For the many local residents who will start the new year with a new eReader or tablet, the Champaign Public Library has a message: We have more than 17,000 free eBook titles, and we’re happy to show you how to use them. Library eBooks are found in My Media Mall, through a link in the library catalog, and are available to anyone with a local library card.
Last year’s gift-giving season sparked a surge in questions about eBooks and eReaders at the library, and library staff expect even more this year. To get ready, they’ve planned a number of training opportunities. First up is an eBook Drop-in Day on Saturday, January 5, from 1 to 5 p.m., in Robeson Pavilion Room A & B of the library at 200 W. Green St. Library staff will work one-on-one with patrons on a first-come, first-served basis, taking each one through setup and a first eBook download. Participants should take along their tablet, eReader or other mobile device. If that device doesn’t connect to the Internet—a Nook Touch, Kindle Touch, or Kobo, for example—they should also take a laptop, if possible.
The library has also scheduled three single-session classes focused on particular devices. Each one takes place on a Thursday over the lunch hour. The schedule is as follows:
eBooks for iPad or iPhone — January 17 from noon to 1 p.m.
eBooks for Android Tablet or Phone — January 31 from noon to 1 p.m.
eBooks for Kindle Fire, Nook Tablet, and Other Tablets — February 14 from noon to 1 p.m.
Champaign Public Library cardholders can also call 217/403-2070 to make an appointment for 30 minutes of one-on-one help from library staff. The free “Book a Librarian” service can also help with use of the library’s research databases and new digital magazines.
The library’s My Media Mall eBook collection includes new bestsellers and continues to expand in response to growing demand. The My Media Mall interface was recently redesigned for improved ease of use. The upgrade includes Overdrive Read, a new way to stream library eBooks on an Internet-enabled device, eliminating the need to download.
Library eBooks check out for up to two weeks and have no overdue fees. After the due date, they can no longer be opened. Items can be requested if they are in use.
For more information, call 217/403-2070 or visit www.champaign.org/downloadables.