Where to find free eBooks (besides the library, of course)

Our library district provides some excellent resources for patrons interested in eBooks, and using their eBook readers to enjoy everything from new and popular best sellers to timeless classics. However, patrons should also be aware of several websites that offer free and legal ebooks that are available in the public domain. Your chances of finding the new James Patterson novel on these sites are slim, but those patrons interested in classic pieces and authors would be well advised to check the following websites out:

Project Gutenberg: Project Gutenberg is the oldest of these sites, and by far the most established. Started in 1971, Project Gutenberg has dedicated itself to the digitization and distribution of texts out of copyright. The Gutenberg collection is quite large, and most of the ebooks available come in a variety for formats; this is useful for accommodating a wide breadth of eBook reader users and consumers. The ‘Top 100’ is a great place to start. Patrons will find digital versions of such monumental pieces as James Joyce’s ‘Ulysses’ and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s ‘The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.’

ManyBooks: If Gutenberg doesn’t have what the patron is looking for, direct them to ManyBooks. This is a site with a considerably superior user interface, and may be the first site you want to introduce to patrons who may be uncomfortable with internet use. Officially ManyBooks' purpose is to convert books from Project Gutenberg into file formats friendly to eBook readers. Gutenberg provides many of these compatible formats now (EPUB, MOBI, PRC, etc.) While ManyBooks replicates much of Project Gutenberg’s library, in the past it has had books that Project Gutenberg lacks (and vice-versa.)

FeedBooks: FeedBooks is a strange hybrid. It provides users with access to public domain books as well as copyrighted works. This means patrons may purchase a copy of the popular ‘A Game of Thrines’ novel at the same time that they download a free copy of Homer’s ‘Iliad.’ Again, since out of print books occupy a relatively static list, FeedBooks’ database largely mirrors both ManyBooks’ and Project Gutenberg’s selection. Still, if you can’t find what you’re looking for on one site, it’s worth checking another.

Do be careful recommending other sites for free eBook downloads. Some sites found on a Google search are of dubious legality, and may be providing pirated copies of works that are still in copyright. Project Gutenberg is extraordinarily cautious about the legal status of the works it provides, and users can rest easy knowing they’re not infringing on any laws when they download a book from Project Gutenberg’s site. The same cannot be said for many websites out there that purport to offer free eBooks. Remember – free does not necessarily mean legal.

Happy eReading!

Boomers and their vinyl records

Hey, the baby boomers (1946-1964) will be asking you what to do with all of their old vinyl records that are stored in the attic.

My old Eagles album became a recyled 4-H project for daughter number 3 years ago when we melted it in the oven over a glass bowl, flipped it, and used it for a potato chip bowl.

Now you can tell those former hippies they can get the Quick Play USB Turntable and they can put all their LP's straight to an USB.

To transfer vinyl directly to your computer, simply plug this little turntable into the nearest USB port, fire up the idiot-proof EZ vinyl converter software and they can start converting their Beatles, Chubby Checker, and the Monkees albums.

I gave all my old records to my son-in-law who has two turntables he likes to spin.

www.firebox.com

3 ring binder for your iPad

An iPad sleeve with the proper holes in the proper places so you can access the controls with three other holes to fit in the 3 ring binder. Some say this is the future.

Are you ready for a world where tablet PC is just as good as paper? The ZooGue BinderPad case prepares us for a world where schoolchildren will work with both paper and table PC's.

htt://www.zoogue.com/ipad-2-binderpad-pouch-black/

2011 ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition

2011 ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition

Session: Download This! How One Library Embraced Its Downloadable Future.
Location: ALD. Eloise May Library
When: Thursday, 7/13/11
The session presented the results, one year later, of dramatically increasing the Library's downloadable budget, improving its catalog and website, marketing its collection, implementing staff and customer training, and improving customer supports.
Session: Future of Libraries: Cutting-edge Services
Location: ALD. Eloise May Library
When: Wednesday, 7/14/11
This program features the specific services at four libraries selected from those nominated in a broad solicitation organized by the Program on America’s Libraries for the 21st Century.
There was an opportunity to learn more about library services from leading libraries around the country for application in our library.

From Guttenberg to Google

My first session of 2011 Annual Virtual Conference was "From Guttenberg to Google and Glogs, From Books to Vooks". Must admit I enjoyed the session very much and agree with the speakers that we live "in a revolutionary time for libraries". To transfer from books to digital is not an easy process. It raises a lot of questions: What digital resourses should libraries use? How to catalogue these amazing new products? How will they circulate? When to buy print and when Ebooks? etc. There were some cautios warnings expressed too: the libraries are focused on devices more than on books; loosing the richness of the cover art; creating information surrogates; wasting the budgest on things which soon may be replaced. You can download 75 books on the Kindle for one patron only whlie 75 print books will be checked out by 75 patrons. An we can anderstand all these concerns.

Just arrived!

Spotify has made it's debut in the U.S. just this month as the new music streaming service. It has more appeal than iTunes because it is free! For now, users can get unlimited streaming at no charge, but eventually hours of free listening may be capped as well as the number of free songs.

You can also share your music with friends and Facebook is working with them now to let it's users do just that. It comes in the form of a desktop application that can follow you anywhere, streaming music even when you are offline.

Spotify also has deals with major music labels-Universal, Sony, EMI and Warner. They reportedly have 15 million songs in their site.

From Gutenberg to Google and Glogs, From Books to Vooks

I got a chance to watch the 2011 ALA Virtual Conference session "From Gutenberg to Google and Glogs, From Books to Vooks. The presenters from different libraries were talking about how they envisioned the Library of the Future. They mentioned that there were still a lot of questions to be answered and a lot of issues to be explored. I like the idea about taking into consideration who our patrons are and what budget we have.