For Immediate Release:
October 12, 2011
SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIF.– The Santa Clara County Library District has expanded its electronic book collection with its most recent addition of Kindle® eBooks. With just the click of a button, members of the Santa Clara County Library District can now borrow from the library website ebooks that are compatible with a wide variety of electronic devices.
“We are very pleased with the Library District efforts to provide services that are in sync with the needs and preferences of our diverse library users,” said County of Santa Clara Supervisor Mike Wasserman, Delegate of the Santa Clara County Library District Joint Powers Authority. “I am sure many library members appreciate the benefit of downloading eBooks and other resources without having to leave home.”
The addition of KindleⓇ eBooks to the Santa Clara County Library District started last September, when Overdrive and Amazon launched KindleⓇ compatibility to approximately 11,000 United States public and school libraries in its network. With this significant step, Santa Clara County Library District members have gained access to an increasing eBook collection with a vast inventory of fiction and nonfiction titles. The ebooks are available to all ages and compatible on different e-readers, including all major Window and Mac desktops, and mobile devices such as the iPad, Sony Reader, Barnes & Noble NOOK, Android and Amazon Kindle.
“The demand for our online and digital services continues to grow,” said Santa Clara County Librarian and Executive Director Melinda Cervantes. “All of our libraries have sample e-readers and our staff is ready to assist those who want to learn how to download eBooks and other resources from our Library catalog.”
The popularity of eBooks and e-audiobooks continues to increase throughout libraries that are part of Santa Clara County Library District. In May 2011, 2,938 eBooks were downloaded. The library also has downloadable audio eBooks in its collection. When e-audio books were added, downloads increased to approximately 5,300.
The Santa Clara County Library District has over 8,000 eBooks, and it expects to more than triple the eBook budget for 2011. In the past three months, 390 new titles were purchased. The Library District’s eBook circulation for children’s eBooks increased 1,366 percent from 2008 to 2010, while the use among adults increased 1,846 percent.
The Santa Clara County Library District has simple instructions available for each device in the website at www.santaclaracountylib.org and members can text, e-mail or visit librarians at a library for assistance.
About the Santa Clara County Library District
Established by the County Board of Supervisors in 1914, the Santa Clara County Library District serves residents of Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Saratoga and the unincorporated area of Santa Clara County. It also includes two bookmobiles and an online library. In 2010, the Library loaned over 12 million items to 3.8 million visitors.
Santa Clara County Library District collection includes 1.8 million books, videos, CDs, DVDs, audio books, eBooks and extensive online and downloadable resources that users can access from home or work.
Santa Clara County Library District is one of the top 100 libraries in the United States. For eleven years, it has ranked as one of the best in the nation for its size by Hennen’s American Public Library Ratings, which uses 15 different benchmark measures such as collections, circulation, visits and customer service. Also recognized as one of America’s 2010 Star Libraries by Library Journal and with more than 3.8 million visits each year, Santa Clara County Library is one of the most-used public resources in the region. Visit Santa Clara County Library District online at www.santaclaracountylib.org
Contact:
Gwendolyn Mitchell/Marina Hinestrosa
Office of Public Affairs
(408) 299-5119
Melinda Cervantes/Nancy Howe
Santa Clara County Library District
(408) 293-2326 ext. 3001/3080
