks unless you have a relative in say Hennepin County who is willing to share their account with you. I already share my elibrary account with my sister who also lives in a rural area. But, she's almost exclusively scifi, so there is limited interest there. She's getting more out of my Kindle Unlimited program.

[bgalbrecht]

Originally Posted by dkperez

Yes, even in the areas outside the metro (Minneapolis/St. Paul) they still move a lot of ebooks in Minnesota. Unfortunately, the same ancient parochial "no, they're OUR ebooks and YOU can't borrow them" is still in full force. Not everywhere, but definitely in Hennepin County (Minneapolis).

Hennepin County used to allow people who are registered in their system to check out ebooks, but it's my impression that Overdrive was the driving force to discontinue doing that. Some of the other Hennepin County online databases are available to non-residents who are registered there, which is why I suspect it's Overdrive's policy, and not HC's.

I'm assuming that as a St. Paul resident, I can't check out ebooks from Ramsey county either, because St. Paul has its own library system and the library tax goes to it. We have both Overdrive and 3M, and sometimes the same book can be checked out from either system, which is nice when there's a waiting list at one site but not the other.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by bgalbrecht

Hennepin County used to allow people who are registered in their system to check out ebooks, but it's my impression that Overdrive was the driving force to discontinue doing that. Some of the other Hennepin County online databases are available to non-residents who are registered there, which is why I suspect it's Overdrive's policy, and not HC's.

I'm assuming that as a St. Paul resident, I can't check out ebooks from Ramsey county either, because St. Paul has its own library system and the library tax goes to it. We have both Overdrive and 3M, and sometimes the same book can be checked out from either system, which is nice when there's a waiting list at one site but not the other.

If it's OverDrive, then they're being very selective in their enforcement. I belong to multiple library systems where I'm not a resident and I have full access to OverDrive at all of them. My libraries set the rules as to who has access to their OverDrive content.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

If it's OverDrive, then they're being very selective in their enforcement. I belong to multiple library systems where I'm not a resident and I have full access to OverDrive at all of them. My libraries set the rules as to who has access to their OverDrive content.

I think the reason for the restrictions at many libraries is that they are funded by local taxes, hence the idea is that only the people who pay those taxes should be able to benefit from them.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I think the reason for the restrictions at many libraries is that they are funded by local taxes, hence the idea is that only the people who pay those taxes should be able to benefit from them.

My libraries are funded by local taxes, yet they allow non-residents to benefit from the taxes paid by residents. This is done through reciprocal borrowing agreements between library systems throughout western Washington. Not all libraries participate, but most of them do.

It's up to the individual library systems to determine which libraries they'll reciprocate with and which ones they won't. Sometimes one library will impose restrictions upon the patrons of another library that's only one-way. For example, the Seattle Public Library and King County Library System have a reciprocal borrowing agreement in place. But because of the imbalance in patronage use between the two systems and the effect it has upon the taxpayers of King County, Seattle residents are not allowed to place holds or borrow ebooks from the King County Library System. Yet, no such restrictions are imposed upon King County residents and they're allowed to place holds and borrow ebooks from the Seattle Public Library.