eLibrary Books

I am very frustrated with Learning 2.0's 23 Things site as too many of their links simply do not work no matter how many times I try. Fortunately, I could access NetLibrary's site and can see categories of content and can see how useful and desirable this would be for many patrons.

Last year, my own public library offered this service though it is discontinued now. I was a patron only then, so my memory may be a bit incorrect. This service, I believe, was offered through the state of Illinois library system. Patrons would go to their site to pick their title which would then be downloaded to the local library. I then went there to check out an MP3 player with the book already on it.

The system was not perfect. You could not always get the title you wanted any time soon, and the library only had a few MP3 players. It was my impression that the library was not exactly fond of these devices; just more to keep track of perhaps. The portability of the MP3 player has great appeal, perhaps especially for commuters and exercisers. This is an area of technology that I believe will continue to grow.