Library to offer another way to check out books

Burbank resident Barbara Howell has been a “voracious reader” since she was a child — she said she used to hug her books — and by embracing new technology, she’s able to feed her appetite while traveling without having to practically drag along a library of books.

Or rather, she can now drag along a virtual library, thanks to her Kindle and iPad. About five years ago, when she got the Kindle, Howell became one of the growing number of Americans who own e-readers or tablets. A year later, she began to use it more often while making several trips to Denver following the death of her mother, though now she prefers her tablet.

“Not having to carry books back and forth as I traveled was wonderful,” she said via email this week. “It also helps me build a library, without worrying about space.”

However, while she came to appreciate the electronic format, she’s never borrowed an e-book from the library, something that, despite growing popularity of the format, only 16% of Americans have done, according to a report by Pew Research Center.

That’s not to say e-books aren’t available at public libraries. In fact, at least 90% offer them, according to the American Library Assn. Next week, the Burbank Library is rolling out Overdrive, its second e-book and audiobook service, and will begin expanding its catalog of titles.

The library already offers Baker & Taylor Inc.’s Axis 360, which allows users to borrow e-books and audiobooks electronically, said Melissa Potter, the library’s interim director, and will continue using the service at least until sometime next year.

However, Overdrive is more user-friendly, offers a broader selection of titles and allows users to access the materials on a broader array of devices, Potter said. And while Axis 360 offers a format that can be read on the Kindle Fire device, only Overdrive offers formats that are accessible on the other Kindle models.

Borrowers will be able to check out up to five e-books or audiobooks via Overdrive for up to 21 days at a time, with the option to renew if there’s no waiting list. The service allows users to mark their spot, highlight and annotate the text — and even if they have to return the book and borrow it a month later, it will still “remember” those details.

The Friends of the Burbank Public Library provided $34,000 for the Overdrive service’s first year and to help expand the e-book collection, Potter said.

Doris Crutcher, president of the nonprofit, said the group gave the library $20,000 three years ago for Axis 360 and to start the e-book collection after the library said more patrons were asking about borrowing titles in an electronic format.

It’s one of many programs and services the group supports at the city’s library branches through its various fundraising events, she said.

“What we try to do is help them do the things that they can’t do with their normal budget,” Crutcher said. “That’s why it’s good to be a friend.”

Crutcher doesn’t read e-books, but her grandchildren do, she said. It’s convenient for them when they travel, she said, because their mother doesn’t let them take library print books on trips. Crutcher is also thinking about putting a Kindle on her Christmas wish list, she said.

The Overdrive service, which allows users to download e-books and audiobooks from anywhere they can access the Internet, will better serve residents who can’t make it to the library in person due to their busy lives and hectic schedules.

Additionally, readers may choose different books to read in their electronic form than they would in hard copy, said Potter. Some readers may be embarrassed to be seen reading or checking out a racy romance novel, for example, but with an e-book, it can be their little secret.

Howell said that while she has fully adopted e-reading, she still buys print books, sometimes after reading them in their electronic format.

“There still is nothing like holding a book in your hands and turning pages,” she said. “And, no house is ever truly a home without some sort of real library.”