E-Books at Dallas Public Library

Last month Dallas Public Library provided access to more than 27,000 electronic books which may be viewed using Adobe Reader and other digital formats. The e-books are automatically “returned” after 20 days. According to Sherri Lazenby at the Dallas Public Library, the “books” are purchased through Overdrive working directly with publishers to negotiate purchase of the digital content, and establish the digital rights management required for each title. Overdrive has been in the digital business since the 1980s and began by developing interactive diskette and CD-ROM media products. In 2000 they launched Content Reserve, an online digital warehouse that contains over 2000,000 downloadable titles from hundreds of publishers. They have progressed to servicing many libraries from coast to coast in the U.S. as well as libraries in Singapore, Mexico, Canada and Australia. What are your thoughts on e-books provided by local libraries?