Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
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Sunnyvale Library gives eBook access By Jana Seshadri To make books and information more readily accessible to users, the Sunnyvale Public Library has made more than 3,000 books available electronically since April. "We want people to use the library in their pajamas–from home, of course," said Christine Doxtad, who, as supervising librarian in the collection department, oversees the purchasing of materials for the library. A user can gain access to the e-books with a card from any library in California. According to Doxtad, it's a common misconception that someone must be a Sunnyvale resident in order to get a library card from the Sunnyvale Public Library; only proof of residence in California is necessary. "A library card serves as the gateway to a world of information" that can be accessed from almost anywhere, she said. The electronic versions of printed books, known as e-books, cover topics such as computer software, business, sports and fiction. This free service can be used 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from the privacy of one's home. "Right now we offer lots of business, computer and medical titles and classic fiction titles," Doxtad said. The e-book service can be used in the same way as the printed version inside the library. A user can browse through an e-book indefinitely, as long as a page is turned every ten minutes. An e-book can be checked out for 24 hours, or even downloaded for the same length of time. Printing an entire e-book would violate copyright laws, but pages can be printed. In order to check out an e-book, one has to first establish an account with netLibrary from a Sunnyvale Public Library computer. After this account is created, e-books can be checked out through the library webpage at www.ci. sunnyvale.ca.us/library or at www.netlibrary.com. The electronic database can be accessed through the library catalog. By simply typing in a name or phrase under the "search" field, users can access books and articles on the subject from the e-book selection. Doxtad added that although it's not really convenient or realistic to read a fiction title from cover to cover on the computer, it will definitely be very convenient to use the electronic database as a reference tool. Financial information and reports about major companies provide excellent research material for job seekers or investors, she said. The information is very conveniently grouped together to form an aggregate, which makes access extremely easy, she added. Doxtad said that she hopes the e-book service will broaden people's ideas about the library and make it their first choice when they want information. "We want to make the library branded in people's minds," she said. Currently only the San Jose and Sunnyvale libraries offer the service. For a fee based on the population of the city, the electronic database is made available for users through the Golden Gateway Library Consortium. This consortium is made up of members of the Golden Gateway Library Network, which links libraries in the Bay Area and facilitates the sharing of resources and costs. The Sunnyvale library belongs to the network and is now part of the consortium. |
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