Are you attending the Small Public Library Management Institute (SPLMI) June 2 – 7, 2013?  Be sure to visit the WebJunction Illinois presentation on June 4th, between 3 and 5 pm to learn even more about these awesome resources.

• WorldShare ILL Migration: Overview for Illinois Libraries (1 hour)
• WorldShare ILL Borrowing (2 hours)
• WorldShare ILL Lending (2 hours)

Libraries are encouraged to attend all three sessions. They will be recorded so that staff can view them at a later date as a review of the information.

All  WorldShare WebEx Webinars have been entered into the Library Learning (L2) database at http://www.librarylearning.info/tags/?WSILL. The first class is May 30. Although classes have been scheduled to coordinate training for Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS) and Illinois Heartland Library System (IHLS) members, these classes are also open to all other Illinois libraries that use OCLC for interlibrary loan. Pick the series of classes that best fit your schedule.

Check out our first installment featuring the fabulous Kate Kite:

Are you interested in participating? Email Lesley at lzavediuk@illinoisheartland.org to schedule an interview!

Presented by:

• Laura Breeden, Team Leader, BTOP Program at the U.S. Department of Commerce, NTIA
• John Horrigan, Vice President and Director, Media Technology Institute at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
• Laura Marlane, Director, Providence Community Library
• Lindsey Keck, Program Manager, Office of Innovation & Technology, City of Philadelphia
• Ann Blasberg, Technology Manager, Free Library of Philadelphia
• Angela Siefer, Digital Inclusion Program Manager at OCLC

To help you get the most out of this webinar, representatives of the projects highlighted in the NTIA Broadband Adoption Toolkit have been invited to participate in chat.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013 ♦ 12 pm CST ♦ 60 min ♦ Cost $0
Register today!

In December 2012, Fondulac District Library launched a new service, the Book-a-Nook eReader loan program.

Through participation in Alliance Digital Media Library, a central Illinois OverDrive consortium, Fondulac District Library was already lending eBooks to patrons who read them on their own eReaders, computers, tablets, and smartphones. However, we continuously had patrons express interest in eBooks, but who had not yet acquired devices of their own. They often noted their hesitation in using the new technology and weren’t ready to make a monetary investment in a piece of equipment they weren’t sure they would like. Our library wants to promote reading, regardless of the format it takes, so providing the opportunity for patrons to test-drive an eReader seemed like a great fit. Granted, one can peruse eReaders at a store, but reading two pages on a device in a store is a completely different experience than navigating and reading an entire novel in everyday life and situations.

The library’s goal isn’t necessarily to provide access to all types of eReaders, as the options grow and change nearly daily, or to provide devices to which patrons could download OverDrive eBooks. Rather, the objective of Book-a-Nook is to provide access to the experience of reading on an electronic device. In approaching the decision of which eReaders to use in our project, we found that Barnes & Noble’s Nooks offered affordable e-ink and backlit color options, easy prevention of unauthorized purchases on library credit, and library-friendly local support.

After researching estimated costs for equipment and accessories, I approached our Friends group to see if it would be interested in underwriting this new service. It offered the group a tangible and very visible project to tie their name to and required minimal effort on their part. They agreed and fronted $1,000 to start the program. The donation covered the purchase cost of all necessary equipment, as well as about $100 towards the initial content.  Additional content, which includes best-selling, bargain, and free titles, was purchased using the collection budget.

FDL’s Book-a-Nook program makes five Nooks available for checkout to patrons who wish to try the electronic reading experience or just wish to borrow an eReader to have access to many titles at one time (like on a vacation!). We’ve also used the devices to provide titles to large print readers when we didn’t own the title in large print hard copy and to provide a title to a reader when our copy was checked out.

