A lot has happened in the fledgling eBook industry over the past few years with major players moving in and out if it. Unfortunately, eBooks did not take off the way many predicted, but they are now and forever firmly entrenched in our digital culture.

A couple of years ago I attended a conference composed mostly of librarians on the subject of the "digital native." A digital native is a person who has grown up in the digital age, takes the associated technology for granted, and would rather spend his or her time online than in a library. The concern of the workshop was how can libraries reach out to the digital native and remain relevant in the community.
NetLibrary
One solution is NetLibrary, a subscription service that allows library patrons to download eBooks (Adobe PDF format) and eAudiobooks (Microsoft WMA format). If you have a library card and a NetLibrary account, you can download thousands of titles on your computer from any remote location without even having to go into the library. Suddenly, even the smallest library can offer thousands of titles to its patrons. The major limitation of NetLibrary is that it only allows one person to view a book at a time, which misses the whole point of electronic technology.
Check-out time is 21 days after which the license expires and you can no longer access the content. You don't have to worry about returning it or paying past due fines. If you want to renew it, you simply get a new license for another 21 days. Pretty slick, eh?
If your library uses WorldCat for its electronic catalog system, both eBooks and eAudiobooks are integrated into it and are clearly indicated as electronic media available for download directly from the catalog listing.
To take advantage of this program, you should check to see if your library subscribes to NetLibrary. To find out, look for a link on your library Web site for "electronic resources." With a NetLibrary account, you can use your library Web site as a portal into the NetLibrary site. Then it is simply a matter of navigating to the download page and choosing whether you want to acquire eBooks or eAudiobooks.
You can search for specific titles, authors, subject, or genres. The number of titles available depends on the package that your library subscribes to. Considering what it costs to purchase an eBook or Audiobook, NetLibrary is a great deal. You get the material for free from your public library and you can access the catalog and download the content anywhere you have an Internet connection.
NetLibrary does have another major limitation. Your library must have acquired an Adobe Content Server Gateway License in order to download eBooks in PDF format. Many libraries cannot afford this option in which case you may only read the works online on your computer. Unfortunately, reading an eBook in PDF format is the worst possible eBook reading experience because of the lack of features that makes eBooks such a treat to read on a handheld device. In order to do it on a Pocket PC, you will need to download a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader (adobe.com/products/acrobat/readerforppc.html).
eAudiobooks may be listened to on any device that is compatible with the WMA format. That means that you can listen to them on Windows Mobile devices and many commercial MP3 players. However, you cannot listen to them on iPhone, iPod, or Zune devices.
You can choose whether you want CD or radio quality sound. You must choose CD quality for use on handheld devices. Hit the download button, and when the file has finished downloading you can listen to it on your computer. If you wish to transfer it to your Windows Mobile device or to an MP3 player, follow the transfer instructions for your specific machine. You must also acquire a license for the remote device, which is a bothersome extra step.
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