Enhancing Customer Knowledge of eReaders and Digital Collections

About the Program

Category: Libraries (Best in Category)

Year: 2012

EReaders are steadily rising in popularity with American consumers, as currently almost a third of adults in the United States own either an eReader or a tablet computer. As more and more people get caught up in the eBook excitement, they are slowly realizing that accessing and using eBooks and eReaders might be more expensive than thought. In response, the Chesterfield County Public Library (CCPL) has launched an eReader knowledge campaign. CCPL’s eBook and audiobook lending service, the Downloadable Digital Library, makes free eBooks available to library customers, and highlights the need for knowledgeable librarians. Library staff has developed workshops, handouts, and other creative vehicles for helping eBook customers learn to use their devices and the library’s lending system. Librarians are teaching customers how to take full advantage of their devices, thereby offering the economical reading material and 24/7 access that makes eReaders so convenient. The results of this program have indicated that there is a high demand for public-access eBook networks, as many citizens have begun using the libraries eReader services.