Each tablet has been pre-loaded with over 20 popular titles including The Kite Runner, The Help and The Omnivore’s Dilemma. The selected titles support HSU student learning outcomes or other campus initiatives. The devices can be checked out for two weeks, with a renewal for one additional week if there is no waiting list.
Wayne Perryman, Chair of the Library’s Access Services Department, wrote the proposal to purchase the six Kindle Fires last semester. He said that many university libraries loan e-readers, but that HSU is one of the first to offer the Kindle Fire. Amazon released the device in November.
“The Kindle is the most pervasive device as far as e-readers go,” Perryman says. If there is sufficient demand, the Library will consider purchasing more Kindles or adding other e-readers like the Barnes & Noble Nook, he says.
Borrowers are not restricted to only using the content provided by the Library. Those users who already have an Amazon account can download their own content onto the Kindle. To ensure privacy, the Library will delete all personal data—including downloaded material—once the tablet is returned. Users can also delete content on their own by restoring factory settings.
The Library will continue to add new e-books to the devices. Perryman encourages students, faculty and staff to suggest titles through the Library’s online request form. More information about the Kindles can be found by searching for the phrase “Kindle Fire” in the HSU Library Catalog, consulting the Library’s web site, or contacting the Library at (707) 826-3431.