Edgewater and South County Library Branches Get E-Readers for Customers to Check Out

Today, at the library on West Street in Annapolis, administrators unveiled a new toy, rather resource, for county library patrons. Nooks and Kindles—200 of them— will be available at all library 15 branches.

Annapolis customers got the first close-up look. The Amazon Kindle and the Barnes and Noble Nooks were purchased with $50,000 in financial assistance donated by the Anne Arundel County Public Library Foundation, Inc.

“It is a very exciting time for the Anne Arundel County Public Library and the Foundation is proud to be a part of providing Library customers with this cutting-edge resource,” said Eric Edstrom, president, Foundation Board of Directors.

The devices are pre-loaded with up to 30 titles. Children’s titles are available only on the Color Nooks. Borrowers are not permitted to upload books on their own to these library-owned devices.

At each branch, customers can begin borrowing the e-readers today. Holds can also be placed on the devices beginning today (Nov. 2).The check-out period is three weeks.

Those with their own ereader can take advantage too

The Anne Arundel County Public Library, in collaboration with the Maryland Digital eLbrary Consortium allows free access to over 5,000 ebook titles. Additional downloadable books outside of the consortium are available to those who hold an Anne Arundel County Public Library Card.

“Some people have questioned the relevance of libraries in this digital age. With the advent of eBooks and eReaders, the Library’s role in the community has expanded. We provide books in this format at no cost and make the total eReader experience available to all of our customers. Our increasing demand for books in all formats speaks to the continued importance of libraries. The library profession has a remarkable ability to change with the times,” noted Anne Arundel County Public Library Administrator Skip Auld.

The eBooks can be accessed through the Library’s website, www.aacpl.net. From the homepage, go to “eLibrary” and then click on “eBooks.” AACPL customers are encouraged to sign in to “My Account” to ensure that they see all the latest offerings available.

The checkout period for eBooks is one to two weeks, depending on the material. The books simply expire at the end of their loan period, meaning no late fees can accrue. Customers are limited to four eBooks and/or audiobooks at a time, although the books can be returned early. For more information, go to www.aacpl.net or call 410.222.7371.