eReaders eXpo

I like all kinds of book formats but I prefer physical books. I felt lucky, though, because this past month, I learned about the eReader world.

In January, I had the opportunity to play with some eReaders with people at our library. I had a crash course first on all the types of eReaders our library was compatible with for an eReaders eXpo workshop. My goal was to show people who were not tech-savvy, step-by-step, how to get the OverDrive software directly from their mobile device and download an ebook on their own. We had 61 patrons who attended the workshop with only 4 of us librarians at 4 tables. My table was the “petting zoo” (kind of like how the Mac store has all those devices out and ready to be played with). I felt like I was in sales again, informing my first client who was considering purchasing an eReader. He had many questions and I only had a few days to study about the Kindle Fire, iPad, Nook, and Sony Reader. I was mainly informing this client about the pros of owning each of these devices. The biggest selling points were that you could enlarge the print on an ebook and internally illuminate the screen for those who were bedtime readers.

We had different kinds of clients that day. From seniors who loved their eReader more than their significant lover, to the not-so-tech-savvy client wishing they had asked for an eReader for Xmas. I have to admit that my favorite device was the iPad. I am a Mac user, so this was self-intuitive to use. It reminded me of a lightweight iMac in which you could download ebooks in two different formats (unlike the Kindle). I realized how fast librarians needed to become familiar with the newest technology to show that public libraries are relevant for their lifestyles. My first client was at the eReaders eXpo because he was interested in an eReader for himself since he travels a lot on business. He liked the idea of having lots of books in his cloud. This specifically can impact public libraries because patrons who want instant access to a book on their mobile device can now download ebooks from anywhere as an ePUB, PDF, or mp3 file in a few minutes for free. There are still apps being developed as I write and I think that this will lead to even more eReader customers in the future.

  

I learned a lot at this eReader eXpo, even though I am a faithful “physical format” kind of girl. Until they develop an eReader with the same smell, feel and comfort as a physical book, I will continue to finger through the pages of the books on my shelf.