iPads, Kindles & Beyond @ Palm Beach State College on LW Campus

Apple Rumors: 8 inch iPad? 3 different iPad3's? 8 GB iPad? Dual processor iPad3? iPad 2S or iPad 2X? Apple Announcement on March 7th

2012-03-02T13:17:00.025-05:00

Apple Event in San Francisco March 7th

Image Credit:http://http://alturl.com/gndif

We have found so countless rumors concerning the March 7th announcement for the new iPad3 release concerning the level, mid-range and high-end market divisions. Maybe an 8 inch iPad, 8GB iPad2 or iPad3, iPad2s or iPad2x and the new iPad3 with dual processor...Quad core A6 CPU or Logic Board with A5X?

The rumor mill is endless!

The competition with the new Kindle Fire's and Nook Color, size and price seems to be key. Rather than rehash these rumors in this blog, click on the links below that interest you and review the rumors. Let's see which ones come true. We will be on Spring Break at Palm Beach State College the week of the big announcement and we will get back to this blog the week of March 12.

Image Credit: http://alturl.com/gndif

Feb. 29th Apple rumored to release 3 different versions of iPad3.

From CBS News "techtalk", we find the latest 'new' rumors surfacing of three possible models of iPad 3. The link below reports that 9to5Mac is claiming sources close to Apple revealed this information. This also cites earlier speculation by DigiTimes that Apple gave two versions of the new tablet to "upstream partners for development," code, called J1 and J2.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501465_162-57387950-501465/apple-may-release-three-versions-of-ipad-3/

March 1st iPad News from DigiTimes

http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20120229PD220.html

Feb. 14th- 8 inch iPad?

http://blogs.denverpost.com/techknowbytes/2012/02/14/tablet-news-8-inch-ipad-and-galaxy-note-release-date/3280/

Feb. 22nd

Rumor mill is endless... Quad core A6 CPU or Logic Board with A5X

http://ziarra.net/2012/02/22/ipad-3-specs-release-date-and-other-rumors/

Image Credit: http://alturl.com/gndif

Image Credit: http://alturl.com/x85r2

Feb. 9th

Thicker and Sharper?

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501465_162-57373866-501465/apple-ipad-3-rumors-thicker-sharper-coming-soon/

Feb. 10th $299-$399 iPad2?

Analysts are predicting that Apple will lower the price of the iPad 2 when they the release the iPad 3.

http://www.fiercecio.com/techwatch/story/apples-ipad-3-will-be-unveiled-first-week-march-says-report/2012-02-10

Feb. 21st- iPad User Satisfaction Chart

Image Credit: http://alturl.com/cykb7

Feb. 21-Office for iPad?
http://blogs.computerworld.com/19754/apple_ipad_3_retina_display_rumors_intensify_office_for_ipad_imminent

Feb. 10th-Apple's iPad 3 will be unveiled first week of March, says report - FierceCIO:TechWatch

http://www.fiercecio.com/techwatch/story/apples-ipad-3-will-be-unveiled-first-week-march-says-report/2012-02-10#ixzz1nKMZwYv7

Image Credit: http://alturl.com/gndif

Cast your vote for 2012 Read Together Program by Feb. 24th-EAP Class Semester Loan Project and our NEW Kindle Fire and NookColor devices

2012-02-21T13:53:00.035-05:00

We have added 25 Kindle Fires and 15 Nook Color devices to our eReader/tablet collection.

Nook Color

Image Credit: http://alturl.com/fepfp

Kindle Fire
Image Credit: http://alturl.com/2x5jm

These are the new titles below that we have purchased to help students, faculty and staff cast their vote for the 2012 Read Together Palm Beach County Campaign.
Vote by Feb. 24.
Cast your vote in our library on either floor two or floor three, or at their web site below. March 12th will be the announcement for the 2012 book choice.
http://readtogether.palmbeachpost.com/

Image Credits: http://readtogether.palmbeachpost.com/

Nook Color and Kindle Fire devices are

7 day loans.

Dr. Richard Shepardson is Palm Beach State's EAP Cluster Chair. He is working with our library this semester to promote reading using eReaders in his EAP 0420 classes, with approximately 25 students in all. Students will have the opportunity to use a Kindle Fire and/or a Nook Color this semester. We hope to receive a lot of feedback from students concerning their likes and dislikes about each device.

Image Credit: http://alturl.com/3uxeg

Tech Services added a new book, The Appointment, to each Kindle Fire and Nook Color, to start off the semester. If students find other books they would like to read, with Dr. Shepardson's approval, we will download these requests. We are very excited about these new devices and hope this program will bring many excellent books to our fiction collection.

Image Credit: http://alturl.com/ou422

The Year of the Flood is assigned reading by one of our teachers. Students are very pleased that they can check out a Kindle Fire to take home for this assignment.

Kindle Fire vs. Nook Color Semester Class Project

2012-01-09T15:31:00.000-05:00

Image Credit: http://alturl.com/fobud

Tech Services added a new book, The Appointment, to each Kindle Fire to start off the 1st class this Monday. If students find other books they would like to read, with Dr. Shepardson's approval, we will download these requests. We are very excited about this new device and hope it will bring many excellent books to our fiction collection.

Image Credit: http://alturl.com/jmtpc

The Kindle Fire Wi-Fi connection is easy with our college system. Students sign in with their Panther Web ID and password. Off campus they can connect using any Wi-Fi system at their disposal without their college sign in information. For students assigned or approved reading, once the book has been purchased and downloaded by our library staff, students can read anywhere without Wi-Fi.

Image Credit: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/nook-color-barnes-noble/1100437663

We are unpacking boxes of Nook Color devices today in Tech Services and processing these new devices for students in Dr. Shepardson's class for check out..
We will post more information about this remarkable semester project very soon.

Kindle Fire is in the LLRC Building!

2011-11-30T18:37:00.002-05:00

Image Credit and Quick Tour: http://alturl.com/k72d3

Our library received 10 new Kindle Fire units this month. We are very excited to implement these into our patron loan program, joining our other Kindle devices, iPads, Nooks and Sony's.

As we gain experience and a working knowledge of these new devices, we will post again real soon. Presently the Kindle Fire units are in Tech Services where our Library Tech is adding them to our LINCC catalog system.

So far these new devices are working flawlessly with our Wi-Fi system here at the college. By the beginning of our Winter Term, the Kindle Fire should be available for 7 day loan.

Image Credit and: http://alturl.com/k72d3

Steve Jobs-Apple Memorial Today Oct 19-Stores Will Close-Private Memorial Stanford University Oct 16th

2011-10-19T11:26:00.001-04:00

Image credit http://alturl.com/8mqc5

Today Apple stores will close for a few hours as employees watch a webcast of a company-wide memorial service to celebrate the life of the co-founder. http://alturl.com/2fi3n

Sunday evening at Stanford University's Memorial Church, a memorial service commemorated Apple's late co-founder Steve Jobs. A small private funeral was held earlier for family and close friends. In a private ceremony, he was buried at a non-denominational cemetery. Governor Jerry Brown of California declared Sunday as "Steve Jobs Day". A company memorial is scheduled today, Wednesday Oct. 19.

Mr. Jobs struggled for years with pancreatic cancer, has been credited as a visionary. He ushered a string of successful products, including the iPad the iMac, the iPod, the iPhone and Apple's iTunes music store. Steve Jobs masterminded Apple's U-turn from approaching bankruptcy in 1996. He turned it into the world's most highly treasured technology company.

The innovative iPad is used here at the college for 50% academic and 50% leisure purposes by students, faculty and staff. We can't keep these devices on the shelf. I'm not quite sure what technology would be like without Mr. Jobs' mix of extreme creativity and technology. He has truly brought us into the future of not only the iPad technology, but giving others his contagious enthusiasm, energy and drive to excel.

Even at our state college library we are re-thinking how we can assist students by adding eTextbooks to these exceptional devices. We can only hope Steve Jobs' insanely different creativity will continue to be cultivated in others. Mr. Jobs will be a very challenging act to follow.

