Hooked on Nooks

From the HoCo library:

On December 1, HCL began lending 60 Nook ebook readers to customers. Howard County Library President and CEO Valerie J. Gross notes, "As part of Howard County Library's educational mission, we are committed to providing both exceptional customer service and cutting-edge educational opportunities to our customers. While we have offered downloadable ebooks and audiobooks for a number of years, Nooks are simply the newest format for customers to experience books."

Howard County Library chose Barnes and Noble's Nook because it offered both local technical support and a local partnership. According to Julie Oakes, Community Relations Manager at Barnes and Noble in Ellicott City, the partnership was a welcome surprise. “When we were approached by Howard County Library, we thought, 'Why couldn't the Nook be for library use?' ” Oakes states that Howard County Library is the first and only library currently lending Nooks.

Library customers are thrilled. All 60 Nooks are currently on loan, and an additional 276 customers are waiting their turn. The Nooks come loaded with 34 titles from both popular book club selections and New York Times bestseller lists, including The Help by Kathryn Stockett and Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. Additional titles will be continue to be added to the Nooks, which may be loaned to anyone with a Howard County Library card, and follow the same lending rules as other electronic collection materials.