As technology is growing, the accessibility to books is growing as well. Now getting a book is easier than ever. One of the more recent advancements in the book industry has been the rise of eBooks. An eBook can be read on a specific reading tablet, on the computer, or even on your own smartphone! In September, there’s a specific day to celebrate this, it is Read an eBook Day celebrated on September 18th!
According to nationaltoday.com, the idea of eBooks came about as early as the 1930s, with some ideas having attempts of production. However, those remained ideas and prototypes, it wasn’t until the internet came out that the first eBook surfaced! 1971 was when Michael Hart launched a project, called Project Gutenberg, to create electronic books that were posted to the internet. The rise of eBooks didn’t stop there; they were fully commercialized in 1993 and available for purchase. Read an eBook Day was finally established in 2014 by OverDrive, a popular eBook distribution company.
There are a few different options you can do to celebrate this day. A couple of ideas include starting an eBook club or learning more about the history of eBooks. However, the main emphasis of Read an eBook day is, of course, to read an eBook! This includes purchasing one from an online website, accessing them through free websites, or borrowing one from your local library. This day was mainly established to celebrate the abundance of eBook resources from schools and libraries. These establishments provide resources at your fingertips to help you get anything from an old favorite to a new discovery!
If you want to celebrate, we can help you! We have access to a wide variety of ebooks from Overdrive using an app called Libby. All you have to do is download the “Libby” app in your app store or through Google Play, sign in, and start browsing! You can put books on hold if they aren't available, and the best part is they automatically get returned once they reach the allotted check out time. No late fines! If you have any questions or want to learn more about the Libby app, feel free to call us here at the library!
For those of you who haven’t delved into the world of electronic reading, this is the perfect way to start, and for those who have, this is a great excuse to read even more! Happy eReading everyone!
This book talks about the past and future of books and how different book formats have impacted the overall book world!