MONROE - Card-holders at the Monroe Public Library can now check out 50 books at once and carry them out without pulling a muscle.
Like many libraries in the area, Monroe has added e-readers to its circulation in response to demand for the digital book-reading devices.
The library put 25 Amazon Kindles into circulation in early November, according to library director Suzann Holland. Each is loaded with about 50 books, "a potpurri of titles," she said, and cost $139, paid out of gift funding and not the general budget. The themes of the subject-specific Kindles include teen novels, cozy mysteries, true crime, parenting and romance.
Holland said the library will be reviewing circulation statistics in six months to see if any patterns emerge, but the Kindles are already proving to be very popular with patrons.
"Usually we don't have them available for checkout," Holland said, "because they're all gone."
The Johnson Public Library in Darlington recently bought two Nooks, which are made by Barnes and Noble, that will go into circulation right before Christmas. Each can be checked out with one book loaded on it.
The introduction of e-readers at the library is timed to coincide with holiday travel, said director Nita Burke.
"It's slim, it fits in a purse and it's easy to take on a trip," said Burke of the Nook.
Lending e-readers also gives people who are considering buying one a chance to test it out before they invest in their own. Patrons often ask Carolyn Seaver, aide at the Monticello Public Library, whether or not to buy an e-reader.
"We just have them check it out and see," she said. The Monticello library put two Nooks into circulation in July and added four in September. Together the six Nooks racked up 74 checkouts in five months, according to Seaver. Each is loaded with just under 50 new releases and includes a handful of classics.
New Glarus Public Library doesn't have plans to circulate e-readers because the budget doesn't allow for it, said assistant director Janis Merkle. But, she added, she and her staff often help patrons navigate their own devices.
"We have so many patrons coming in asking for help," Merkle said. Just as with other libraries in the South Central Library System and Wisconsin Public Library Consortium, card-holders have access to a digital lending distributor called OverDrive.
Libraries have always been in the business of helping people find information and learn, and that isn't changing with evolving technology.
"Those of us in the library are trying to help our readers find books," Burke said. "This year has just been a whirlwind when it comes to the e-reader."
Holland at the Monroe Public Library agrees.
"Part of our goal is to introduce people to e-readers and get them comfortable with them," Holland said. "E-books are going to continue to grow."
If $139 per Kindle seems like a big investment for a library, it's actually comparable to many paper books in circulation, Holland said, and it's the content, not the devices, that costs more.
"Hardware continues to drop," she said.
Seaver at the Monticello Public Library said she's been impressed with e-readers so far. She likes that they're light, convenient and allow the reader to look up words quickly on the same screen, but she's still hooked on turning real pages.
However, she said it wouldn't surprise her if the Monticello Public Library adds six more Nooks next year.
"I will probably never give up reading (paper) books, but I think there are people who will," Seaver said.
Like many libraries in the area, Monroe has added e-readers to its circulation in response to demand for the digital book-reading devices.
The library put 25 Amazon Kindles into circulation in early November, according to library director Suzann Holland. Each is loaded with about 50 books, "a potpurri of titles," she said, and cost $139, paid out of gift funding and not the general budget. The themes of the subject-specific Kindles include teen novels, cozy mysteries, true crime, parenting and romance.
Holland said the library will be reviewing circulation statistics in six months to see if any patterns emerge, but the Kindles are already proving to be very popular with patrons.
"Usually we don't have them available for checkout," Holland said, "because they're all gone."
The Johnson Public Library in Darlington recently bought two Nooks, which are made by Barnes and Noble, that will go into circulation right before Christmas. Each can be checked out with one book loaded on it.
The introduction of e-readers at the library is timed to coincide with holiday travel, said director Nita Burke.
"It's slim, it fits in a purse and it's easy to take on a trip," said Burke of the Nook.
Lending e-readers also gives people who are considering buying one a chance to test it out before they invest in their own. Patrons often ask Carolyn Seaver, aide at the Monticello Public Library, whether or not to buy an e-reader.
"We just have them check it out and see," she said. The Monticello library put two Nooks into circulation in July and added four in September. Together the six Nooks racked up 74 checkouts in five months, according to Seaver. Each is loaded with just under 50 new releases and includes a handful of classics.
New Glarus Public Library doesn't have plans to circulate e-readers because the budget doesn't allow for it, said assistant director Janis Merkle. But, she added, she and her staff often help patrons navigate their own devices.
"We have so many patrons coming in asking for help," Merkle said. Just as with other libraries in the South Central Library System and Wisconsin Public Library Consortium, card-holders have access to a digital lending distributor called OverDrive.
Libraries have always been in the business of helping people find information and learn, and that isn't changing with evolving technology.
"Those of us in the library are trying to help our readers find books," Burke said. "This year has just been a whirlwind when it comes to the e-reader."
Holland at the Monroe Public Library agrees.
"Part of our goal is to introduce people to e-readers and get them comfortable with them," Holland said. "E-books are going to continue to grow."
If $139 per Kindle seems like a big investment for a library, it's actually comparable to many paper books in circulation, Holland said, and it's the content, not the devices, that costs more.
"Hardware continues to drop," she said.
Seaver at the Monticello Public Library said she's been impressed with e-readers so far. She likes that they're light, convenient and allow the reader to look up words quickly on the same screen, but she's still hooked on turning real pages.
However, she said it wouldn't surprise her if the Monticello Public Library adds six more Nooks next year.
"I will probably never give up reading (paper) books, but I think there are people who will," Seaver said.