Another update on Kindle

This post will be mostly all about some discussions I had about starting to have people use the Kindle in the library. This may be interest for those librarians who love to create policy and want to see what others are doing with the Kindle.

So, a breakdown of the meeting.

1. Literature Guide- I'm at work on pulling together a guide to the literature on e-books and kindles that maybe helpful in developing a policy. My rough outline for the guide would look something like this:
   
   
   • user's guides
   
   
   • Blogs/sites/ forums
   
   
   • sources of content
   
   
   • Uses/ Issues of use in library
   
   
   • Evaluation of services
   
   
   • Library Policies
   
   


2. PDFs I've been using Stanza to convert some PDFs into ama-mobi format and they're horrible. What are our other options. I will try Amazon's service to see what it's like.


3. use of device within the library. Who will use it? what content will be on it? We need to investigate this further but we also want staff to start playing with the device. We have a tentative roll out of the device:
   
   
   • Megan and John- original testers.
   
   
   • Library staff- Thanksgiving to Jan 1 at the very least.
   
   
   • Faculty and GSLIS next semester at the earliest. Arealistic push would be to have everything in place by March.
   
   
   • Patron- the summer at the earliest, maybe the fall semester
   
   


4. Issues that still need to be discussed and researched. I will have a better understanding of some of these topics once I get deeper in to my literature review (I hope).
   
   
   • Access services, including loan periods, storage/ charging, use (in library only?), fees for damage/ loss, accessibility
   
   
   • Cataloging- the device and the content
   
   
   • Copyright and use concerns
   
   
   • Acquisition- who buys content? How do we provide content? How do we handle requests? What account should the device be attached to?
   
   
   • Marketing of the device in the library- posters? announcements on the main page of the library? Mention of the availability by selectors at department meetings?
   
   
   • surveys for use of the device


Some other issues I am wondering about.

What happens when we de-select a device from an Amazon account? Does the content remain?

How is audio on the device? Need to add an audio book on the device.

What are other libraries doing?