Of the five Nook devices available for checkout, three are Nook Simple Touch eReaders and two are Nook Tablets. Each of the library’s Nooks is preloaded with adult, teen, and children’s eBooks, including mystery, romance, classic, non-fiction, and best-selling titles. The titles are purchased directly from Barnes & Noble, and purchases are managed by the library (not through the Barnes & Noble institutional service). Nook books can be loaded onto up to six devices on the same account, so the purchases are all made from one library account.  We originally considered “specializing” the titles on each of the Nooks, (e.g. all mysteries on one device, all kids on another), but decided against it. Because each title can be downloaded to each device (without additional cost), we decided to increase the title options on each device and reduce the wait time (so as not to have to wait for a specific device). The patron does choose whether to reserve a Simple Touch or Tablet.  Having all of the titles available across multiple devices does come with a drawback. Because they are on a shared account, if the wi-fi is on, the devices will sync to the other devices in regard to the home page display of the last title/page read. We circulate the devices with the wi-fi turned off and warn of this potential occurrence with a label on the inside of the device cover. We feel this is an acceptable issue in lieu of the alternatives of only having titles available on one device or buying separate copies for every device.

The library’s Nook Tablets contain additional, interactive titles for younger children, as well as a few educational apps appealing to all ages, that are only compatible with app-based or color Nooks.  Complete lists of titles on the devices are available in the Nook Simple Touch and Nook Tablet records in the library’s catalog.

To reduce confusion when circulating, we numbered the Nooks and refer to them by their number (Nook 1, etc.). We outfitted each Nook with a screen protector, an inexpensive cover (each number a different color), USB charging cable and AC adapter, a laminated user guide, and a padded fabric carrying case. Each Nook is loaded with a custom screensaver/wallpaper image acknowledging library ownership and contact information, as well the Friends’ donation that made the program possible. Each carrying case also has a laminated tag with the same information, as well as the Nook’s number.

Any patron at least 18 years old with a valid library card and a photo ID can check out an eReader for 21 days. Lending is not limited to Fondulac District Library cardholders, but, for equipment safety, all pickups and returns must happen at Fondulac District Library’s circulation desk. Borrowing patrons must agree to and sign an eReader loan agreement, which details circulation policies, fines, and replacement fees related to the Book-a-Nook equipment. We have not had any damage or theft as of yet.

Downloading to each device is password-protected, so that patrons cannot download additional content to the device (or accumulate additional charges to the library’s account). Patrons can, however, access the Internet on the Nook Tablets. While access can be disabled, we felt this was an important feature for the devices and one that a patron should be able to utilize when exploring their use. Circulation staff does clear the cache, history, cookie data, form data, location access, and passwords at check in, but, as stated in the loan agreement, the library does not assume responsibility for personal information left on the device.

We’ve been pleased with the response from patrons and consider the Book-a-Nook project an ongoing success. From the December launch to mid-April, the five devices circulated 53 times, of which 13 were from patrons who placed a hold due to all Nooks being checked out. Many patrons have commented that they enjoyed eReading, while others have decided print is a better option for them. However, most all have noted that they were happy to have the opportunity to explore the electronic reading experience without the pressure of a sales atmosphere and with the support of library staff!

Nick Hulva, Fondulac District Library Circulation Manager, demonstrates to Linda Weeks of East Peoria how to access eBooks on the library’s new eReaders available for checkout.

If you have any questions or are interested in our Book-a-Nook policies, procedures, forms, etc., please do not hesitate to contact me at genna@fondulaclibrary.org

This adult learner carried many family responsibilities as a mother of five children under the age of nine. She wanted to learn English to effectively handle everyday family situations. For instance, she needed to be able to interact with the family doctor when her children were sick. She knew the importance of understanding instructions for giving medicine to her children. When she registered her children for school, she wanted to understand the process and be able to talk with their teachers and help her children with homework. She also wanted to increase her independence by learning to navigate public transportation. This adult learner sought out English instruction classes at Erie Neighborhood House, because of these needs.

The woman met with several tutors multiple times per week. Even though she had to walk at least a mile each way to attend tutoring sessions, the woman knew if she studied more she would improve her English speaking skills quicker. Her determination paid off. She now understands how to give medicine to her sick children and helps other adults in her community understand their health issues. The woman is involved in her children’s school activities. She continues to meet with her tutor to improve her vocabulary in reading and writing. She’s now determined to be an example to her children, showing them how essential it is to continue to learn new skills.

