‘Library will be first in nation to offer downloadable films, concert videos’
Here, from the Rocky Mountain News in Denver. A Good Thing? Or is this a hint of a massive bleeding of budgets for books and other texts, at least in the future? And might some of the money go for literacy programs instead? Just what does a library need to do to stay in good graces with the users-taxpayers? Excerpt:
Eventually, the library expects to also offer feature films. Like audio books, Jeske said, patrons will be able to keep a video download about a week before it automatically erases.
The library hopes to some day have computer kiosks where members without fast Internet service - or no service - can download films onto their portable video players.
OverDrive will be delivering the content to the Denver Public Library, according to a story in the Denver Post.
A positive: The library is into e-books and is benefitting from the usual spiffy-looking work that OverDrive does. Now, if OverDrive can get this here format thing and some other details right.
Another positive: As reported in the Post, “Some of the videos will come with display rights that allow schools and nonprofits to show the films to groups, renewing the concept of remote learning.”
Related: Preview WMA file of one of the library’s audio offerings, The Great Gatsby. Redford film on the way?
February 17th, 2006 at 3:18 pm
For a long while now libraries have loaned out movies, books-on-tape and music CDs. This is just the e-version. Hopefully it will give them a good infrastructure for ebook distribution later…
February 18th, 2006 at 3:19 am
Hi, Bingle. May your optimism be justified! Of course, the Denver library, to its credit, as noted, already is doing e-books. David
February 18th, 2006 at 11:26 am
Thanks! Yes, the Denver Public Library has had downloadable eBooks since April 2004 and other eBooks since the late 1990s. We have over 20,000 eBook titles. Added audio eBooks in January 2005.
February 18th, 2006 at 4:03 pm
I appreciated hearing from you, Michelle. Keep us posted about this and other interesting innovations in your system. BTW, do you know which public library system has the largest number of e-books–true e-books, as opposed to audio versions? I bet your sytem is high on the list. Thanks. David