Steve Jobs Seven Rules of Success

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44927209

Do what you love

Put a dent in the universe

Make connections

Say no to 1,000 things

Create insanely different experiences

Master the message

Sell dreams, not products

Quote from this article by Carmine Gallo 10/17/2011 Entrepreneur.com

"There's one story that I think sums up Jobs' career at Apple. An executive who had the job of reinventing the Disney Store once called up Jobs and asked for advice. His counsel? Dream bigger. I think that's the best advice he could leave us with. See genius in your craziness, believe in yourself, believe in your vision, and be constantly prepared to defend those ideas."

Project Gutenberg "Free eBooks" founder, Michael S. Hart, passes away...

2011-09-21T20:08:00.000-04:00

Image credit: http://hart.pglaf.org/

Project Gutenberg founder, Michael S. Hart, the first producer of free eBooks, died Sept. 6, 2011.

Link for full obituary:

http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Michael_S._Hart

Mr. Hart is known for his 1971 invention of electronic books. Project Gutenberg is recognized as one of the "earliest and longest-lasting online literary projects", according Dr. Gregory B. Newby.

Dr. Newby also spoke of Mr. Hart's project that began on July 4, 1971. After being inspired by a free printed copy of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, he typed the text into a computer and transmitted it to other users on the computer network.

Dr. Newby continues...

"From this beginning, the digitization and distribution of literature was to be Hart's life's work, spanning over 40 years."

Image credit: http://hart.pglaf.org/

Michael Hart's Online Writings

http://hart.pglaf.org/

One of Michael Hart's quotes;

“If what you did yesterday still seems great today,

Then your goals for tomorrow are not big enough.”

Image credit: http://hart.pglaf.org/

For more information about Project Gutenberg:

http://www.gutenberg.org/

iCloud-What's the "cloud" anyways? This is a stretch, but are we getting a little closer to that one platform arena for mobile devices and eBooks?

2011-06-06T15:31:00.009-04:00

Image credit: http://alturl.com/qtmea

Fox Science Editor Jeremy Kaplan defines a "cloud" as in mega virtual media data storage for public or private use. http://alturl.com/afw8t

iCloud announcement today at 10am Pacific Time

Apple is going to Unveil iCloud to Deflect Google Android

http://alturl.com/46bc7

http://alturl.com/9wjw9

Image Credit: http://alturl.com/s43zq

Google buys mega media data storage for virtual storeroom!

Image credit: http://alturl.com/6hd4d

"What We’re Reading About the Cloud!"
http://alturl.com/oa8gp

"Think iCloud is reactionary? Think again."
http://alturl.com/ugqnr

“Apple, Google and Amazon are three of the most dominant companies not only in the Internet space, but generally in business.” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/04/apple-icloud-cloud-music_n_871186.html

See the very interesting comments at end of this article about paying for 'cloud' storage.

Surprise! Surprise! Apple has a large exhibit at BookExpo America NYC

2011-05-19T20:42:00.003-04:00

Image credit: http://alturl.com/qf5bh

BookExpo America is in NYC next week, May 23-24.

BEA is the largest book publishing venue of the year in the USA for those that didn't know. Apple has a prime location on the exhibit floor near Disney, Scholastic and Random House. Media sources say Apple doesn't appear to have any devices or software upgrade announcements this week. What's interesting is, Apple doesn't usually attend these book publishing conferences and they didn't attend last year. What is remarkable is the high volume of eBook and eTextbook sales this past 12 month. [See Wall St. Journal stats near bottom of blog.]

CEO Steve Jobs said Apple has downloaded 100 million eBooks from April 2010 to February 2011. [April 3, 2010 was launch date of original iPad, in case you are new to eReaders and tablets]. Bloomberg cited Goldman Sachs Report in February that states;

Amazon had 58% of the eBook sales

Barnes and Noble 27%

Apple 9%

Border/Kobo 7%

For more information please see the blog below covering The Economics of Digital Content, dated May 17, 2011. http://alturl.com/zpmhr

Image credit: http://alturl.com/rkaey

Also attention-getting is the digital book conference at BEA, The International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF) and what they are presenting. They had a 1 hour conference on EPUB3, May 12, online. You can still register and view the Webinar until Dec. 12, 2011. [See link below.] "Learn how the standard impacts the major device manufacturers and the larger eBook ecosystem." Webinar: EPUB 3, an Insider’s Look. How Will Your eBook Operations be Affected? http://alturl.com/ud8dz

This is the abstract from IDPF’s schedule on BEA's conference page: "IDPF Digital Book 2011 will be a one-and-a-half day educational conference that gives attendees the opportunity to network with global leaders in digital publishing business and technology. Learn about the latest trends in the digital publishing industry through expert panels and in-depth demonstrations and case studies. Included are workshops on the EPUB standard including the new EPUB 3 revision, eBook production, workflow, and best practices."

IDPF Announces Speakers for Digital Book 2011, May 23-24th NYC

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42795908

Another informative blog by the Official BEA Librarian Blogger you should browse:

http://alturl.com/pepce

Image credit: http://alturl.com/vddog

What does all this mean?

Let’s look at these recent stats and I think we will all come to the same conclusion! The eBook and eTextbook market is exploding!

Wall St. Journal, April 11, 2011
The market for digital books was $966 billion last year and is expected to triple by 2015, according to Forrester Research.”

Wall St. Journal- Feb, 25, 2011
“In 2012, e-Textbook sales are expected to more than double to $308 million from $138 million last year according to MBS Service Co.”

Image Credit: http://alturl.com/znha2

We are looking forward to seeing some exiting news from the many blogs and tweets from those attending these conferences next week. This is such an exciting time to be involved in the eReader, tablet, eBook, and eTextbook evolution in a library setting.

Wi-Fi, e-Readers, and Libraries "sometimes" Don't Mix Very Well! What's the problem?

2011-04-29T14:55:00.000-04:00

We purchased 15 Kindle3's Wi-Fi only units and sent them all back last month.

Why?

Image Credit http://alturl.com/ajff2

After opening and processing over half of our new K3's in March, I decided to purchase and download a book to one of the new K3's. It took so long to sign into our "peer to peer" network via Wi-Fi using the arrow keys and still had to go to 'Shop the Kindle Store’. I thought I had stepped back in another era.

This was a very frustrating process. Why? You have to use the 5 Way Controller and arrow keys to navigate on the Kindle screen and slowly inch your way around with the ‘little hand’ to sign in and ‘check’ a user agreement for the college. Our iPads have the ‘pinch’ method of enlarging the screen that makes signing into our college Wi-Fi much easier.

This lengthy process finally landed me in the “Shop the Kindle” URL, but certainly not the screen we were accustomed to with the original K1-3G Kindles. Again using the 5 Way Controller and arrow keys to locate a book was just too complicated and time consuming on the non-3G units.

It appears we would have to purchase and load each book this way. Really? If you buy the item on your PC/laptop, after you sign-in and connect to the college Wi-Fi, the item should download automatically. Or you can use the USB cable to download books after purchasing them on your PC/laptop. I would go just batty, quickly if this was the on-going process. We could suggest to our boss that we drive all the Wi-Fi Kindle3's over to Denny's or McDonald's every time we needed to purchase or download an item. Now that would be a fun field trip! [Just kidding!]

After a few calls to Amazon Kindle about this issue, they told us that using ‘peer to peer' computers for staff /student sign-on via Wi-Fi was going to be difficult trying to purchase items. Really? We would have to use the USB cable to download items after purchasing them on our stand alone PC/Laptop. Sounds like the Sony Saga to me.

What a headache! The Amazon rep. also suggested that IT could add a separate router for Wi-Fi connection for the digital e-readers. But when it comes down to it, it's just makes more sense to pay the $50 one time and use the 3G technology for the life of the unit. What a concept! Really!!!

The Director of LLRC was very understanding and agreed to send these units back and purchase fifteen K3's with 3G. He agreed it was better to have all our Kindles as 3G models for efficient service for our patrons.

When the new K3's with 3G arrived last week, I was almost as elated as when we received our 1st shipment in May 2008 of thirty-four K1's. First thing I did was turn on the wireless and order a book just to be sure we were at last out of the "Time Warp". Needless to say, it’s well worth the extra $50 per unit to have this ease of use. We have been very spoiled with using 3G technology since 2008, we just don’t want to go backwards in technology and we shouldn’t have to.

