Libraries keeping up with the times

Spring rain and lovely Oregon weather alike make anyone want to escape to warmer climates. You close your eyes and transport yourself to a tropical destination where you are basking in the sun. Sitting in a little coffee shop overlooking the ocean, you pick up…hmm, what do you pick up?

With so many options nowadays it’s hard to choose. Do you pick up the local newspaper, your favorite book, or instead do you have your laptop, Kindle, Nook or iPad in your fantasy? The decision is one of personal preference but, the digital option being fun, new and convenient, it seems to be the winning option these days.

With digital reading devices growing more popular among the general masses, it has given our state’s county libraries an idea: Have e-books available for check out.

With a library card in hand and the necessary software, thousands of titles are within your grasp for FREE. Washington County is the latest to join the Oregon Digital Library Consortium called Library2Go, which allows county residents to log on and view the pages of various books of interest. As with all books, you are allowed to check out up to six titles at a time for up to 21 days. And there is the added bonus of no late fees due to the fact that the book will automatically become unavailable after its due date.

However, there are some restrictions. Though the Adobe software used by the libraries is available for Mac, it is not yet compatible with the iPad. And Kindle users are not eligible for the service as its technology is strictly for Amazon only.

Students at universities have the added bonus of their perspective college’s databases for e-books as well as e-journals. This comes in handy while conducting research for projects—there is no need to step foot in the library.

While news of this latest advancement is wondrous, I can’t help but wonder if society is headed down a path where the written word will no longer be written on paper. First newspapers were made available free online, and now books. We live in a world of convenience and the most opportune devices we have with us at all times are our digital ones. But fear not, that classic feel of a book in your hands isn’t going away anytime soon.

“[I] couldn’t comprehend a world without books,” said Portland State graduate student Sara Mahan. “Turning everything digital feels like dishonoring the written word.”

Mahan’s sister Brenda echoes this thought, adding “while it’s a great idea for students and the public to get copies of books from a library and allow such an easy way to receive information, there is something so acute and visceral about holding a beloved book in your hands and reading for enjoyment.”

For the time being, tangible books and newspapers seem to be doing OK, well, somewhat OK, while people are still willing to pay for them. It is refreshing to see libraries keeping up with the technological times and, by doing so, expanding their ability to grant access to knowledge and the simple pleasure of reading. Though in my tropical destination fantasy, I will always have my favorite paperback book in hand.