Naperville Public Library Putting Nook E-Readers on Loan

Readers who have always wanted to try an e-reader but weren’t willing to spend the money, or not sure about using the technology have a new way to give it a try without investing. 

The will begin lending Nook e-readers on May 1 to library patrons. 

Naperville is a community open to new technology, evidenced by the . Because the community is so open to new technology, the library wanted to offer e-readers to patrons, said Yan Xu, adult and teen services supervisor at .

Other reasons the library is offering the e-readers to patrons is because some people may be hesitant about using the technology, may not be able to afford purchasing an e-reader or just want to try it out before buying, Xu said.

In addition, some e-books are not yet available to libraries, she said. Providing the e-readers also allows the library to add books to its collection in a different way, thereby extending the collection and its services. 

“We did a lot of research on the ease of use on different e-readers and settled on Nooks, Xu said. “They are affordable and they had a lot of good review and most were saying it is the best e-reader out there.”

The library also had a good working relationship with Barnes & Noble, Xu said. Library employees had gone to the stores to conduct programs on how users could download books at the library. In turn, was also very active in participating in library programs, she said.

In the future, it is possible that the library adds other e-readers, but for the start of its pilot program it is sticking with Nooks, Xu said.

The Nooks will come preloaded with some of the hottest titles in fiction and nonfiction. There are Nooks for romance readers, mystery readers and those loaded with titles perfect for kids, according to the library. 

On May 1, the Naperville Public Library will begin offering 30 Nook Simple Touch eReaders and 6 Nook tablets. To check out a Nook readers must have a valid Naperville Public Library card.  Checking out an eReader is free for a 3-week loan period. Readers must return the Nook to one of the library’s three buildings and return the eReader to a staff member.  The Nook’s cannot be returned using the book drop, doing so will result in a $5 fine. Returning the Nook late will result in overdue fines of $1 a day.