Students, faculty and staff have certainly enjoyed our K1’s, K2’s and Kindle DX’s, and now our new K3’s. We also have several iPads, Nooks and Sony’s for check-out. Our major loans are with the Kindle units for textbooks and required class reading assignments.

Next blog? Vook! How vook might impact our library in the future and also we will share other research about EBSCO Host, NetLibrary and Overdrive. How can we utilize this with our present equipment?

May 10th, we are also looking forward to our field trip and presentation at our Regent V CCLA meeting at Broward College in South Florida for CCLA/LINCC covering e-Readers, e-Textbooks and the practical ways we have implemented these new technologies in our library.

July 14th, at the SEFLIN Bridges to Technology Conference 2011, our Palm Beach State Library staff from the Lake Worth campus will sit on a panel to discuss these very issues. This SEFLIN Conference is to be held at the Kovens Conference Center in Miami. The presenters will focus on technology and the new roles for libraries as librarians become e-brarians, using technology to assist customers.

New iPad2---Available March 11

2011-03-03T21:04:00.081-05:00

Everyone has been waiting for it!

The announcement of the new iPad2!

Image credit: http://www.apple.com/ipad/features/

Tech Specs
http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/

iPads in Classrooms

Apple iPad Learning Labs

http://www.apple.com/education/ipad/

"An Apple iPad Learning Lab streamlines the management of classroom sets of iPad devices. Each lab includes 10 iPad devices and a sturdy and secure mobile cart. The cart can store, charge, and sync up to 30 iPad devices and has room for a MacBook computer. The cart rolls easily around campus, so multiple classes can benefit, and it can be locked to secure the devices when they’re not in use. Purchase a predesigned Apple iPad Learning Lab or let us help you build your own iPad mobile lab."

Some important information from the Apple website:
iPad2's will be available at Apple Retail Stores
or online March 11. Units start at $499.

Ok, so you might wonder what our library is going to do next....

we just purchased 15 Kindle3's-Wi-Fi only units and sent them all back this week. Why? Answer in next blog post.

HarperCollins Puts 26 Loan Cap on Ebook Circulations

2011-03-01T15:37:00.000-05:00

To a Mountain in Tibet

By Colin Thubron

On Sale: 3/1/2011

Formats: E-Book

Image credit: http://alturl.com/e89gd

http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/home/889452-264/harpercollins_caps_loans_on_ebook.html.csp

Quote from article in weblink above by Josh Hadro Feb 25, 2011 Mention of the new terms was first made in a letter from OverDrive CEO Steve Potash to customers yesterday. He wrote [emphasis in original]:

[W]e have been required to accept and accommodate new terms for eBook lending as established by certain publishers. Next week, OverDrive will communicate a licensing change from a publisher that, while still operating under the one-copy/one-user model, will include a checkout limit for each eBook licensed. Under this publisher's requirement, for every new eBook licensed, the library (and the OverDrive platform) will make the eBook available to one customer at a time until the total number of permitted checkouts is reached.

As noted in the letter, the terms will not be specific to OverDrive, and will likewise apply to "all eBook vendors or distributors offering this publisher's titles for library lending." The new terms will not be retroactive, and will apply only to new titles. More details on the new terms are set to be announced next week.
If a lending period is two weeks, the 26 circulation limit is likely to equal roughly one year of use for a popular title. For a three-week lending period, that stretches to a year and a half.

For librarians—many of whom are already frustrated with ebooks lending policies and user interface issues—further license restrictions seem to come at a particularly bad time, given strained budgets nationwide. It may also disproportionately affect libraries that set shorter loan periods for ebook circulation.
[end of quote]

One issue that stands out is the shorter loan periods mentioned above. Our reserve items are usually 2 hours for textbooks.

With a 26 loan cap, that could expire in less than one week at our Reserve desk.

E-textbook
Imge credit: http://alturl.com/yk75k
By Kenneth C. Davis
On Sale: 3/15/2011
Formats: Trade PB
E-Book

E-reader Boom:

2011-01-10T14:15:00.002-05:00

The Palm Beach Post Front Page Article Today

E-reader Boom:

"Best of Times, Worst of Times"

Elegant New Skiff Reader 11.5-inch http://alturl.com/isa9r

The Post Times article linked below covers information about new E-readers showcased in Las Vegas at the Consumer Electronics Show and the closing of Boca Raton's Barnes & Noble store.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/money/e-reader-boom-might-prove-bookstores-long-term-1168717.html

Media Reviews of the

Consumer

Electronics Show:

http://www.cesweb.org/news/coverage.asp Links to media reviews
http://alturl.com/gt36r Includes Tablets and iPad success
http://alturl.com/8gm85 Covers 8 trends to watch including tablets
http://alturl.com/agadq Includes e-readers and tablets
http://alturl.com/xpjib Kindle vs. Nook vs. iPad vs. Galaxy Tab:

This is going to be one exciting year in

technology and libraries-2011!

One Book-One College Kick Off Event Jan. 12th

2011-01-06T15:51:00.015-05:00

This book is also available on our digital e-readers!

One Book One College Kick Off event:

January 12, 2011 (11:30am – 1:30pm)

LLRC Gallery 2^nd floor.

Complimentary copies of books will be given to the students whose classes participate in the Read Together activities.

The kick-off event will be Wednesday, Jan. 12.

Please join other students, faculty and staff as we read together.

Here are some quotes from Amazon's book reviews:

The book tells about a man who has just found out he was dying so he speaks of

"seizing every moment" ...because... "time is all you have...

and you may find one day that you have less than you think".

The Last Lecture is about living, not about dying.

It's full of warmth, humor, and can be very inspiring to all who choose

to make this a "Spring Thing" to do this semester:]

http://alturl.com/cn84c

The culminating week will be National Library Week

April 10 - 16, 2011

Digital e-readers as Gifts?

2010-12-20T10:15:00.001-05:00

Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe

Not a great way to choose your

new digital e-reader!

Digital e-readers can be a very difficult purchase for so many. I was on the phone with my sister-in law Sunday for an hour or more; plus texting back and forth this past month with questions and answers.

Her concerns were; buying a unit she hadn't held before, which size, 7" or 9.7" Kindle, iPad or the new color Nook, and cost vs. size. Wow, its really not easy. Each digital reader has its own pros and cons.

We discussed this purchase

like buying or car.

1-What would you use it for? Textbooks, novels, newspapers, magazines, blogs, games, email?

2-Who else might use it?
3-Would you use it for school, pleasure, work? All three?
4-Is 3G important or is Wi-Fi ok?
5-Cost?

Once you answer these questions for yourself; call, email or text your friends that already own a digital

e-reader. Ask them how they like it and what they use it for. Make a "Pros and Cons" list on paper and you'll get your answer.

We have archived several posts on this blog with links to other sources on many digital e-readers as they have arrived on the show room floor or online.

Good luck with your new purchase!

Happy New Year 2011

http://www.multyshades.com/2010/12/30-superb-happy-new-year-2011-wallpapers-feel-the-joy/

Student Critique of iPad in the College Classroom

2010-09-27T13:56:00.001-04:00

Like & Dislikes

http://www.apple.com/ipad/

Last week my colleague asked a student to critique the iPad for us. The student was already familiar with the Kindle DX. It was very kind of Vaughn to take the time to evaluate how this helps or hinders his work while taking a class here at Palm Beach State. Below find a summary of his remarks.

What he likes:
Ability to integrate professor's online notes and textbook material while in the classroom

Ability to take notes and relate these to the lesson plans

Using online materials for instant references when using textbooks and listening to professor's lectures. This is a great feature for visual learners.

What he dislikes:
Using the Kindle app on iPad gives the look and feel of using a Kindle

As a business major, I'm not able to use some business apps such as spreadsheets.

Not able to load learning websites such as myspanishlab.com which is used for Spanish 1 & 2

Vaughn's Overall Comments:
I think the iPad is a great investment for the college that offers a wonderful and unique learning tool for students. I would certainly suggest that the college get more of these units.

When Vaughn returned the iPad and Kindle DX, he also made these verbal comments. This is my summary of our conversation that day.

