Will the digital book replace the library?

Shannon Plackis is interning with the Bellmore Herald Life and the Merrick Herald Life this summer. She is studying English and history at SUNY New Paltz.

In recent years, the popularity of e-books and audiobooks has skyrocketed with the introduction of devices such as the Kindle and iPad. Digital books make reading on the go easier, and websites like Amazon provide e-books and audiobooks –– but for a price.

Fortunately, libraries make it possible to borrow e-book and audiobook titles for free, just as one would a traditional book. With the convenience of this online library service, one might worry that it could mean the demise of the physical library. Officials, however, say the library is here to stay.

Libraries go into Overdrive
Bellmore Memorial Library Director Valerie Acklin explained how Nassau County libraries use the application Overdrive to buy e-books and audiobooks collectively. Each library selects several books that it wants to add to the collection. Then patrons download the app on their e-readers or mobile devices and enter their library card numbers to gain access. If readers do not have either device, they can also access Overdrive with a laptop or desktop browser.

Acklin said she is excited by the application and what it offers library users. It allows people greater access to reading materials, she said.

Acklin said she doesn’t believe the app threatens print books, but rather supplements them. “It’s not an either/or; it’s an and,” she said.

Borrowing a device
Some patrons may not have devices that would enable them to use Overdrive. For them, many libraries lend out e-readers with pre-loaded novels.

Jeff Baker, a librarian at the North Merrick Public Library, said North Merrick gravitates toward Kindles because of their user-friendly interfaces. The library downloads popular titles such as “Girl on the Train,” “Gone Girl” and “The Hunger Games” trilogy, but it also has classics such as “A Tale of Two Cities” and “Crime and Punishment.”