Library services in Kingman E-volving

Downloadable audio books, eBooks available online

KINGMAN - The Mohave County Library has officially entered the 21st century.

It recently expanded its services, and now offers downloadable audio books and eBooks from its website.

The service launched Monday, and the selection of books is rather small at this point.

"It's a good start," Mohave County Library Marketing Specialist Kathy McGehee said.

Once someone checks one of the selections out, it is no longer available to other customers, McGehee said. Customers looking for particular books that are already checked out can place holds on the titles, though. Once the books are available again, email notifications will be sent to those who placed holds. This will work on a first-come, first-serve basis, McGehee said.

The goal is to build the library's collection of digital downloads up, so that people don't have to wait very long to check out the books they want to read, she said. However, purchasing more digital books would need to be placed on the library's budget.

"We've wanted to do this for a long time," McGehee said. "But there's always been budget constraints."

Scottsdale, Phoenix and Laughlin libraries have offered eBooks for a long time, she said. In fact, the Laughlin library used to allow people from Mohave County to rent digital copies of books. But too many people from Arizona took the library up on its offer, and it stopped loaning books to people not from Nevada, she added.

Library-card carrying individuals can check out and download digital media anytime or anywhere by visiting the Mohave County Library website and clicking on the "digital downloads" tab.

There, users may browse the library's digital titles, check out books with a valid library card and download the items to a computer or mobile device. Users will need go through a setup process and install free software to make use of the service, though. Titles can be enjoyed immediately or transferred to a variety of devices, including iPods and Kindles. Some audio titles can also be burned to CD, so people can listen on the go. Titles will automatically expire at the end of the lending period, and there are no late fees.

McGehee said the library provides computer-training classes, and that the use of downloadable media is now being included with the free training. A schedule of upcoming classes can be found on the library's website under the "computer classes" tab.

For those who frequent the Kingman branch of the Mohave County Library, 3269 N. Burbank St, call (928) 692-2665 or stop by for more information.