Vernon Area expands e-book access through library partnership

Vernon Area Public Library has partnered with Arlington Heights, Gail Borden, Indian Trails and Oak Park public libraries to give cardholders access to thousands of additional e-book and digital audiobooks through the popular cloudLibrary app.

Vernon Area's holdings included just over 5,000 copies of e-books and audiobooks until joining the partnership in June. Patrons now have access to a far wider catalog - the combined holdings of all participating libraries is 33,500 copies.

The partnership benefits patrons of all participating libraries. When a user logs into the cloudLibrary app, they have access to all the titles in their home library's collection as well as those not checked out at partner libraries.

Cardholders may continue to reserve materials within their home library's collection but not those titles held by other libraries in the consortium.

"This is a win-win for library patrons," said Catherine Savage, head of integrated communications at Vernon Area Public Library. "Every taxpayer has priority access to their own library's content, but also can borrow anything 'on shelf' at partner cloudLibrary collections."

Patrons are already benefiting. In the first week of the expansion, Vernon Area Public Library cardholders downloaded 20 percent more e-books and audiobooks than in the highest-borrowing week since 2014, when the service was introduced at the library.

The cloudLibrary app allows patrons to borrow e-books and audiobooks on iOS and Android devices, Nook, Kindle Fire and Windows and Mac desktop systems. Users browse virtual shelves by category or use search to find books.

Borrowed books are kept in sync across the user's devices: the cloudLibrary system remembers where the reader or listener left off, allowing access from anywhere.