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Hundreds tour Digital Bookmobile in downtown Birmingham

Val Walton--The Birmingham News By Val Walton--The Birmingham News
on October 20, 2010 at 5:53 PM, updated October 20, 2010 at 8:06 PM

bookmobile.jpegSonia Gallimore, left, of Birminghamâs Ensley community, and her 14-year-old daughter, Tonisha, check out audiobook computer stations inside the Digital Bookmobile outside the Birmingham Public Libraryâs downtown branch on Wednesday. The bookmobile is traveling around the country promoting the use of free, downloadable audiobooks, which Jefferson County libraries are now offering patrons.

Hundreds of people checked out a nationally touring Digital Bookmobile at the downtown branch of the Birmingham Public Library today.

The 74-foot-long 18-wheeler was open for people to ask questions, view videos or try out the hands-on learning stations that demonstrated how to search the digital media catalog and use mobile devices to download e-books, audiobooks and music offered by the Jefferson County Library Cooperative.

The cooperative, an alliance of 40 libraries, began offering downloadable electronic books in August.

"It's taken off," said Caleb West, a network system analyst for the Birmingham Public Library. "It's just been tremendous."

Since Aug. 23, nearly 2,000 e-books have been checked out, while 100,740 audio books -- narrated versions of books -- have been checked out since April 2007, according to library statistics.

The blue and green tractor-trailer, a high-tech update of the traditional bookmobile that has served communities for decades, is helping to promote the alliance's downloadable digital media catalog and 'virtual branch' website. The bookmobile is sponsored by OverDrive, a distributor of e-books.

The Digital Bookmobile will be at the Hoover Public Library on Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and at the Homewood Public Library on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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