Virtual collection expands to children at Wayne Library
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on February 6, 2017 9:57 AM
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News-Argus/PHYLLIS MOORE
Anna Snyder, head of children's services at the Wayne County Public Library, navigates the website for N.C. Kids Digital Library, a first-of-its-kind statewide eBook consortium for children across the state. The option expands resources for children, now able to access and check out materials from a collection of 3,029 eBooks, 689 audiobooks and 37 streaming videos.
Access to children's books and materials from the Wayne County Public Library just got easier.
Sort of like Netflix, but with books.
A virtual collection has been added that includes 3,029 eBooks, 689 audiobooks and 37 streaming videos -- all on a custom website. And the key to enter is a library card.
The library launched the N.C. Kids Digital Library on Feb. 1, a statewide eBook consortium for children around the state, said Anna Snyder, head of children's services at the Wayne County Public Library.
"It's pretty nice that we get access to all these extra eBooks that we didn't have access to before," she said. "It works pretty much like the platform that we already have our eBooks on. It's just a separate collection that we're sharing with 85 libraries (in the state)."
The option costs patrons nothing, except a little time to download the app and register with a library card.
N.C. Kids Digital Library is sponsored by the N.C. Public Library Directors Association and the N.C. General Assembly, along with the State Library of N.C.
The local library already had the eBooks component, which means materials can be checked out on Kindles and other devices. Books can be read in a browser, in the OverDrive app or on a -phone or tablet.
But there were not as many options available for younger readers, which changes now.
"It really does have a lot of new books, popular books that kids check out here all the time," Ms. Snyder said. "With your library card you can check these out all night long.
"You don't have to come in the library while we're open and check them out. You can do it from home, so it's really convenient."
The system is pretty easy to navigate, she said. It tells if a book is already checked out, if there is a waiting list to get on.
"There are three checkout options -- you can check them out for seven days, two weeks or three weeks," Ms. Snyder explained. "Once your checkout period is over, they are wiped off your device so you never have to worry about late fees, which is really awesome.
"And it's nice that they're letting you choose your checkout period because you can only download five items at a time, you can only have five on your account."
The program also features audio books, which are becoming more popular, videos and even read-aloud books that narrate them to the younger children who aren't reading on their own yet.
It also partners nicely with the recently introduced READ Wayne program, which focuses on improving school readiness and getting children interested in reading and improving their skills.
"We're glad that it's really simple to use and that kids can get books all during the summer when school's out," Ms. Snyder said. "Part of our mission with READ Wayne is to get kids interested in reading and combat the summer slide when they're out of school, so this is another way that they can access books and stuff over the summer."
The library is planning workshops in the spring for adults and children to learn more about the eBooks program and also on how to find children's materials in the library or on the website.
To find out more about the collection, visit www.wcpl.org or www.nckids.overdrive.com.