eReaders and Apps: Two Librarians Weigh In

 When the Amazon Kindle’s first generation device was released to the entire world in 2007, no one yet knew the impact this device would have on how consumers read. The Amazon Kindle was a pioneer in the soon-to-be wild world of e-readers. Now, in late 2011, there are over ten different companies offering many different options for consumers. How do we know which brands are good and which brands are not? Should we even considering buying an e-reader if the technology is just going to fade away in a few years or will the technology grow exponentially into something we never imagined? In terms of libraries, what does the e-reader mean for us and should we even care? To begin to answer these questions, librarians must take a look at the actual technology itself and how it can help our patrons. This question can be asked across many boards of librarianship: academic, public, and school libraries should all be thinking about e-readers. In a world of little money for libraries, we need to assess each option and consider its strengths and weaknesses for our needs. We hope this article can do a little bit of everything stated above.