He said it was wonderful to be able to zip back and forth when studying from his textbook on the iPad and getting references and the ability to verify his resourses from the our library online to complement his work. He really enjoyed using the iPad in class to use notes from the teacher's website. Vaugh said the glare wasn't bad during the day, but was noticeable at night.

Thank You!

Thanks again Vaughn for sharing your review of the iPad and letting

us post your comments on our blog:]

E-Textbooks expected to grow by 11% by 2013

2010-09-15T15:49:00.015-04:00

E-textbooks:
11% growth by 2013
4% by this end of this year

See link below for new info about e-texbooks and the projection for growth in the near future.
Article from Reuters, US Edition
Sept. 15th, 2010

http://alturl.com/yehuq

Samsung Galaxy Tab-Sneek Preview

2010-09-13T14:37:00.000-04:00

http://alturl.com/pcpte

Entering the European markets September and October

[According to the site above, none of these stats are confirmed]

1.0GHz ARM S5PC110 processor

Android 2.2 Froyo doing OS duty

7 inch screen 800 x 480 pixel

3.2 mega pixel rear camera and tiny front-facing shooter

Swype keyboard, Flash along with WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS

http://alturl.com/efot6

Both picture-taking and video chat with front and back mounted cameras

Weight 380 grams (0.8 pounds) is considerably less than the iPad

iPad weighs 680 grams (1.5 pounds) without 3G and 730g (1.6 pounds) with it.

Samsung says the Galaxy Tab will run Adobe Systems' Flash Player 10.1,

[more games available over the Web]

High-definition video for at least 7 hours on a single charge and

perform less strenuous tasks for much more than 10 hours

Android 2.2, called Froyo, but will be upgradable to 3.0, called Gingerbread

http://alturl.com/ocgsa

No launch date- No pricing-No network announced yet

7-inch capacitive touch screen with a 1,024x600 Wide Super VGA (WSVGA) resolution

Android 2.2 (Froyo), the complete Google apps Market, Flash 10.1, 16GB or 32GB of memory, GPS

Plus integrated sensors, such as a gyroscope, accelerometer, light sensor, and geomagnetic sensor

Promises, Promises!

We'll have to wait to see how this compares to iPad.

It looks like we might see this item in the US near the end of the year. It's going to be crazy for new buyers to make a decision during the holidays for gift giving. If you are interested in e-readers for your library, you might want to browse our older posts.

Review iPad's 1st Interactive Book

2010-08-27T11:20:00.021-04:00

Not Impressed" was my colleague's 1st comment after browsing this new multimedia item, Pillars of the Earth. I have to agree with her on this assessment. The first 47 pages I read, had one short video, and no pictures or audio clips. I guess we were expecting fireworks. We planned on watching the 1st episode of the mini-series Friday at home, [July 23rd] but the pay-per view put a halt to that at $14.99 for each Friday showing. Although, Starz reports ‘The Pillars of the Earth Draws 690,000 For Premiere Between Starz & Encore." http://alturl.com/wj95h The final episode is this Friday, Aug. 27. Apple.com "Costumer Ratings" and "Reviews" rates this iPad app for Pillars of the Earth at 2 stars. http://alturl.com/mw3hu

This is quite a marketing tool actually, matching the iPad app [$12.99] and the pay-per-view mini-series for 8 weeks. The interactive book came out 4 days before the mini-series. We'll see more of this in the months and years ahead for sure. What we really want to see is how this "model" moves towards an excellent production of "interactive textbooks" for students in the near future. Also 1.6GB is a large program to load and this app is supposed to be updated each week at another 1.6GB. We have not updated our app because of the space this program requires. [Our iPads are the 16GB models.]

This 1st version of an interactive book reminds me one of the 1st "LaserDisc technology" programs using Pioneer CLD-V2400 LaserDisc players. These units interacted with the PC software for social studies middle school classrooms in the 90's and replaced hard copy textbooks, some of you might remember. It looks slick, but got boring real quick. Even the teachers were perplexed and wanted to return to their old textbooks. I do understand the science and math programs at the time were much more appealing. We hope the 1st generation of student textbooks has a little more "pop" for the money.

In 1995 the LaserDisc technology was projected positively by Palm Beach County School District in Florida, to "enhance classroom instruction with full-motion audio, true-to-life images, easy operation and adaptability to any curriculum and increase technology-based education capabilities at every grade level". http://alturl.com/yu9kx

We can only hope that the long awaited interactive textbooks for iPad are keeping up with the technology of the 21st century in education.

The Amplified Edition on iPad July 20th!

2010-07-21T09:17:00.032-04:00

Ken Follett's novel, "The Pillars of the Earth" was released yesterday on iPad as an Amplified Edition. What does this mean? Full text with a truly integrated multimedia experience!

Combines text, film clips and music
*Contextual video clips at corresponding points in the book

*Interviews with the author

*Video diary from Mr. Follett

*Audio clips

Also included:

*Sketches of the set where the miniseries was filmed

*Selections from the soundtrack

*Family tree with background of different characters

*Video clips of actors discussing their roles

This is a Penguin-Starz project with Apple, giving readers extensive excerpts from the TV production from the miniseries that begins this Friday, July 23. Readers will get a chance to see the imagery, architecture, music and clothing from this time period.

Each week of the miniseries, you can download new content to your iPad, iPhone or iPod, as the TV mini-series continues. Downloads are $12.99 from iTunes. Reese Marino from the San Jose Book Examiner says it's like an "e-book on steroids".

This 1st Amplified Edition will give us a sneak preview of what multimedia/interactive textbooks will be like for our students. This is an exciting time to be in education on both sides of the desk:]

What's next? Textbooks on steroids?

Prices "slashed" on e-readers!

2010-06-28T14:54:00.018-04:00

Not a surprise!

Kindle2's are now $189, originally $259.

The original Kindle1's were $359 in their beautiful marketing box.

Barnes & Noble's NOOK dropped their price to $199, originally $259.

They also introduced a new Wi-Fi version, minus the 3G for $149.

Pros and Cons Digital e-Readers May 2010

2010-05-18T13:43:00.031-04:00

iPad pros
-Ease of use, color & graphics are exceptional,
back lit for night time reading
-Internet on iPad; no comparison to Kindle’s drab web browser
-Vibrant and cool looking icons/apps, very “alive”, giving user many choices

-Purchase a book with our password only
-Low end iPad with 16GB memory at $499 with Wi-Fi,
compared to Kindle DX/K2 with 4GB memory for $489

iPad cons
-Monthly fee $14.99 250MB data/ $29.99 unlimited data service 3G wireless
-Glare on the glass, eye strain
-battery power 10 hrs
-Wi-Fi card is not as strong as our laptops, connection can be difficult inside library
-Patrons can set a password lock on unit, IT has to reset upon return of unit- solution: put a 4 digit number for password before 1st check out, patron needs our password to change

Kindle DX/K2 pros
-Downloads wirelessly, free Whispersync, via Sprint, under 60 second purchase
-Wireless download "click to purchase", receiving 1 to 6 copies of each book
-Battery power 7 days with the wireless on
-Very easy on the eyes, no glare, no complaints about eye strain
-Text-to-Speech

Kindle DX/K2 cons
-No expandable memory [except original K1]
-No color
-No back lit feature
-No replaceable battery -[except original K1]
-Easy for patrons to order items without approval

Sony pros
-Finding and opening a book is easy, stylus is very handy
-Staff downloads ALL e-books via the PC using a USB cable
-Compatible with Mac and PC
-Compatible with multiple eBook stores
-Purchase via password account

Sony cons
-Turning the pages by 'whisking' the index finger does not work efficiently
-"Touch" & "tap" feature is not always productive
-Eyestrain from glare on glass, ink is very light gray with any font size
-Use USB cable connected to PC for all downloads, no wireless feature
-Awkward for patrons to download free e-books via USB cable

Nook pros
-Free wireless downloads, 3G & Wi-Fi via AT&T
-Color touch screen for navigation
-Digital lending for 2 weeks
-Purchase via password account
-Memory expansion, 16GB card up to 17,500 eBooks
-Replaceable battery

Nook cons
-Color feature on touch screen only for navigating, small narrow screen
-Books are in black/gray, not color
-Hard to use the small “touch” keypad, very sensitive
-Digital lending for 2 weeks, not approved by all publishers
-Awkward power on/off button

iPads are great fun and educational!

