With picture books being as popular as they are, it’s very likely that your local San José Public Library will not have the picture book you are looking for. And even if you some how manage to find the book, chances are that the pages are either ripped or the entire book is damaged. Your picture book problems now become a thing of the past with the TumbleBook Library. The San José Public Library now offers this great online service for toddlers and parents that lets you electronically access your favorite picture books such as Franklin, Biscuitto, Sir Cumference and the First Round Table. The Tumble Book Library includes books for children ages K-5; even more amazing is that there are over 70 playable puzzles and games, all of which are free. The TumbleBook Library is a great chance for kids and parents alike to experience the electronic resources that are available through the San Jose Public Library.

TumbleBooks are animated, talking picture books that teach kids how reading can be fun and engaging. TumbleBooks take existing picture books and add animation, sound, music, and narration that can be read to you, or you can read along. There’s also a collection of memory games, spelling games, puzzles, and more.

If you are looking for titles for younger children, the category “Story Books” are geared towards children in kindergarten through second grade. The category “EBooks & Audio Books” includes a number of classics, such as “Wind In The Willows”, and you can read them online or download these to your computer, Android phone, and/or tablet.

You do need Flash 6 or higher to enjoy all the features of TumbleBooks. A great resource to let kids have fun at the computer while reading and learning!

“Ummm… thanks?” 

If this is what you said when you received a Barnes and Noble Nook for Christmas, then this is the post for you!   First, what is a Nook?  It is a device mainly used to read eBooks.  For all of the details about the Nook, go to the Barnes and Noble website. 

So now you’re probably wondering, how do I get eBooks on this thing?  Luckily it is not too hard to do.   The library’s OverDrive catalog has a large variety of fiction and non-fiction reads for both adults and children. 

• Once you are at the catalog, you will need to download Adobe Digital Editions to a laptop or personal computer.  After doing that, select the books you’d like to read (the Nook can read PDF and EPUB documents), add them to your bookbag, and check them out. 
• You will then download them into the Adobe Digital Editions software. 
• Lastly, connect your Nook to your laptop/PC and just like working with iTunes, the device will show up on the Adobe program and you just drag and drop the books to your Nook.  And now you have reads for 3 weeks!   Happy Reading!

For more information about how to use OverDrive, the help page is extremely useful.

(Please note, this information is for the original Nook, not the Nook color.  This post is only about the Nook because the author uses one; other devices for reading eBooks are also awesome to use with OverDrive!)

Learn how to download ebooks! Come to Santa Teresa Branch Library and watch a demonstration at the information desk! You can also bring your laptop, phone, or ipod for practice!

We have a wonderful selection of downloadable ebooks for check out!

Cormac McCarthy is probably better known for his other works, including No Country for Old Men, The Road, and All the Pretty Horses, but many consider Blood Meridian to be his greatest, and indeed one of the finest examples of contemporary American fiction.  A master of narration, McCarthy portrays the contradictions of the Wild West, depicting brutal, gruesome scenes of savagery with a stark and lyrical prose.

In 1847, a 14 year old Tennessee boy known only as "the Kid" wanders into the Southwest, where he eventually joins with a group of bloodthirsty men who hunt Indians for a living.  Led by the mysterious and learned Judge Holden, the band kills and terrorizes their way across the lawless West.

Not for the faint of heart, this book could be described as a work of Horror as easily as it could be called a Western.  This novel jabs a thumb into the eye of the romanticized Wild West and reminds the reader how the West was really won...through blood and slaughter.

If you are thinking about buying eBook  reader in order to use SJPL electronic resources, please consult OverDrive (SJPL eBook vendor) home page to view a list of compatible devices at http://www.overdrive.com/resources/drc/compatibleebookdevices.aspx