The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Libraries offer robust digital collections
Lorain County libraries continually are adding more assets to their online offerings. Ebooks and emedia, in general, have grown in popularity, and local libraries have been working to make sure they add to their digital collections.
“We always look to make things as accessible as possible for people who have a library card with us,” said Shea Alltmont, public relations and marketing coordinator for the Avon Lake Public Library, 32649 Electric Blvd. “We have a bunch of services offered under the ‘Digital Collection’ section on our website.”
Alltmont said the largest of these offerings is in the Ohio Digital Library.
“It’s something we are a part of with other libraries in the state,” she said. “It has a slew of various ebooks, audiobooks and magazines.
“You then access it using a computer, phone, table or pretty much any screen you have in front of you at the time. The accessibility comes from the Libby app. It can be downloaded from the App Store, if you have an iPhone, or Google Play Store for Android users.”
Alltmont said Avon Lake Public Library’s website also provides easy access to other collections.
“There is a service called ‘rb digital’ where you can also find different ebooks and audiobooks,” she said. “The collection is really vast and the idea behind these offerings is to have a library-on-the-go model.
“Sometimes, people don’t have the time to go to the library to check out a book. It’s a time issue, the digital option is so convenient ... and as long as you have a library card with us, it’s like you can go to the library from wherever you are in the world.”
Digital offerings
Alltmont said the digital offerings have continued to grow.
“These really aren’t services with caveats,” she said. “The collections are really vast and are constantly being updated with the new stuff.
“You can get the new Stephen King or the latest magazine instantly.”
For those who may be a bit technologically challenged, Alltmont said the services are very intuitive.
“They are pretty simplistic,” she said. “It’s a similar interface to what folks should be used to at this point with other apps that are out there.
“If people are still having trouble, they can come by the library and talk to our staff. We have plenty of people who are knowledgeable, and they will walk you through the process.”
Large database
Tami Mullins, public relations director for the Grafton-Midview Public Library, 983 Main St., said Grafton-Midview also provides access to the Ohio Digital Library for its card holders.
“The Ohio Digital Library, powered by Overdrive, has a huge database and folks with our card have access to priority on the waitlist for items,” Mullins said. “There are a lot of libraries that have done this, and we are one of them.
“We paid extra to these services so our library card holders get bumped up on the priority list for items. It’s
not something that is exclusive for us, but it does give us the ability to reduce the wait list for popular items.”
Mullins said there are some positives for patrons who want to try the digital route as opposed to a book in its traditional, physical form.
“There are no fines or fees with digital,” she said. “It’s all automated, so an item automatically becomes available for others who want it instantly.
“It’s not like years past where a library’s ability to make a book available is reliant on a borrower driving to the library and physically returning it. With digital, this is done automatically so fines can’t accumulate.
“We really don’t have late fees or fines at our library, but we will take away borrowing privileges for items that are borrowed for too long or items that are damaged. You don’t have to worry about any of these issues with the digital version.”
Mullins said the rise of ebooks will not lead to the demise of physical libraries.
“There are still a group of people that still prefer the physical book,” she said. “A lot of people like both the physical and the digital.
“People also come to the library to use computers, look for a job, story times for kids and other activities and events we have going on. I don’t feel people should be worried about libraries going away; it’s not something that I see happening anytime soon.”
Online collection
Patty Kishman, communications manager at Ritter Public Library, 5680 Liberty Ave. in Vermillion, said Ritter (ritterpubliclibrary.org) is part of the Clevnet collection of online media.
“We are part of the consortium of libraries, there are 45 libraries across Northern Ohio, that combine access to nearly 12 million items including ebooks, audio books, movies and music,” Kishman said. “Ritter has paid for the digital licenses for hundreds of these items, and it makes your Ritter library card worth a lot.”
The value of the card increases with other services, she said.
“We also have access to Kanopy,” Kishman said. “It’s a curated collection of various arthouse films. It’s basically a Netflix of film festival films available for free with your library card.
“We also have access to Hoopla which is like Hulu with its TV show library, and it also has books, music and other media.”
Kishman said the goal of giving Ritter’s card holder access to digital media is not to get rid of the physical library.
“This information is not meant to scare the people who love coming to the library,” she said. “Physical copies are not going away anytime soon.”
Kishman said the library also has monthly instructional periods for people who need help figuring out how to use, not just the digital media, but tech in general.
“We have our ‘How Do I Use This?’ sessions where instructors show people how to use their devices,” she said. “We will have one at 11 a.m., Sept. 18.
“It’s every third Wednesday of the month, and we will be able to help guide folks through any trouble they might be having. Folks can also call us and schedule individual appointments for tech help.”