If your library has sustained damage or loss due to the recent flooding or other disaster, please contact the Illinois State Library, Library Development Group, at 217-524-8836 for more information about these special grant funds.

• Create a short video and upload it to WebJunction’s 10th Anniversary playlist on YouTube.
• Post a reflection to WJ’s LinkedIn Group.
• Share a photo or your thoughts on WebJunction’s Facebook page.
• Tweet about how WJ inspires you with #WJ10th.

Our members inspire us everyday, so a big Thank You
to all of you for making the past 10 years so special! 

As written in the ILLINET Interlibrary Loan & Reciprocal Borrowing Code (2008), libraries are to annually submit interlibrary loan statistics to the Illinois State Library. The ILLINET Interlibrary Loan & Reciprocal Borrowing survey serves many purposes, and has been a useful tool for several Illinois State Library committees as they work towards meeting the resource sharing needs of Illinois libraries.

If you have questions, please follow these guidelines:

Username/Password
Contact any of these Illinois State Library staff members:

• Becky Hunter, bhunter1@ilsos.net, 217-782-7849
• Gwen Harrison,gharrison@ilsos.net, 217-785-7334
• Robert Jones, rjones1@ilsos.net, 217-785-1168.
  The 800 number is 1-800-665-5576 x2.

Content/Subject Matter
Contact any of these Illinois State Library staff members:

• Gwen Harrison, gharrison@ilsos.net, 217-785-7334
• Robert Jones, rjones1@ilsos.net, 217-785-1168.
  The 800 number is 1-800-665-5576 x2.

Technology Issues:
Contact Counting Opinions at 1-800-521-4930.

Naperville Public Library users embraced the downloadable ebooks idea with such enthusiasm that for a while our staff was scrambling to provide enough training for everyone walking through the door. Circulating eReaders were not a new idea any more by the end of 2011 and it seemed that we didn’t really need to promote them, but other reasons drove our decision.

We realized that many popular titles, especially Children’s materials, are not available through Overdrive or other vendors. Reading a book on an eReader is fun but the downloading process proved to be a source of frustration for some, especially for users with dedicated eReaders and not tablets. How could we provide popular titles as eBooks not available from Overdrive? Without the hassle of downloading? Pre-loaded eReaders provided the right answer to both questions.

It was actually a good time to start a circulating eReader collection. We learned from the successes of other libraries’ practices and policies. On the technical side, after the initial round of eReaders of every brand competing with each other, the obvious winners emerged from the crowd. We had no trouble picking out the best, most cost effective e-readers at that time: Nook Simple Touch and Nook Tablet. Nook Simple Touch is still one of the best reviewed e-readers.

With providing content in the new format as our main goal, we decided to set up groups covering popular genres. For example, for Nooks dedicated to adult materials, we have Fiction Nook, Nonfiction Nook, Mystery and Crime Nook, Science Fiction and Fantasy Nook, Romance Nook, Graphic Novels Nook  and Local Author Nook. Each group has between one to three Nooks. Same with the Teen and Juvenile Nooks, each group’s name is self-explanatory about the type of content they carry.

Good cataloging practices also added to the appeal of these eReaders. All book titles and authors are included in the content notes and author fields, so that a search for a specific title or author will also yield pre-loaded eReaders in the result list, leading customers to the new format.

After we carefully promoted the collection before its launch, 30 Nooks and 6 Nook Tablets started going out to Naperville Library users in May 2012. It was an instant hit. We even heard jokes about how people went to Barnes & Noble to get a Nook for themselves because the waiting list for a Library Nook was just too long. In response, we added more eReaders and new content. After almost a year, every single eReader is still either checked out or waiting on the Hold Shelf for the next patron. The collection will soon grow to over a hundred e-readers, including Kindles with foreign language titles, and iPads dedicated for our Special Services customers, library users with physical challenges.

Anyone remember this cartoon? (Unshelved,  Oct. 20, 2007) We provided one new format and our library users loved it.

Do your patrons love preloaded eReaders? Has your library implemented a successful program? Tell us all about it in the comments!