Area libraries adapt in a high-tech world. (Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, 1/29/2012)
Will the local library as we know it soon be a thing of the past?
Cool it, say local librarians.
Librarians say people have to remember the publishing industry itself doesn't know exactly what to make of e-books. For instance, some publishers have declined to share their books with libraries in a digital format, said Eric Jennings, a research and instruction librarian at UW-Eau Claire.
Meanwhile, the market hasn't determined what will be the dominant platform for e-books. Will it be the Kindle? The iPad? Something else?
John Stoneberg, director of L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library in Eau Claire, likened the situation to the VCR tug-of-war between VHS and Betamax in the 1980s. The future of e-books, the publishing industry and libraries are in flux right now, Stoneberg and others say.
And librarians say it will be some time before digital checkouts outstrip their hard-copy counterparts.
"I don't see that happening anytime in the near future," Jennings said.
Notice a theme here?
Public libraries in Portland, nationwide adapt to technological evolution. (The Oregonian, 1/13/2012)
Ebooks: Libraries adapting to popular format. (phillyBurbs.com, 1/9/2012)
Not Your Grandfather’s Library: In a digital world, Delaware libraries are evolving. (DFM News, 12/20/2011)
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