Friday, June 6, 2014

Thing 12: Books!

A Thing all about books on a librarian blog?  Naturally.

For this Thing I chose to download and explore the Free Books app.  A simple premise: Over 23,000 classics out of copyright and freely available for download.  I loved the interface and found it very visually appealing. 


 I liked that you could download the book and then access it whenever you want to, data free. 

On a personal level, I don't think I'll really be reading books off of my phone any time soon, unless I've somehow ended up at an airport without my current read.  Screens are too shiny, and ...well, I guess I'm an old lady at heart. 


Professionally, though, I think librarians should encourage app use for book access.  This is a great option for students who need a classic novel for their literature class, but all of the copies are checked out.  For e-book patrons who love books on demand without paying for them, this is another great solution (especially for iPad users).  Book apps would make a great library display: nothing catches the eye like the words "free" and "instant!"

No comments:

Post a Comment