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Library unveils e-book option

Beginning Sept. 6, Sonoma County Library cardholders who own Kindles, Nooks, iPads and other electronic reading devices will be able to download more than 1,000 e-book titles through the library website.

The library has licensed e-books through Overdrive Media, the company that currently provides downloadable audiobooks for the Sonoma County Library. Borrowers can choose the loan period for most books: seven or 14 days. After the due date, the e-book will simply disappear from the cardholder’s e-reader device (no late fees). If no one has put a hold on the title, the e-book can be immediately checked out again. Borrowers may check out up to five titles at a time, and may place a hold on up to five titles.

The Sonoma County Library Foundation has given $35,000 to the Sonoma County Library to help build its e-book collection, which includes many new bestsellers. E-books represent the fastest growing sector of the publishing industry. Two-thirds of the public libraries in the U.S. have added electronic books to their collections, and the demand for e-books is increasing.

To borrow an electronic copy of a book, simply find the e-book title in the catalog, click on it and follow the downloading directions on the next screen. If you are having trouble downloading a title to your e-reader or computer, you can view online tutorials and get answers to frequently asked questions. If you still have questions, consult your local librarian.

The Sonoma County Library’s e-book collection will include many popular titles, as well as digital versions of about a million books through openlibrary.org, a division of the San Francisco-based nonprofit Internet Archive.

Sonoma County Library’s Community, a local author website, will also provide e-books for checkout.