Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Moving PA Forward | Pennsylvania Libraries


On Monday February 13, Pennsylvania's libraries launched PA Forward before a crowd of state legislators, business leaders, statewide association executives, state agency delegates and library supporters at the State Capitol.

Part revolution and part evolution, PA Forward is a dynamic, new movement that redefines Pennsylvania's libraries as a central hub for promoting the five literacies essential to our citizens' success:

     - Basic literacy 
     - Information literacy
     - Civic and social literacy
     - Health literacy
     - Financial literacy

Visit paforward.org to learn more about what makes your local library uniquely qualified to be your community's leader of information, technology, and learning — places that fuel educational and economic opportunity for all.

Friday, January 27, 2012

29% of Adults Own E-book Reader or Tablet

According to the latest study from Pew Internet, the number of Americans owning either an e-book reader or tablet jumped from 18% in December to 29% in January this year.

That's amazing growth for these devices. 

I've had a Kindle for a few years now.  But when I saw a terrific close-out deal on an Android tablet last month - a Motorola Xoom - I decided that the time was right to get one.  

I've been enjoying it ever since, with all of my apps from my Android smartphone syncing up right away with the Xoom.  I quickly found myself downloading books, viewing Internet sites, shopping and requesting library books all from the comfort of a chair in our family room.

Many of our library users are also among those who are now trying these gadgets out for the first time.  If you find yourself lost in the weeds trying to figure out how to download a book, our reference librarians may be able to help you.

In fact, Fredricksen Library in Camp Hill now has an eBooksHub that will help you navigate your way through the library eBook download process.  We'll be happy to answer your questions and point you in the right direction.