16 June 2000

A selection of e-books is on display at the Christchurch Central Library.

Available for customers to use within the library, the e-books include a SoftBook, Rocket Book, a laptop loaded with a GlassBook Reader, and titles downloaded onto a Palm Pilot.

Both the Rocket Book and SoftBook are purpose built for the use of e-books. Titles can be downloaded from the Internet, or in the case of the SoftBook via a standard telephone connection.

"The Soft Book is probably the closest you can get to the actual look and feel of a book," said Sasha Bowers, the library’s Promotions and Publications Co-ordinator. "It even allows you to bookmark your page by ‘folding’ the top corner."

The library’s Rocket Book is loaded with several titles including a sample issue of the Wall Street Journal. The Rocket Book allows you to increase the type size, includes a built-in dictionary, and has the option of backlighting.

The Palm Pilot is primarily a digital organiser, but does have the ability to store and display e-book titles. The laptop, loaded with the GlassBook Reader software that enables the download of e-books from the Internet, includes Stephen King’s Internet novel Riding the bullet.

The e-book display will be at the Central Library until the end of this month, after which it will be circulated around the community libraries.

The Canterbury Public Library is monitoring developments in the e-book market in order to formulate a strategy for the future integration of e-books into its collection.

Further information:

Sasha Bowers, Promotions and Publications Co-ordinator, Canterbury Public Library, 941 7923

Christchurch City Libraries ~ Media Releases index