2010-04-16T13:49:00.042-04:00

It's been really fun using the iPad!

It's great to hear all the ohhh's and awwwh's from students, faculty and staff, over the ease of use, terrific graphics and all the fun apps.

I have not read any of the books we purchased, and would like to see if it's as easy to read several chapters on the iPad as it is with the Kindle without eye strain.

Hopefully this weekend, time will permit spending some quality time with the iPad.

We loaded 3 books for a variety; Stones in Schools by Greg Mortenson, Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, and a little sci-fi by Jim Butcher, Storm Front.

Some have noticed quite a glare from the glass, and that's the only complaint. The Wi-Fi card is not as strong as our laptops, so we don't find a quick connection at every area of the library. If we go outside to get connected, and walk back inside, it usually stays. Our next set will have at least one 3G unit.

Only problem we have run into is loading iTunes on our PC's. Why? We have Deep Freeze on our PC's, which prevents us from downloading new software. We used our MacBook Pro, but it had an older version of iTunes, and we needed Ver. 9.1. IT came to our rescue and loaded the new version on the MacBook Pro and within minutes we had our update, iPads connected, configured and up and running with 3 books purchased. I would also suggest charging up the iPad for at least 1 hour before you get started, using the power cable, not the USB cable, as the USB takes longer to charge.

Good News for libraries: To purchase a book, we have to use a password, not a '1-click' to buy, like the Kindle. Once you're in the store and purchase one book with a password, you can keep ordering books for that session. This process will help us keep track of our inventory. Patrons can browse the store for books and download samples, but they can't purchase.

It was a crazy morning getting the equipment set up, for our raffle, before the first patrons could borrow the iPads. If you are about to set out on this journey or purchasing any other digital e-readers, please give yourself plenty of time to set these up without being in a rush.

We hope in the very near future, Apple will have more news about the 5 major publishing companies and e-textbooks to help students defray the cost of books for their college education.

iPads Have Arrived!

2010-04-12T14:23:00.009-04:00

There will be a drawing for 1st check out, April 14th, 12:30 pm, during National Library Week, here at Palm Beach State, LLRC, floor 2. Three lucky patrons will be the first to check out our iPads.

April 3rd iPad arrives!

2010-03-18T16:38:00.014-04:00

Did you pre-order your iPad?

We did! We hope to receive our shipment Saturday April 3rd or Monday, April 5th. There is a limit of 2 in the pre-order and then the rest will arrive hopefully in May.

We will be giving demonstrations on all our digital e-readers during National Library Week, in April. The theme this year is "Communities Thrive @ your library". What a wonderful time to introduce the iPad, Kindle, Nook and Sony Touch e-readers to patrons.

This will be an exciting time at Palm Beach State College:]

iPad vs. Kindle DX "itis" and Education

2010-02-17T09:58:00.130-05:00

There are so many blogs on iPad vs. Kindle DX, that this will be more about the 'education' side rather than personal use and preferences. We don't have an iPad to physically compare yet, so we will go with the stats that Apple has provided through the media.

There are several good blogs out there, but with our new Windows 7 installation, I'm not able to copy/paste or type these long links correctly at this time. Hopefully they will load to the right of the blog on the 1st page. The various blogs are rather good reading if you are a library/college institution and trying to decide; "Yes, to e-readers, but which one is best for our students".

Basically if you have a Kindle DX with 4GB memory for $489 and an iPad with 16GB memory at $499, it's a no-brainer...and you get all that other techno stuff with the iPad.....right? Yup! Other than this, the pros & cons are split. The main 2 comments concerning drawbacks with the iPad are the battery power; 10 hrs with iPad and also wireless charges. Kindle DX, on the plus side has 7 days with the wireless on and no wireless fee.

The power issue might not make a difference in student loans, as we'll have power cables with their check-out. I don't see a downside there, as we have laptops we loan for 3 hours with about 2 hour battery power; check out includes a power cable. We are presently discussing the iPad loan time for a 3hour check-out, not a 7 day like the Kindles/Sony/Nook.

Adding a monthly wireless service fee from AT&T on each unit is a minus for iPad for library budgets. The Kindle and Nook are free wireless. As you read the mainstream blogs, the other comments center on E-ink vs. LED backlit.

The iPad will be a big hit with students and teachers for e-textbooks; color pictures, interactive, charts, diagrams; as e-textbook publishers will be able to add video, like having a CD-ROM without the disc. Sounds very user friendly for education:] On the other side, if you are a student that reads endlessly for class, the Kindle might be easier on your eyes.

Looks like the field is wide open to new models next year. Right now our popular e-readers are the K1 and K2, 6" size for fiction and non-fiction titles. We have many teachers with a required reading list for students. If the hardback copies are all checked out, we are able to purchase many of these titles for our e-readers. The students have been very receptive to using the 6" Kindle and 9.7" Kindle DX for textbooks, [same size as iPad].

Also, here are a few patrons' comments comparing the Kindle with the Sony Touch:

Sony seems to have a glare and the ink is gray compared to the Kindle's bold black text...this is a very important area; eye strain on readers. We have registered our Nooks, and found this to be a very frustrating process using their 'touch screen keypad'. If you are use to "touch" phone technology, you'll be ok. We'll have to just wait to see how innovative the iPad is and their improved iTouch technology. Some techno blogs have said iPad improved their iTouch technology and will not have the problems some people have complained about. We have not loaded any books on our Nook with their 'touch' keypad. More on that later.

We'll have more comments soon from students, faculty and staff comparing the Kindle, Sony-Touch and Nook for student use. This April, we'll have most of our e-readers loaned out for the 2010 Read Together Palm Beach County Campaign.

http://www.literacypbc.org/ [still hand typing http site] then click blue link for "read together".

The five books that are being voted on now are:

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, The Things They Carried, Run, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and The Book Thief. We have loaded these on a few e-readers for voting and will purchase the winning title for the "read together", hopefully, for all our e-readers to enjoy.

We have found that students request a particular e-reader, depending on why they need it. I can see libraries having a variety of these fascinating digital e-readers to compliment their hardback/paperback collection and textbooks on reserve.

Happy E-reading:]

Kindle or-iPad ? Kindle or iPad ?

2010-02-04T20:33:00.016-05:00

iPad or Kindle

See the link below for a front page local newspaper story, about the iPad, including Palm Beach State College. [mixed reviews]

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/money/south-floridians-greet-ipad-with-mixed-reviews-198213.html

[http://www.apple.com/ipad/features/ for picture above]

Sony eReader good, bad, & ugly?

2010-01-13T09:30:00.007-05:00

3rd day of exploring our new Sony Touch edition

The Sony Touch feels heavier than the Kindle, 1st generation.

I changed the 'orientation' to landscape and this is much more comfortable for reading; distributing the weight between both hands. Landscape mode still gives me easy page turning on the left side of the unit.

Finding and opening a book is easy, but turning the pages, by 'whisking' the index finger is very frustrating, and resulted in using the page turning buttons on side. Sometimes in other areas I find the stylus is very handy, as the "touch" & "tap" is not very productive with fingernails or fingertips.

It's nice to 'touch' books on the screen, then from the list choosing a previously opened book, bringing me to the last page read, rather than the Kindle way. The Kindle, when turning it on, opens in the last book and page read. This is ok, if you're not reading 5 different Kindle books at a time. [A very minor thing!]

As far as lending the Sony to students, we find that this will be great for the library. Why? Because our staff has to download ALL e-books to the unit via the PC using a USB cable, no wireless; giving us more control over what we purchase on the units. This is more time consuming, but more organized. This can get very messy with over 40 Kindles.

The Kindle has a wireless download and the purchase comes via "click to purchase" through our Amazon account for all registered Kindles. With the Kindle we receive between 1 and 6 copies of each book we purchase. Example: The Lost Symbol-$9.60 gave us 4 copies. With Sony, we receive only the one item.

