MATTOON – Staff at the Mattoon Public Library is dedicating hours on two consecutive Fridays in August to help patrons set up their electronic devices to check out ebooks.
Select staff will be available at the circulation desk on the first floor from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Aug. 17 and Aug. 24 to help with ebooks. The library offers a wide selection of books for electronic checkout on most tablets, phones and related devices. There are no fines for ebooks. The books are automatically checked back in after 21 days.
“People who have downloaded our free app may check out library books from any place at any hour,” said library director Carl Walworth. “If you are up late at night, traveling or just want something to read on the lunch hour, the electronic library is available wherever you are.”
Those with a library card may download the Cloud library app at any time. However, some patrons prefer to have a short tutorial before using the ebook process, Walworth said. While patrons may seek help at any time, dedicating specific staff at assigned hours is an additional way to promote ebook usage.
“We want people to use our services in whatever ways suits their needs,” Walworth said. “Many people prefer to hold a book or magazine in their hand. Others read almost exclusively electronically. Still others use some of both methods.”
Patrons may request ebooks they don’t find in the system by emailing carl@mattoonlibrary.org.
