Tomorrow (which I should point out is Friday, September 18, because in these days of COVID, time is a nebulous concept) is Read an Ebook Day. “What is that? Better yet, why should I care?” you wonder softly into your coffee. Well, let me tell you all about it, including why ebooks are great, even if you personally prefer paper. (I love paper, too, folks. And ebooks. And audio. And, well, books however I can get them.)
First off, Read an Ebook Day is sponsored by OverDrive, the folks who bring you ebooks from the Ohio Digital Library on the Libby app. Every September 18 for the past several years, they have celebrated what’s special about ebooks, and even offered incentives for joining them on social media with the hashtag #ebookLove. This year, you can win items from the OverDrive store, such as the face mask pictured above. But there’s more to it than just swag. It’s also about celebrating the unique features you can only get from an ebook that even the most ardent fan of paper can appreciate. Let me list a few.
Ebooks are available 24/7
Can’t sleep at midnight, and the library building is closed? That’s OK, because the Ohio Digital Library is always open. This has always been a cool feature, but when we had to close the building back in March, still being able to provide access to ebooks was huge.
All ebooks are large print
We can’t offer nearly as many large print books as we do regular print, but the great thing about ebooks is that you can adjust the size of the print in almost any ebook, and do it to a size even bigger than the average large print book.
Dyslexic fonts
A lot of research has gone in to helping people with dyslexia read better. Some of that research has shown that specific font styles are easier for people with dyslexia to read. And thanks to OverDrive, most of the ebooks from the Ohio Digital Library can be read in a dyslexia-friendly font.
Minimal space
You’re going on vacation, and all you want to do is find a comfy spot to sip your tea and read. The problem, though, is how to pack all those books. Well, if you’re packing ebooks on an e-reader, tablet, phone, or laptop, you can literally take hundreds. (I should probably point out that the Ohio Digital Library only allows you to check out 10 items at a time, but 10 books in your pocket is easier than trying to squeeze 10 books into your suitcase. Plus, you can get more once you finish those 10 ebooks.)
And more
Honestly, I could go on all day about the bonuses offered by ebooks. Like the fact a tablet or e-reader is generally lighter than a hardback and great for people with arthritis, and that you can change the background color in Libby to avoid eyestrain, but I can’t do this all day. I have to get going. I have an ebook to read*.
Shelia
*For anyone interested, I’ve got Half a Lifelong Romance by Eileen Chang checked out and downloaded to Libby and ready to read tomorrow! Be sure to tag us on social media (@ncantonlibrary) and tell us what you’re reading!
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