On loan

Being a lazy oaf (I live half a block - half a block -from the library) I wandered onto the on-line country library website to request a bunch of books to tide me over during Fair week (note that three of the four books are not only already at my local branch, but are listed as "check shelves", meaning I could just walk in and get them myself - did I mention I'm lazy?). 

The last time I went to the library I whined about some of the changes - you scan your own card and books, print your own receipt with due date and have to pick up your own holds off an open shelf (they do at least make a nod to the privacy laws - the sheet with your name is wrapped around the spine of the book(s), so in theory no casual glance reveals whether you requested Where the Wild Things Are or a more salacious counterpart).  But they've made a few changes I can get behind.

The Wisconsin Public Library Consortium has a on-line lending library - e-reader and audio books may be checked out for seven to fourteen days.  They are available in a number of formats, for perusal on a number of different devices, including everything from laptops to blackberries to ipods.  While not all titles are available in all formats, there is still an astonishing variety of books, music and video available for loan.

One of the best parts?  No overdue fines.  At the end of the lending period, the media simply inactivates itself.  Poof, it's gone.  Well, almost - you still have to delete the inactive record from your device.

While I love books in their original, three dimensional form, there is a great deal of appeal in being able to immediately download and read a new book by a favorite author, rather than waiting six months on the library hold list or paying a fortune for a hardcover of my own.  Digital will never completely replace paper in my life, but in some cases, it's the better choice.