Week One: First Things First

Welcome to the eLending Kit or eLK for short!

If your library is participating in the program you will either have the large kit – with eight devices or a smaller kit – with four devices.   Either way, the kit is yours for four weeks to try, so depending on how many library staff are participating and where they are located, the first thing you will need to do is work out a way to share the devices that works for your library.  One possibility is to work in pairs or small groups.  Another is to meet as a team every week while you have the kit to discuss what you have discovered and share your insights.   Each week there is a guided activity that you can follow.   These are divided into “hands-on”, “a little light reading” and “start a conversation”.   We encourage you to comment and add any thoughts on your experiences at the end of that week’s blog post. 

You will find links to video tutorials and commentaries, manuals and handouts for the devices here.

All of the eReaders, tablets and smartphones are pre-loaded with free classic texts.  We have set up accounts to a range of applications and services.  Check which eLK you are using (all devices are labelled).  You will find the user names and passwords for eLK 1 here, elk2here, eLK3 here, eLK4 here.  These are yours to use while you have the kit so feel free to download further free content.    

Before you start, complete the first part of the evaluation form here.  This asks you to think about where you are in terms of your knowledge and skills regarding eBooks, eLending, and various devices before you play with the kit.   It is fine if you and/or your library are at the beginning of your eLending journey, as the kit is there to help you find out more and build your skills.   If you already know quite a bit we hope you will be able to fill in any gaps and learn more by playing with devices that you are not so familiar with.  You can also share your experience with colleagues.  Within any team some of you will already be familiar with some of the devices – so it is a good opportunity to pool your resources!  At the end of the four weeks we will ask you to complete the evaluation form and you can see how your knowledge and familiarity has changed.

We are always here to help so please don’t hesitate to contact me Kathleen Alexander kathleen.alexander@sl.nsw.gov.au or on 02 9273 1470.

Each week we will have three different activities.  Here are this week’s:

Activity 1: Start a conversation:

How many staff at your library own an eReader or use their smartphone and/or tablets for reading?   Ask them to share their experiences with those new to these devices.  

What do they like about the device they are using and why? 

What don’t they like about the device and why? 

Do they own more than one device and why? 

Where do they get their eBooks from? 

Do they still read print books? 

Activity 2: Hands on:

Attend the familiarisation session to gain a broad overview of the kit and the devices.  Next week we will take a closer look at individual devices and you will be able to explore in your own time.

If you would like a good introduction to print books vs eBooks; and an overview of the different types of eReading devices, have a look at Slides 1 – 11 from Wagga Library’s presentation for their clients on eBooks.  There are also notes to accompany the slides, here.

Insert Link.

Activity 3: A little light reading:

The world of eLending can be a new and changing landscape with its own language.   So this week we introduce the eLending Portal:

http://www.nswnet.net/elending-portal

 

Compiled by NSW.net Services Delivery Coordinator, Ross Balharrie, the eLending Portal is the place to go to find out more about eBooks.  There is a wealth of information here.  We are hoping too that it will be a place of discussion and information sharing for public library staff.   The portal is password protected, so you will need a password to access this information.  All public library staff are welcome to join – registration is free – just complete this form: http://www.nswnet.net/user/register:

We are hoping the portal will become a place where NSW public library staff can discuss emerging eReading trends, so feel free to comment.

Each week we will look at relevant sections of the portal.   Let’s start with a bit of background about eBooks. Did you know that the history of the eBook can be traced to the 1970s?  Read more here.

Happy eReading!