The Sony has been checked out more than 'in-house'. We have not played with it since we returned to school for the spring term. Most patrons are enjoying downloading free e-books. They seem to be very comfortable with using the USB cable and browsing.

Presently, I like the Kindle more, for ease of use. Some tell me I like the Kindles better, because it was our 1st digital e-reader and we've been experimenting with them since May 2008. We are awaiting the Nook to arrive the end of January. This will be another digital e-reader that will be very popular with students, staff and faculty.

Free E-BOOKS-so many sites!

2009-12-15T14:55:00.027-05:00

Now that we have 4 different models of eReaders, patrons have asked us, besides purchasing books, where do we find FREE ebooks.

Gutenberg Project, we have used for the Kindle, as their ebooks are already formated for the Kindle. They have over 30,000 free ebooks.
www.gutenberg.org/

Gutenberg Project, updates nightly with newly added or updated ebooks

ManyBooks web site is very popular; they have 25,534 free ebooks.
http://manybooks.net/

In the ManyBooks website, there is an option to register but it's not neccessary. If you choose to register, they will keep track of the books you've read or want to read. The site also has RSS bookshelf feeds.

Both of these sites are easy to navigate and are fun to browse.

New eBooks Purchased December 2009

2009-12-11T13:47:00.047-05:00

WE have been very busy purchasing new eBooks!

We have purchased many eBooks for our K1, K2 and DX Kindles.

The titles range from new fiction, Christmas stories to new textbooks for our new BAS program.

Here is a list of some of the new eBooks for December:

The Purpose of Christmas

The Christmas Sweater

I, Alex Cross

The Scoop by Fern Michaels

Breaking the Rules by Barbara Taylor Bradford

Rainwater by Sandra Brown

Southern Lights, a novel by Danielle Steel

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer [4th book in Twilight Saga]

Eleventh Victim by Nancy Grace

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

The Year of the Flood, a novel by Margaret Atwood

What the Dogs saw: and other Adventures

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

Customer Service Skills for Success

Essentials of Corporate Finance

Wiley Pathways Disaster Response and Recovery

Wiley Pathways Technology in Emergency Management

Creating and Implementing Your Plan: A work for Public and Nonprofit Organizations

Stones into Schools, by Greg Mortenson [author of Three Cups of Tea]

Human Resource Management by Patrick Wright

Sony Touch is here!

2009-12-08T14:49:00.023-05:00

We are so excited.

The delivery of the new Sony Touch Edition e-Readers arrived this afternoon. A red metallic case with red matching vinyl cover-WOW!

Waiting to play with them is difficult, as we have to charge them for 4 hours. It's hard to wait!

The directions said to charge for at least 5 minutes before we can calibrate the screen with the stylet. The stylet is a cute little stylus incased in the upper right hand corner of the e-reader. [very convenient, but hope it stays with the unit]

5 minutes of charging and we're calibrating...that was easy! [Where's my Easy Button?]

There is probably about 5 minutes to play before the screen warns me the battery is low.

It's already loaded with 11 books; excerpts in several different languages; 2 songs and 3 pictures. "Warning -battery is low". [That time went fast.] Time to recharge for 5 minutes.

Back to the fun!

The orientation page came up, so I pressed the sreen, now I have a 'landscape' view and like it much better than 'portrait'. With this change, I can still use my left hand to press the buttons if needed. It's nice to just 'whisk' my index finger or thumb to 'turn' the page. Now I have to figure out how to put the orientation back to portrait. "Research time"

We've pretty much explored it all for now. Guess we better continue the charging process.

Kindle, Nook, Sony and other E-Readers to take off in 2010?

2009-12-03T15:36:00.047-05:00

2010 the year of the eReader?

Several times a week, this past month, many patrons from our local community, faculty, students and staff, from our college, have stopped by our circulation desk and asked to see each of our Kindle models; K1, K2 and DX. Many are deciding what to purchase for holiday gift giving. Some want to compare the Kindle with the Sony eReader and the Nook.

Questions many are comptemplating for library or personal purchase:
Is the price right?
Are they easy to use?
Is the technology improving?
Is Google a threat?
[they digitized public-domain books that produced thousands of free literary classics.]

Aren't tech gadgets cool, fun?
Is reading always good for you?

Below see the link for reasons PC World feels eReaders will take off in 2010 and answers to the questions above:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/183192/kindle_nook_and_other_ereaders_to_take_off_in_2010.html
Thank you Jeff Bertolucci for a very informative report; PC World Nov 25, 2009 5:07 pm issue

E-Reader Or Netbook? Opposing viewpoint

2009-12-03T15:34:00.003-05:00

This seems to be the question we see in many techie magazines and blogs lately.

See the link below for a very interesting discussion

http://www.knowprose.com/taxonomy/term/835

2009-12-02T14:05:00.032-05:00

Questions about Kindles:

Thank you Matthew Haggard from Dudley, MA, for your interest in our Kindles and Beyond eReader project. Matthew is an Instructional Services/Reference Librarian at Nichols College. It is good to hear from librarians from all over the country and their great interest and enthusiasm regarding eReaders for students.

Matthew wanted to know how we manage the eBooks in terms of purchasing; regularly as we would print items, or on a "requested" basis. We usually purchase titles on request from faculty, staff and students.

The next big purchase will be e-Textbooks for our DX Kindles for students in our new BAS program that started this fall. We tried this out with our nursing program and it has been very successful.

As we try the newer eReaders we are facinated with all the things they can do for us. We are still researching and developing our policies and procedures for our eReaders.

We are anxiously awaiting the delivery of the Nook and Sony eReaders. The Sony should be here in 2 weeks. The shipping date for the Nook is Jan. 4th. It will be a welcome surprise when we get back from our Winter break to see how the students respond to the different units.

Sony eReader vs. Kindle2

2009-11-19T15:53:00.043-05:00

What is the difference between the Kindle2 and Sony Touch Edition?

1st thing that hit me about the Sony; to download a book, you have to connect a USB cable to a laptop or stand alone PC connected to the internet, even though they have AT&T wireless for browsing. Per their web site: USB Port required for Reader connection.

[Nook has wireless downloads; Barnes and Noble's Nook has an expected shipping date Jan 4.]

*Kindle2 downloads wirelessly

*Kindle2 does not have an expandable memory

*Sony eReader is compatible with Mac and PC

*Sony eReader is compatible with multiple eBook stores

See Sony web site below for more info:

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&categoryId=8198552921644523779&N=4294954529

The Nook is coming!

2009-11-13T10:46:00.027-05:00

We have ordered 2 Nooks from Barnes and Noble. Hopefully we'll be able to have them before the winter break. We are very excited about the new tech! We've also ordered a couple of Sony eReaders.

Differences between Nook & Kindle2

Nook has a few 1st in Tech features:

1st color touch screen for navigation

1st 3G & Wi-Fi-enables eReader [AT&T]

1st Android based eReader

Memory expansion, 16GB card up to 17,500 eBooks

[K1 has memory expansion, but not K2 or DX]

Synchronized note/annotations between devices

1st eReader with digital lending

Replaceable battery

[K1 has replaceable battery, but not K2 or DX]

Nook does not have Text-to-Speech or word document support

The Nook's screen size is a little smaller and weighs a bit more

Recharging for Nook [wireless off], is 10 days, K2 is 14 days

See Barnes and Noble link below for more info:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/nook/

New Nursing Textbooks on Kindle DX

2009-10-09T13:52:00.024-04:00

1st student checks out 2 nursing textbooks on the Kindle DX.
Much to her surprise, after checking out our popular Reserve papercopy of Fundamentals Success: A Course Review Applying Critical Thinking to Test Taking, 2008, we checked to see if it had been Kindlized. In about 5 minutes, she had the DX with the 1st textbook request loaded and ready to take home for 7 days. She was overwhelmed with joy. Our Circulation staff was delighted because we could do something so quickly for our students to help ease the tension of trying to study with limited funds.

Kem was so excited; she asked if we had anymore nursing textbooks on the Kindle DX. We had already purchased Text Success: Test-taking Techniques for Beginning Nursing Students, 2008. This title was transferred to her Kindle in the time it takes a phone to ring. This 2nd request was originally from our nursing program director. She had attended the NLN conference last week. The publishers, the professor noted, were very persistent about selling e-textbooks for $20 along with the hardcopy. They stated the e-book is good for 2 years.

