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Local library lets you read virtual books on your mobile
Mark Prigg, Science and Technology Editor29 Jul 2009
Library books and magazines including Wisden and the Bible will be available to download on to mobile phones or computers under a pioneering scheme at a London library.
Instead of visiting libraries across Essex in person, residents can log on from anywhere in the world to read a selection of novels free.
And rather than return them, users simply delete the book from their machine once they have read it.
Dozens of books from publisher Bloomsbury are available on the service, which the library hopes will boost online book clubs.
The system is free for residents with a library card, but the library pays a fee dependent on population, at roughly 0.1p a person per year. Libraries in the scheme pay around £200 per "digital shelf", and authors receive a percentage.
There are 30 shelves of genres from teen fiction to politics. There is no limit to how long a reader can look at the book online and how many people can read it at once.
Bloomsbury is set to expand the scheme to other London libraries.
Titles include The Suspicions Of Mr Whicher by Kate Summerscale - the Galaxy Book of the Year; Orange Prize longlisted Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie; The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer; and The Death of Vishnu by Manil Suri.
Summerscale said: "I'm delighted that The Suspicions of Mr Whicher will be part of The Bloomsbury Library Online - it sounds a great scheme, especially for book groups."
Libraries would buy books by the "virtual shelf", each with 10-25 titles selected by the publisher. Books are viewed as web pages, so can be seen on anything capable of accessing the internet, with both text and pictures.
Bloomsbury currently offers several children's shelves, along with a "book club" shelf of titles designed to be read and discussed by groups.
"The service means you never have to worry about overdue books again," said Daryl Rayner of Exact Editions, the company behind the service.
"You can be on a beach in Greece, and simply log in using your library card to download new books. We have also set the system up on several terminals inside the library."
Although only Bloomsbury has signed up so far, Miss Rayner said her firm was in discussions with all of the major UK publishers. It has also signed up several other libraries across the UK.
Exact is planning to add online access to Wisden, the cricketing bible, to the service in the near future, along with access to the works of Shakespeare and other historical authors.
Bloomsbury executive director Richard Charkin said: "While never forgetting the importance of books themselves, libraries are being pressured to adapt to the demands of the 21st century."
Reader views (2)
A great innovation, it makes books more accessible to everyone & the spin off will be to inspire more people to read books, which in turn will encourage the publishers to take up this pioneering change. Great news all round.
Alun Griffiths.
- Alun Griffiths, Bridgend, Wales., 01/08/2009 09:55
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What a fantastic idea, I hope that our local library has this on line as am always leaving my books on the bus, or getting fined for returning them back late. This is just a great idea that I can open up my laptop on the way to my office and pick up where I left off anytime.
- Jul;Ie Linden-Palmer, Hemel Hempstead. Hert's, 29/07/2009 19:05
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