Libraries offer electronic books online

Driving long distances to get a book out of a Far North District Council library will soon be a thing of the past for many people.

The council has formed an online library called NOVe-L (Northern Virtual E-Library) with nine other libraries from Hawke’s Bay north.

The consortium is making electronic copies of more than 300 books available to Far North library users after signing an agreement with American e-book supplier OverDrive.

From November 22, people with a valid library card will be able to browse books on the consortium’s website (via a portal on the council’s website) and download copies to a:

- Windows or Mac computer

- iPhone

- iPad

- Sony Reader

- IPod Touch

- BlackBerry

- Android

- Windows Phone 7


NOVe-L users will need to install free OverDrive Media Console software to download titles and have Adobe software to read e-books on their computer or mobile device.

But they won’t have to visit a library to get a book issued, nor will they need to return books to their branch because titles will automatically expire at the end of the loan period.

Systems librarian Sabine Beard says the online library will remove geographical barriers that prevent many library users from borrowing books as often as they would like.

“We’re trying to make the information in libraries more accessible by adapting our services to widely-used information technologies.”

Offering electronic versions of books online doesn’t spell the end of public libraries, she says.

“Most of our titles will still be available in a print version at our branches and many people will still prefer to read books this way.”

Go to http://library.fndc.govt.nz after November 22 to access NOVe-L.