It Only Takes a Click: Tinley Library Turns Over a New Page

Library reference manager Robin Lauren refuses to fight a trend just because it may be moving away from one of her favorite things — books.

“We have a responsibility to support all technology,” she said last week.

Lauren referred to the recent incorporation of e-readers—portable electronic tablets designed to read digital books and periodicals.

The library began with three of the devices, which resemble giant iPhones, in June. Three more were added this month. The waiting list for those six loomed last week around 97. That's evidence the community has embraced the chic way to read, library staff members said.

Lauren noted that staff researched and tried different e-books before deciding on their pick—the Barnes & Noble Nook.

“I feel like I have to anticipate the questions people may have,” Lauren said. “They like that they can test-drive the e-reader before actually buying one.”

Books on the list of 40 loaded onto each of the library's devices were cherry picked from the New York Times Best Seller List. They include classics like Little Women and more modern finds like Tina Fey’s Bossypants. The lists are constantly being updated to reflect the current one, and thanks to wireless Internet, new entries are within reach in minutes.

Right now, the Nooks are being loaned for two weeks with no renewal allowed.

 “I liked it because I can see it better,” said Genevieve O’Connell, one of the lucky patrons who was able to use the Nook.

O’Connell has difficulty seeing out of her left eye, she said, and enjoyed being able to enlarge the size of the font—a feature obviously not possible with tangible books.

 “I could take it everywhere; It wasn’t heavy," she said. "I watched TV with it, even cooked with it.”

One of the flaws?

“You go to turn the page … ” O’Connell said, motioning with her hands. With the e-reader, a simple click does the trick.

The overall portability of the Nooks is one of the many qualities librarians attribute to its popularity, they said. You don't have to carry a stack of books if you think you may read more than one and all your choices are at your fingertips.

But along with that portability come risks.

“We trust that you won’t get sand in the Nook,” said Bridget Bittman, the library's marketing and community outreach specialist. “Or tomato sauce while you’re cooking.”

For those wondering what will happen to the library’s collection of books, Bittman said there's no way they're leaving the shelves anytime soon. After all, the library still has a working typewriter that is surprisingly well used.

“We have to accommodate all of our patrons … not everyone can afford a computer," Bittman said. "We’re making sure that people from all educational levels can enjoy entertainment. As librarians, we also have to keep with the trends."