Thing 20 Post

I think that non-fiction e-books are a great addition to any school library. They combine the authority and appropriate content and reading levels of books with the accessibility and ease of use of the Internet. I tried a few sites in the "Free Books" listing but did not really find much of value for middle school students; the various collections seemed to consist of mostly very old or obscure books. But the British Library collection was amazing! The ability to get clear and close-up views of priceless medieval texts was unbelievable and the brief audio comments were illuminating. And then to see and hear the original Alice was such a treat and practically impossible under any other conditions. The sensation of turning the page added greatly to the whole experiencee.
The NHS e-books are so useful for student research. They come from recognizable publishers and they are very user-friendly. A student could search for a specific term or browse through subjects and topics. Print copies of reference books can only be used by one student at a time at school, but the e-books can be accessed by many students at home or at school. I wonder if we can work out a district-wide plan so that all school libraries can purchase more e-books. I do intend to show staff and students the iCONN collection of e-books.