This is good news all around. We hope to hear more encouraging stories about publishers and the Kindle/textbook format from teachers in other areas as the academic year progresses.

Thank you Lansing Community College!

2009-10-06T14:39:00.010-04:00

Thank you Scott from Lansing, Michigan, for your interest in our Kindle Project. It's great to hear from other colleges and what they are doing with e-readers.

Scott Skowronek is supervisor in the Access Services & Technical Support area of their library. He has 4 lending Kindles at LCC.

If you are interested in our Kindle Project, please email shafferc@pbcc.edu. We would be happy to share information about our pilot program with your staff. We presently have 38 K1 Kindles, 2 K2's and 2 DX's.

New Book Titles on PBCC Kindles

2009-10-01T16:16:00.051-04:00

We have added several new titles to our Kindle collection!

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown; out Sept 15, 2009

Tears of a Tiger by Sharon M. Draper

Becoming a Better You: Seven Keys to Improving your Life Every Day, by Joel Osteen

Dune 40th Anniversary Edition, by Frank Herbert

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: Leadership Fable, by Patrick M. Lencioni
Rich Dad Poor Dad, by Robert T. Klyosaki
A Walk to Remember, by Nicholas Sparks

Futuring: The Exploration of the Future by Edward Cornish

Kaplan GRE Exam 2009 Premier Program

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

A Child Called It: One Child's Courage to Survive by Dave Pelzer

When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris

Eclipse [book 3], New Moon [book 2], Twilight [book 1]; Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer

Friends: A Love Story by Angela Bassett

Titan, The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. by Ron Chernow

Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive, by Harvey B. Mackay

Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey Moore

Discovering the Soul of Service by Leonard L. Berry

Competing for the Future, by Gary Hamel

Driven: How Human Nature Shapes Our Choices by Paul R. Lawrence

Brand Leadership in the 21st Century, by Scott Bedbury

A New Brand World: Eight Principles for Achieving

Waking with Enemies by Eric Jerome Dickey

And more.....

PBCC Pilot Kindle Project Wednesday, Sept 23, 2 pm, Stage West

2009-09-21T11:57:00.011-04:00

The Palm Beach County Library Association

will be holding a quarterly meeting on Wednesday, September 23rd at the Lake Worth campus of the Palm Beach Community College (PBCC). The meeting will take place in Stage West. Networking will take place at 2pm and the meeting will begin at 2:30pm. The presentation is on the PBCC Pilot Kindle Project, and will be given by Brian Kelley.

Welcome Fall 2009

2009-09-15T15:32:00.012-04:00

It's time to discover new ways to use the Kindle1, K2 and DX.
Let us know if you have any suggestions. Please use the comment link below.

We are very happy to report that one of our faculty needed a book for a class. She could not order the book in time; however she was able to find it on Amazon.com at Kindle books. We downloaded it in a matter of 2 minutes. It was a great "little" moment in technology, benefiting libraries and meeting the needs of faculty.

Today a student needed a book called, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, by Mitch
Albom, also the author of Tuesdays with Morrie. Our hard copy was loaned out. We added it to a Kindle and the student was on her way in five minutes. Another happy patron!

Hope this stirs up some ideas! Please share with us your thoughts about how we can use Kindles to better serve you!

KINDLES @ SEFLIN July 30th

2009-08-05T14:08:00.028-04:00

image source:
www.amazon.com/kindle

The Kindle presentation by The PBCC Library at the SEFLIN Regional Conference at FIU, [Key Biscayne, Miami], last Thursday was a grand success. Our competition was "Second Life", next door to our break out session. 250 registered for the entire conference, and 65 registered out of a possible 66 seats for our Kindle session. There were 4 seats left at the beginning of the session, and 3 seats were allocated for the presenters. "Full house!" We were very pleased with the attendance.

We could have used an hour, easily, just for all the questions. The reception for the wireless on the Kindle, was not received well in the building. [note to self, to test rooms before a workshop] Participants could not order Kindle books, but most left happy to have "played" with a Kindle for the 1st time.

Our next presentation sponsored by the Palm Beach County Library Assoc., will be Sept. 23, 2009 at the Duncan Theater, at the PBCC Lake Worth Campus. See this Kindle blog or the Palm Beach County Library Assoc. web site for details later this month. http://pbcla.info/

The 1st Handheld Librarian Online Conference July 30, 2009

2009-07-21T15:53:00.010-04:00

The Handheld Librarian 2009 – An online conference about Mobile Library Services

http://www.handheldlibrarian.org/

Thank you Rachel from the University of Connecticut for this wonderful link and your comment on our blog.

Rachel is an intern at their library for Emerging Technologies, researching how universities and colleges utilize their Kindles for faculty, staff and students.

Mark your calendars for July 30th for the 1st Handheld Librarian Online conference.

Amazon Customer's Review of Kindle DX

2009-07-21T14:09:00.011-04:00

www.amazon.com/review/R23W7PMMD2THRH/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt#R23W7PMMD2THRHSee

See link above for Susan Lynn Umpleby's review of Amazon's NEW Kindle DX. Susan owned the K1 and the K2. She looked forward to getting the DX. She seems disappointed in the newest Kindle. She also gives feedback with compliments and drawbacks. One issue she mentions is the DX is top heavy, and not comfortable when reading or typing. Susan does like the ability to be able to rotate the screen and this gives users a better view of things like maps and charts.

SEFLIN Regional Conference 2009

2009-07-20T15:50:00.019-04:00

New Technologies: Libraries & Beyond Conference
July 30, 2009
9:00 AM - 3:30 PM

More than 250 library staff members have registered for the the 2009 SEFLIN Regional Conference: New Technologies: Libraries & Beyond. The Conference will be held on July 30, 2009, at the Kovens Conference Center on the Florida International University Biscayne Bay Campus. Registration is closed. The conference has reached seating capacity.The keynote speaker will be Marshall Breeding, Director for Innovative Technologies and Research for the Vanderbilt University Libraries. Conference sessions will cover a wide range of topics including library automation after Web 2.0, using mobile devices to support library services, and social media literacy.Conference information is available at the New Technologies: Libraries & Beyond.

From the SEFLIN Conference program

A ROSE IS A ROSE... A BOOK IS A BOOK
Presenters for Kindle Project

Brian Kelley, Estaline Rogers & Colleen Shaffer

Palm Beach Community College

Amazon Kindle is a software and hardware platform developed by Amazon.com for reading e-books and other digital media. Voltaire said, “The instruction we find in books is like fire.
We fetch it from our neighbors, communicate it to others, and kindle it at home.” Palm Beach Community College launched its Kindle Project in January 2009. Currently PBCC has more Kindles available for checkout than any academic library in the country. Learn the what, where, why and how of this new electronic book checkout project.

Improvements from K1 to NEW K2 & DX

2009-07-20T14:36:00.020-04:00

Battery Life: Read on a single charge for up to 4 days with wireless on. Turn wireless off and read for up to two weeks. Battery life will vary based on wireless usage, such as shopping the Kindle Store and downloading content. In low coverage areas or in 1xRTT only coverage, wireless usage will consume battery power more quickly.

Image from : cache.gawker.com/.../2008/10/Kindle2_BGR.jpg

Read-to-Me Feature
With the new text-to-speech feature, Kindle can read every newspaper, magazine, blog and book out loud to you, unless the book is disabled by the rights holder. You can switch back and forth between reading and listening, and your spot is automatically saved. Pages automatically turn while the content is being read, so you can listen hands-free. You can choose from both male and female voices which can be sped up or slowed down to suit your preference. In the middle of a great book or article but have to jump in the car? Simply turn on Text-to-Speech and listen on the go.

Faster Page Turns
Pages now turn 20% faster on average.

Carry Your Library in 10.2 Ounces
Holds Over 1,500 Books
The ultimate travel companion, Kindle weighs 10.2 ounces and holds more than 1,500 books. No longer pick and choose which books fit in your carry-on. Now you can always have your entire library with you.

