You enter the library with determination in your step:  you’ve come to pick up that book you’ve been dying to read for ages.  Let’s pick, for argument’s sake, All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.  It’s been a NYT bestseller for months, but you’re hopeful that at least one copy is available.

You find a librarian and ask if the book is in.  He searches the catalog and shelves.  “No,” he says, and your heart sinks.  “However…”

And it turns out this however means a whole lot.

You’ve probably heard about all the different ways you can experience a book, and we realize that sometimes so many choices can cause confusion.  We want you to get the most out of your library experience, so we thought we’d take a minute to clearly communicate what options you have.  So, you want to read, for example, All the Light We Cannot See?  Here are your options:

1. Book/Large Print. This is the medium most people have in mind when they start looking for a novel. The standard option is hardcover; these can be found upstairs in the fiction section.  If the book’s fresh off the press, it will be in our “New Titles” display.  We also carry one copy in Large Print, which is held downstairs near the computers.
2. Audiobook CD. The audiobook section is located on the back wall upstairs. These discs are perfect for anyone with a long commute or road trip coming up, or for those who simply don’t have time to sit down with a physical book.
3. Nook. We own over twenty Nook Glowlights and Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nooks. These come preloaded with dozens of bestselling titles; a great benefit of the ebook format is being able to adjust font size and brightness to your liking.  These gadgets are also great for anyone who’s thinking of purchasing a tablet, but wants to play around with one before making a decision.  You can pick one up at the front Help Desk, or learn more here.
4. Overdrive/3M. Overdrive and 3M are apps for smartphones and tablets that allow you to check out ebooks and audiobooks just as you would at the library. Download an audiobook to your phone, and you could listen to the latest novel while working out at the gym; download an ebook, and you could read on your tablet at home, picking up the chapter on your smartphone when you get stuck in a waiting room.  The titles found in Overdrive are separate from our online catalog, so be sure to check here if you don’t see something you’re looking for.  Help guides are available here.

When you’re looking for that next book to read, chances are we can get it for you one way or another.  We also have ways to get you your favorite magazines, order books outside of the system, and find resources through databases.  If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask!

Thanks for reading. –Autumn

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