LIMA — Not so many years ago, the notion of the public library would invite images of people flipping through their favorite author’s new novel as they were surrounded by shelves filled with thousands of books. Patrons would flip their fingers through index cards, mastering the Dewey Decimal System while looking for their next read.
However, as technology has advanced, alternatives to books have become more popular. Devices such as the Amazon Kindle and the Barnes & Noble Nook have seen sales in the millions, offering the convenience of holding an entire library on one device, eliminating the need to go to libraries or bookstores.
In addition, as smartphone usage has grown, many Apple and Android apps, including the Kindle App, iBooks and Google Play Books, offer customers the chance to read electronic books without even buying a dedicated e-reader.
Is it making a difference?
These trends have made an impact on how Americans choose to read. A March study by the Pew Research Center noted that 28 percent of adults are reading e-books, although only 4 percent read them exclusively.
“There are a few areas where e-books have an advantage, such as in the area of convenience and storage,” Lima Public Library executive director Gary Fraser said. “Downloading an e-book in less than 10 seconds from your home may be worth the price of purchase for some, especially for best sellers.”
In July, Amazon came out with a new service that could potentially increase that trend. Amazon Kindle Unlimited is a monthly subscription service for e-books and audiobooks, much like Netflix for movies and television. For $9.99 per month, Kindle users can have unlimited access to more than 700,000 titles, including such popular books as “The Lord of the Rings” series and “The Hunger Games.”
So do people even use libraries anymore?
While the reading public have many new alternatives to making the trek down to the local library unneccessary, statistics are showing that the local library is still holding its own. The Pew Research Center reported that 69 percent of Americans over 16 are either heavily or moderately engaged with public libraries, with 90 percent of Americans saying that closing a library would have an impact on the community.
That sentiment was echoed on The Lima News’ Facebook page by area readers.
“I still go to the library,” Lisa McCourt Hollar wrote. “My son loves reading paper books more than he does on my Kindle.”
“I still visit the library regularly to stock up on books for my whole family,” Cassandra Gonzalez Pangle wrote.
“Two things I will love forever are records and books,” Kate Bindel wrote. “There’s something about being able to physically hold something.”
Library staff members feel their institution still has a lot to offer.
“Anything that gives people more access to books is great, but we’re still offering a free service through the libraries,” Auglaize County District Public Library adult services coordinator Andrea Burton said. “There will always be people who do not want to pay for books.”
Jessica Hermiller, director of the Bluffton Public Library, agrees.
“For us, we’re offering a community experience you can’t get anywhere else,” she said. “We have some fabulous libraries in this area that do a lot of good work.”
Adapting to the times
While all area libraries still feature the same book-laden shelves as always, they also are integrating 21st century technology into its services. The Ohio Digital Library, also known as Overdrive, is an online tool used statewide, offering e-books to any card-carrying library member.
“We offer thouands of e-books through the Ohio Digital Library,” Burton said. “Sometimes the wait times for the new e-books can be very long, since there are only so many digital copies available. But they are an option here.”
Many libraries also offer assistance to members looking to become more familiar with e-readers such as the Kindle.
“We still have the majority of patrons coming in looking for help with their Kindles, wondering how they’re activated or what features are available,” Hermiller said. “We also do ‘Tutor Me Paperless,’ which is tech tutoring for people, so they can come in one on one with any device.”
Many local readers also take advantage of these services.
“You can get e-books through the library,” Becky Swora wrote on Facebook. “That’s how I get the majority of books I read on my Kindle.”
Libraries are also putting a renewed focus on community outreach and education.
“On a regular basis, we’re helping people apply for jobs, go through the Ohio Benefits Bank, and we actually provided a Medicare Navigator who would come in and do one-hour appointments with people to walk them through the website when it was open,” Hermiller said. “We have all the kids coming over after school looking for homework help.”
How libraries will look in the future is still unknown, but for Hermiller and other librarians, change is not something to fear.
“I think of libraries as a growing organism rather than a stoic guard of the past,” she said. “It’s something people find important and it’s a way to connect with others. So I think there will always be a space for us.”
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