Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
As the world turns more to digital in every aspect of their lives, they also turn to electronic books, called e-books.
The Cannon Library staff hosts a tutorial about different electronic resources available at the library each month. The how-to sessions included the basics of how to use the services and to inform active duty military, dependents and retirees what the library has to offer.
February’s tutorials were about e-books for children. The Department of Defense has purchased access to thousands of children’s books through a website called Tumble Books Library.
Library Director Melissa Haraughty said the library subscribed to Tumble Books three years ago and the DoD chose to use the program Air Force wide last year, removing that cost from the library’s budget.
Military members, retirees and dependents can visit the library for log-in information for Tumble Books and start browsing the wide selection either on the library’s computers or at home. Haraughty said the books can be narrated or the narration can be turned off so a child can read it aloud.
“This is where it’s all going,” Haraughty said. “And we want to make sure the things we’re making available are being used.”
Tumble Books also provided educational games, quizzes and digital puzzles.
Haraughty said library users who have accessed the electronic library have told her that it is very easy to use and that they use it at home often.
“It’s interactive, which is more what they’re used to,” Haraughty said.
Tumble Books’ library is available is Spanish, French, Chinese, Russian and English.
“We want to increase usage, increase awareness about our programs and improve literacy as we go,” Haraughty said.
In March, the library staff will teach children how to access periodical databases.
