Thing 22- Net Library and Digital Library Reserve

This was probably the easiest "thing" for me since selecting electronic content is one of the tasks I work with regularly here at YPL. Net Library has over 2,000 titles available to us but the titles are more reference in nature. To be honest, I am more excited about our new Gale Virtual Reference Library than Net Library. One of our primary vendors, Recorded Books, uses the Net Library platform but costs for downloadable audio from them (based on our population served) is very prohibitive. The exciting thing about electronic formats is that it is constantly evolving. Once Overdrive (our provider of digital content) added downloadable audio and many publishers started to come on board, the selection has grown. Since many of you are reading our blogs and are not aware of the eBooks service featured on the frontpage our library homepage, please check it out. Our catalogers add titles regularly to our library catalog. Since we order online from Overdrive and titles are added once we hit the "submit" button, the eBook site is updated the day the order is placed. Did you know that we have simultaneously released audio titles that are hardcover bestsellers? Nora Roberts, High Noon, is one such title. James Patterson's books are constantly being replaced in hardcover and paperback. Check our electronic holdings. We have Patterson in all formats. It is important to know about the library's digital content and to use it in reader's advisory service. Many titles on our purchase alerts are available without holds in electronic format. It is interesting that the selection of romance titles is comprehensive. There is better selection in nonfiction than in the past. One thing to remember as you explore this exercise is to know that not all authors want to relinquish digital rights to their books. Classics and books in the public domain are more readily available. Overdrive has started to provide music and video content this past year. At this point, I am still looking at the content of their selections since in music it is mainly classical and in films it is not the feature films that are so popular with our DVD users. But as with the books, the content will grow. Movie studios need to get on board. What is so great about this? We own the content forever and it is hosted on Overdrive servers in Cleveland; the "books" are never missing or stolen; no one has to re-shelve them; we don't run out of room to shelve them; patrons and staff can reserve the titles. It is my hope that those who complete their 23 Things will use their MP3 players to download electronic content and tell their friends about this wonderful service.