justin_KLUBNIK is upset about how ebooks are treated in the earlier story about Cleveland PL circulating Overdrive ebooks. In his response, eBook: unavailable (due in two weeks), he says:

"is it just me, or is only allowing a limited number of eBooks not defeating the whole point of electronic media? why not let an unlimited number get checked out, all of which deactivate (need to be renewed) after a certain number of days? i mean come on, 'i'm sorry but that eBook is checked out' - how absurd."

It's not just you, Justin, but there isn't thing one libraries can do about it. The publishers and jobbers force us to pay heavy prices for each copy, and unlimited licenses are so far out of the range of our budgets that we can't even consider them. Library budgets are treading water at best, drowning at worst, so we can't afford more than one or two electronic copies of anything, which unfortunately means you'll see lots of "unavailable" statuses on popular electronic items as they become more widely circulated.

Which is a shame, since as Justin later points out, there isn't much demand for ebooks outside of libraries these days. In fact, I'll bet that we're a pretty big market right now collectively, even with our reduced budgets. We could be a major catalyst if the publishers would let go of their fears and price ematerials within our grasp.

Update: Slashdot has picked up this story, too.

"Joshua Allen speaks up, eloquently, for The Semantic Web." [Scripting News]

Here is (of course) my favorite part:

"Few people think about the noble role that librarians play.  Our ability to collect, organize, and preserve the voices and observations of those who came before us is critical to our continued survival as a species.  The story of Babel is a metaphor for what later happened at Alexandria; a reminder that we all suffer when we lose our ability to pass lessons to future generations.  It is possible for a single person to memorize the Quran and pass it on to others, but word-of-mouth is not enough to perpetuate the bulk of knowledge that enables the planet to support six billion people today.  Without written language and our knowledge stewards, we would have to eliminate many billions of people, because we wouldn't be able to maintain the capabilities that support them all.  Again, the Internet has had a profound impact on our ability to preserve our collective memory, but we are still very fragile.  A true librarian has vivid memories of Babel and Alexandria (when we also considered ourselves invincible), and lives the motto 'never again!'.  The first lesson of history (that we must learn and never repeat) is that history lost is humanity lost."

Amen! As Joshua goes on to say later in his essay (not specifically about librarians but I'm going to include us in the list), don't bet against us.

I say that for a couple of reasons. The first is literal - I recently received in the mail a copy of The Wireless Networking Starter Kit by Adam Engst and Glenn Fleishman. The subtitle is "the practical guide to Wi-Fi networks for Windows and Macintosh," which is pretty accurate. When I first read pre-pub announcements, I knew then it would be a good primer and I was right.

It's a solid title for public library collections, with requisite chapters on security, traveling, troubleshooting, and the future. So a tip of the hat to Adam and particularly to Glenn, for the good work and the free copy. I'll definitely be holding it up at presentations. :-)

Side note: you can keep up with Glenn on his blog, which he has re-named Wi-Fi Networking News. Same bat URL, same bat content.

The second reason I titled this post "wireless has arrived" is because my mom says I need to visit so I can install a wireless network for my parents. She found out that she can share the broadband connection, rather than having to wait until my Dad goes to bed before she can get on the one connected computer. I've only been promoting this for two years and blogging about it for one, but the day has arrived. My mom wants wireless!

Cleveland Library to Launch eBook System

"The Cleveland Public Library is launching an eBook system that will let people download publications onto their PCs and personal digital assistants.

The new eBook collection, which will go online in March, is believed to be the first of its kind in a public library and will operate much the same as a traditional library system. Patrons wishing to download the eBooks will need to have a Cleveland Public Library card. What's more, only a limited number of each eBook will be available, and after a preset number of days, the eBook will lock out the current reader so another patron can check it out.

About 1,000 books, including the latest titles from authors such as Michael Crichton, Clive Barker and Joyce Carol Oates, will be available as eBooks....

But Steve Potash, CEO of Cleveland-based Overdrive, which provided the Cleveland library system, said improved software protections and the growth of tablet PCs are driving an increased demand for eBooks....

The Cleveland system offers several new features, including the ability to download books onto PCs and PDAs and create a portable eBook that can be read even when patrons are offline. In a statement announcing the new collection, library director Andrew Venable said the system would allow people to borrow books of all types 'from the comfort of their home or office.' " [CNET News.com]

This will be a most interesting experiment to watch, especially since I'm not convinced ebooks are ready for prime time yet. Bravo to CPL for trying, though. I'm not surprised an Ohio library, especially Cleveland Public, is the first to try this. I want more details, though. I'll definitely be following this story closely.

StumbleUpon

"StumbleUpon is a browser add-on for finding and sharing great websites. Unlike directories or search engines, StumbleUpon uses member ratings to form collective human opinions on website quality." [via MetaFilter]

This is somewhat similar to the tool I want for librarian pagerank. Instead of "good" or "bad," a site would be "authentic" or "trustworthy."

Check It Out: Coffee Shops Perking in Libraries

"Now, over the last few years, public libraries here and nationwide have been following bookstores in going into the coffee shop business.

In the Chicago area, libraries in Joliet, Schaumburg, Gurnee and Batavia now offer patrons a chance to grab a caffeine fix. And cafes are in the works for libraries in Chicago, Skokie, Oak Park, Glendale Heights, Naperville and North Aurora.

'Libraries are recognizing the fact that patrons are doing this at Barnes & Noble and Borders,' said Shirley May Byrnes, executive director of the DuPage County Library System, which has 28 public libraries as members. 'If they want to keep up and keep their patrons, this is one of the things they have to offer.'

And while most libraries in older buildings don't have the space, just about every library that is building a new facility is looking at the possibility of a coffee shop....

It seems finding a good vendor is the most difficult problem facing libraries that are considering a coffee shop.

Schaumburg is on its second vendor in five years, and Bolingbrook and Chicago's Harold Washington Library are without coffee shops after being abandoned by their vendors.

Chicago hasn't given up, however. It moved its coffee shop space from the ninth floor to street level and hopes to have a new operation in place early this year.

Some libraries are saying no to the coffee trend. Oak Brook decided against coffee in its new facility, after patrons turned down the idea in a poll in 1996." [Chicago Sun-Times]

I didn't think any newspaper still ran a library headline that included "check it out" in this day and age. Wasn't this overdone twenty years ago?

My home library included space for a potential coffee shop in the original expanion plans, but some residents objected to the idea. I'm not sure why, since the closest coffee shop was a Dunkin Donuts that's ten miles away. With all of the commercial growth we're suddenly seeing, we now have a small Starbucks so go figure.

When the Library began Sunday evening hours two years ago (first 5-9 PM and now 4-8 PM), they provided free coffee, juice, and cookies, which was a nice touch. When Sheree became the Director there, she also ended the moratorium on food and drink, another nice touch.