North Las Vegas libraries catching up with the times

The relationship between electronic readers and the North Las Vegas Library District is switched on.

District members have been able to download media since 2009 but not on all devices, said district director Kathy Pennell.

Until September, Amazon's Kindle wasn't compatible for downloads for North Las Vegas or its neighboring districts of Las Vegas-Clark County, Boulder City and Henderson. Thanks to an agreement with OverDrive Inc., the districts have been able to broaden circulation possibilities and download options.

The move might set records at the North Las Vegas Library District.

About 2,300 e-books have been downloaded since Christmas, Pennell said, which measures to be about 3 percent of total circulation.

"It's still not a hugely significant part of our circulation, but I expect it to grow," Pennell said.

Card-carrying members can access titles in one of the three North Las Vegas Library District locations or online. A link marked "Downloadable Media" brings readers to eBooks, audio books, music and more.

Compatible media include personal computers, many smart phones and devices such as the Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, the Sony Reader and tablets such as the iPad and the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

Members can rent a title for about three weeks free of charge, Pennell said.

Pennell said she owns an electronic reader and opts to interchange between the device and an old-fashioned cover-to-cover read.

She said her Kindle is keen for travel, but she prefers holding a traditional book because "it's what I was raised with."

Fellow fervent reader Anita Williams said she received a reading device for Christmas but didn't know library materials were compatible.

"That's very good to know," she said.

Williams said she plans to interchange between holding a literal and figurative page turner.

"I don't think I could ever give up paper books full time," she said.

Others members say they are slower to adopt emerging technology.

"No Kindle (for me) yet," Russell Lavell said. "I just got an e-mail address."

For more information, visit www.nlvld.org or call 633-1070.

Contact Centennial and North Las Vegas View reporter Maggie Lillis at mlillis@viewnews.com or 477-3839.