" Shh . No talk ! " If you have n’t heard this admonition or seen it on a placard , fortune are you have n’t been to the library recently . In fact , you may never have to visit the push-down stack at your friendly neighborhood leger hangout again . novel technologies are making foresighted - distance depository library have sex a realism through ebooks . An estimated two - third of program library across the U.S. offered ebooks in 2011 , and that ’s good news program for lit lover who embrace digital medium [ origin : American Library Association ] .
As convenient as ebooks are for library patrons , they present libraries with significant challenges . Ebooks are do by differently from print playscript libraries own and can freely lend , deal or resell . Some major ebook title are sold to libraries at much higher bulk - consumption prices , or with permit limiting the number of time they can be placed on loan and restrictions on their resale or craft [ source : Doctorow ] .
publishing company have been irksome to embrace ebooks for library use . One reason is what we ’ll call bad-tempered - selling . Publishers and libraries have shared a good relationship over the years because program library supporter make large book customer . When confabulate , they peruse the shelf and discover Modern authors to explore . It is n’t rare for publishers to provide libraries with free hardcover and softcover Book for this reason . With ebooks , there ’s a notion that fewer visits to the library will translate to less cross - selling taxation over clip , and this has create a deterrence to tender bargains on digital books that can be checked out and repay remotely [ source : Vaccaro ] .
Since digital volume never wear out out and may be vulnerable to unauthorized duplication and circulation , publishers have also been cautious about stool them too approachable . Advancements in digital rights management ( DRM ) engineering that limit the way digital medium like ebooks can be used are help to make it easier for publishers to sweep up ebooks in general and may also impact the style program library and publishing firm handle ebook statistical distribution in the future [ source : Rosenblatt ] .
The ebook industriousness presents libraries with another obstacle , too . Ebooks are formatted to work with specific ironware and software programs . Because these different technologies are proprietary and sometimes incompatible , libraries are force to provide some ebooks in multiple formatting or bound their availability to one type of eastward - reader / software package or another .
To manage the challenges of ebook loaning , many libraries have bend to outside services for assistant . In this eccentric of agreement , the library rent books from a third party instead of proceed directly to the publisher , and this third company handles some of the administrative tasks as well as other ebook - related functions such as website management . Two well - known services used by library systems across the country are OverDrive and 3 M , but there are others , admit companies that narrow down in educational ebooks and services that offer up their catalogs loose of charge [ source : American Library Association ] .
The next clip you ’re look for a good read , you do n’t need to learn the Dewey decimal system . In most casing , all you need is a library placard telephone number , password andInternetaccess . Happy recital .