Automatic Library Backup: Download Your Books Anytime for Free
A copy of every book you purchased from the Kindle Store is backed up online at Amazon.com in case you ever need to download it again. You can wirelessly re-download books for free any time. This allows you to make room for new titles on your Kindle, knowing that Amazon is storing your personal library of Kindle books. We even back up your last page read and annotations, so you'll never lose those, either. Think of it as a bookshelf in your attic--even though you don't see it, you know your books are there.

16 shades of gray
Kindle's high-resolution screen now boasts 16 shades of gray, so images and photos are sharper and clearer than ever.

Bookmarks and Annotations
By using the QWERTY keyboard, you can add annotations to text, just like you might write in the margins of a book. And because it is digital, you can edit, delete, and export your notes. Using the new 5-way controller, you can highlight and clip key passages and bookmark pages for future use. You'll never need to bookmark your last place in the book, because Kindle remembers for you and always opens to the last page you read.

Dictionary
Positioning the cursor in front of a word brings up a two-line dictionary summary. You can then hit "return" to get the full definition. The dictionary contents seem to be roughly the same as in Kindle 1, but the formatting is better and it now uses your current font size.

Flash Memory
When you bring up a menu, note that the top banner changes to display extra status information: the amount of free Flash memory, the time, and the quality of wireless connection.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-media/product-gallery/B00154JDAI/ref=cm_ciu_pdp_images_all

DX vs. Kindle2

2009-07-20T13:15:00.038-04:00

Kindle 2

What's the difference?

Kindle DX

Black text=different

Purple text=same

Kindle DX Display
9.7" diagonal E Ink®
Size
10.4" x 7.2" x 0.38"
Storage
3,500 books
PDF Support
native PDF reader
Rotating Display
3G Wireless
Books in Under 60 Seconds
Text-to-Speech
Whispersync

Kindle2 Display
6" diagonal E Ink®
Size
8" x 5.3" x 0.36"
Storage
1,500 books
PDF Support
via conversion
Rotating Display
3G Wireless
Books in Under 60 Seconds
Text-to-Speech
Whispersync

http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Amazons-Wireless-Reading-Generation/dp/B00154JDAI/ref=amb_link_84770351_1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=06SHP3YZTBDVZ0875SJX&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=483803591&pf_rd_i=507846

Summer Kindling!

2009-05-28T17:24:00.042-04:00

We had great success with our Kindles this past Spring term 2009.

Many students, faculty and staff, have enjoyed their time with the new techie Amazon e-reader: The Kindle!

Most Popular Books

Three Cups of Tea
Eat that Frog
Twilight Saga
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Tuesdays with Morrie

Waking with Enemies

Most Popular Newspapers
Wall Street Journal
NY Times
Orlando Sentinel
USA Today

Also on the Kindles:
The Toni Morrison Encyclopedia
Memory Keeper's Daughter
Nineteenth-Century Short Stories
American Lion
Audacity of Hope
Eclipse [audio]
Holy Bible, New International
Hamlet, Kinglear and Macbeth
Kindle 2 Cookbook

We hope to have 7 day check-out for many Kindles this fall.
Plus, many resource books you may like for the new PBCC BAS program.
Check back in the fall for the NEW lineup or call the Circulation Desk and ask for Colleen.

If we can help you find a Kindlized book, let us know.
We will have a "Request Form" in the fall for you to suggest book titles for our Kindles.

Please leave your comments

and

suggestions below.

Dr. Johnson's SLS 1501 Class-Kindle Use

2009-02-24T10:36:00.001-05:00

Please post your comments here for your exploration of the Kindle.

New Kindle 2.0 Feb 9, 2009

2009-02-10T09:04:00.002-05:00

Amazon.com’s New Kindle Is Lighter, Brighter and Chattier

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/09/live-blogging-amazons-kindle-20-launch/

How to Operate the Amazon Kindle

2009-02-09T08:59:00.002-05:00

Wiki How Manual

http://www.wikihow.com/Operate-the-Amazon-Kindle

ENC 1121 HONORS COMMENTS KINDLE USE

2009-01-27T11:17:00.000-05:00

Steven Brahlek's Tuesday evening class:
Please post your comments here for your exploration of the Kindle this semester.

EASY TO READ

2009-01-26T15:07:00.000-05:00

Paper-like Screen

Utilizing a new high-resolution display technology called electronic paper, Kindle provides a crisp black-and-white screen that resembles the appearance and readability of printed paper. The screen works using ink, just like books and newspapers, but displays the ink particles electronically. It reflects light like ordinary paper and uses no backlighting, eliminating the glare associated with other electronic displays. As a result, Kindle can be read as easily in bright sunlight as in your living room.The screen never gets hot so you can comfortably read as long as you like.

Page FWD & page BACK- for Lefties & Righties

2009-01-26T15:06:00.000-05:00

Ergonomic Design
We wanted Kindle to be as easy to hold and use as a book, so we designed it with long-form reading in mind. When reading for long periods of time, people naturally shift positions often. Kindle's full-length, vertical page-turning buttons are located on either side, allowing you to read and turn pages comfortably from any position. Navigation on both sides means both "lefties" and "righties" can easily use Kindle with one hand. And at only 10.3 ounces, Kindle is lighter and thinner than a typical paperback.

Searching in Kindle is EASY!

2009-01-26T15:03:00.000-05:00

Search Kindle makes it easy to search across your library. To use the Search feature, simply type in a word or phrase you’re looking for, and Kindle will find every instance across your Kindle library. Looking for an article you read a couple of days ago about hybrid cars but can’t remember where? Simply type in hybrid and Kindle will search your library for each reference, making it easy to jump directly to what you’re looking for. You can extend your search to the Kindle Store to find related titles you may be interested in. Explore even further by searching Wikipedia.

Wireless Access to Wikipedia.

2009-01-26T14:51:00.001-05:00

Kindle also includes free built-in access to the world's most exhaustive and up-to-date encyclopedia—Wikipedia.org. With Kindle in hand, looking up people, places, events and more has never been easier. It gives whole new meaning to the phrase walking encyclopedia.

Bookmark your place and make notes.

2009-01-26T14:43:00.000-05:00

Bookmarks and Annotation. By using the keyboard, you can add annotations to text, just like you might write in the margins of a book. And because it is digital, you can edit, delete, and export your notes, highlight and clip key passages, and bookmark pages for future use. You'll never need to bookmark your last place in the book, because Kindle remembers for you and always opens to the last page you read.

What's included in the box?

2009-01-26T14:07:00.000-05:00

Kindle Electronic Reader Book cover Power adapter USB 2.0 cable

Kindle fully recharges in two hours!

2009-01-26T14:04:00.001-05:00

Long Battery Life. Leave wireless on and recharge approximately every other day. Turn wireless off and read for a week or more before recharging. Battery life will vary based on wireless usage, such as shopping the Kindle Store and downloading content. In low coverage areas or in 1xRTT only coverage, wireless usage will consume battery power more quickly. Kindle fully recharges in two hours.

Adjustable Text Size

2009-01-26T14:02:00.001-05:00

Because one size doesn’t fit all, you can increase the text size of your favorite book or periodical with the push of a button. If your eyes tire, simply increase the font size and continue reading comfortably. Kindle has six adjustable font sizes to suit your reading preference.

Never get caught without a dictionary!

2009-01-26T14:01:00.001-05:00

Never get caught without a dictionary. Kindle includes The New Oxford American Dictionary with over 250,000 entries and definitions, so you can seamlessly look up the meanings of words without interrupting your reading. Never fear a sesquipedalian word again—simply look it up as you go.

Three Cups of Tea

2009-01-22T20:51:00.001-05:00

HONORS CLASS

Steve Brahlek's Honors Composition class will be reading
Three cups of tea : one man’s mission to fight terrorism and build nations-- one school at a time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin.

How easy to use is this?

2009-01-22T20:51:00.000-05:00

Youtube kindle:
http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&q=kindle&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&resnum=4&ct=title#

Books Aren't Dead!

2009-01-22T20:50:00.000-05:00

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3j4sd_amazon-kindle_ads

Amazon Kindle at PBCC Lake Worth Campus Library

2009-01-22T20:49:00.000-05:00

Kick Off

Tuesday-Jan. 27th, 2009