This was my first experience with downloading ebooks admittedly, so this is a new experience for me. I definitely appreciate the convenience of being a able to check out a book via downloading without needing to check out a physical copy, and this definitely comes in handy for wanting to listen to audiobooks on tablets and such. I suppose the biggest obstacle to ebooks being used more frequently in K-12 libraries likely has to do with licensing and digital rights management, where you are limited regarding the choice of books to choose and what the library can or cannot stock without first going through DRM regulations. I noticed when checking out my book that there is a limited selection compared to the physical copies in the main library.
However, I feel that there is a paradigm shift occurring in that libraries will be transitioning more and more to distributing digital content, we've already seen how Kindle and other apps have essentially made the bookstore industry obsolete, so I believe that as time goes on, the availability of ebooks in K-12 libraries will gradually increase.
Of course, there were and I do believe should remain a place for physical copies of books, but the digital distribution method is yet another route that has barely been explored in the practice of library media.
I found out during my practicum at our public library about the many monetary and publishing company constraints put on libraries regarding ebooks. They are extremely expensive for libraries to purchase and many popular ebooks are not available for purchase by libraries. It will be interesting to see how all this evolves as patrons become increasingly interested in using digital media.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I should also probably add is that acquiring ebooks may be difficult for those without a stable broadband connection, especially in rural areas.
ReplyDeleteI am also glad you mentioned that there is a place for physical books. Along with poor or no internet service, economic factors could leave out those who cannot afford an e-reader.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you successfully checked out an ebook -- all librarians should be able to do that because you'll be responsible for teaching others to do it. So, good first step! A lot of schools direct students to use MTLibrary2go for audio books. There's the thought that it helps for struggling readers to read a physical book and to listen to it as they read. I don't know that the research is in on that, but there are lots of teachers who swear by it and students seem to like it. Some college students do it too.
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