{"id":1373,"date":"2014-02-28T14:13:25","date_gmt":"2014-02-28T22:13:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/?p=1373"},"modified":"2014-04-16T14:15:32","modified_gmt":"2014-04-16T21:15:32","slug":"waldman-jewish-public-library-is-building-its-ebook-collection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/2014\/02\/28\/waldman-jewish-public-library-is-building-its-ebook-collection\/","title":{"rendered":"Waldman Jewish Public Library is building its ebook collection"},"content":{"rendered":"

Shannon McLeod, left, and Rachel Yaroshuk. (photo by Olga Livshin)<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Unlike academic and institutional libraries, most small public libraries in North America don\u2019t offer ebooks to their readers. Setting up a digital borrowing system requires hours of research and special computer knowledge. It is an expensive endeavor, too, besides presenting several legal wrinkles. Isaac Waldman Jewish Public Library at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver is the first Jewish public library in Canada to do so.<\/p>\n

In September 2013, the Waldman Library hired two digital content managers, Rachel Yaroshuk and Shannon McLeod, to organize the library\u2019s digital portal. Both have master\u2019s degrees in library and information studies from the University of British Columbia.<\/p>\n

In an interview with the Independent<\/i>, Yaroshuk and McLeod explained that the project grew out of the endowment to the library from the Sonner family, which was established 10 years ago. Eric Sonner, a Holocaust survivor and a local businessman, initiated the endowment.<\/p>\n

McLeod said: \u201cEric was an avid reader. He established a fund with the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver for the benefit of the library. The fund was to sit for 10 years, and the interest would finance the library needs. Eric passed away in 2009. After the 10-year term ended in 2013, Eric\u2019s daughter, Eve, approached the library with the idea to launch a unique Jewish ebook collection at the library, using the principle capital. She thought that such a project would be a fitting way to use the money, as her father liked to be cutting edge in his thinking and actions. He also had a strong commitment to the Jewish community and highly valued the library\u2019s contribution.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of course, the library embraced the Sonner Family eBook Project, one that would honor the life and values of Eric Sonner. \u201cWe want to keep up with the rest of the world,\u201d said librarian Karen Corrin about the new collection. \u201cEverybody is excited about ebooks.\u201d To take this idea from intentions to execution wasn\u2019t easy, however: it took two dedicated professionals and a lot of hard work.<\/p>\n

Yaroshuk recalled: \u201cI was working as an on-call librarian at the New Westminster Library when Karen contacted me. We met, and I knew it\u2019s too much for one person. We needed a team of two, so they hired my friend, Shannon. We both studied at the same program at UBC and worked together. Having a good partner is important for such a complex project.\u201d<\/p>\n

They started out by looking at possible digital content providers. \u201cWe had limited options,\u201d said Yaroshuk. \u201cOnly a few suppliers offer ebooks to libraries in Canada. There are legal restrictions. And we needed to find Jewish content. Not all the books are available in e-format. We ended up with OverDrive, one of the leading ebook suppliers for libraries in Canada. The format offered is ePub. Many devices can read it: tablets, Kobo reader, iPhone. The library signed a four-year contract with OverDrive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWe\u2019re still building the collection. For now, it includes about 50-50 fiction and non-fiction, children\u2019s and adult books. We\u2019d like some feedback from the community before proceeding.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

At first, 50 books will be available to library patrons, but Yaroshuk noted that it\u2019s only a start. \u201cWe\u2019re still building the collection. For now, it includes about 50-50 fiction and non-fiction, children\u2019s and adult books. We\u2019d like some feedback from the community before proceeding.\u201d<\/p>\n

McLeod also outlined some technical considerations they faced. \u201cThere was a problem of online integration,\u201d she explained. \u201cThe digital content doesn\u2019t sit at the library \u2013 it\u2019s on the OverDrive servers, but the users will be able to access it from the library catalogue.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Users will be able to link to it from the library catalogue and download ebooks. They will be able to do so from the library or from anywhere in the world, even from home, as long as they have an internet connection and a library card.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

According to McLeod, OverDrive has built a special website for Waldman. It looks similar to the library website and uses the same color scheme. Users will be able to link to it from the library catalogue and download ebooks. They will be able to do so from the library or from anywhere in the world, even from home, as long as they have an internet connection and a library card. After three weeks \u2013 a standard library borrowing time \u2013 the file will disappear from their reading devices.<\/p>\n

The computer aspects, as well as the finding and cataloguing of all the books, took time, but now the system is almost ready. It goes live at the end of February.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a soft launch,\u201d said Yaroshuk. \u201cThe official launch is in the beginning of March, but now the next phase of the project starts \u2013 to train everyone to use the new system. We\u2019ll have posters, video instructions and printed handouts, color coordinated for different devices. We\u2019ll have demonstrations and one-on-one sessions for the JCC staff, library volunteers, seniors groups, school kids. We are preparing promotional materials to let everyone know about the new service.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of course, an ebook needs an e-reader, and not everyone is comfortable with the idea of digitized books just yet, or even owns an electronic reader, especially older adults. \u201cWe\u2019d love to offer some e-readers, too, so people could borrow them as well as ebooks, as the VPL is doing, but it\u2019s expensive,\u201d Corrin said.<\/p>\n

As representatives of a younger generation, both McLeod and Yaroshuk own e-readers, but \u201c\u2026 I love physical books,\u201d said McLeod. \u201cI don\u2019t think ebooks will replace print; they are just a convenient supplement. When you commute or travel, you can have a few ebooks on your device and not worry that you\u2019ll have nothing to read when you finish a book. And the devices are light.\u201d<\/p>\n

For information about the ebook collection, call 604-257-5111, ext. 252, or email ebooks@jccgv.bc.ca<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Olga Livshin <\/b>is a Vancouver freelance writer. She can be reached at olgagodim@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Shannon McLeod, left, and Rachel Yaroshuk. (photo by Olga Livshin) Unlike academic and institutional libraries, most small public libraries in North America don\u2019t offer ebooks to their readers. Setting up a digital borrowing system requires hours of research and special computer knowledge. It is an expensive endeavor, too, besides presenting several legal wrinkles. Isaac Waldman […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1335,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[784],"tags":[637,638,633,634,636,635],"class_list":["post-1373","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-books","tag-karen-corrin","tag-overdrive","tag-rachel-yaroshuk","tag-shannon-mcleod","tag-sonner-family-ebook-project","tag-waldman-library"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1373","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1373"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1373\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1335"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1373"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1373"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1373"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}