The Basics of Reading a Book

I was initially resistant to using e-readers but once I made the switch in 2012 I was hooked.  The decision to purchase an e-reader instead of another device that would allow me e-reading capabilities was determined based on the following reasons:

1. I prefer the e-ink technology used for the screen. It’s easier on my eyes than backlit screens.
2. I’m a bit old-fashioned and I like it that my e-reader is just a book.  It doesn’t do anything else so I’m not distracted by notifications and beeping, nor am I tempted to leave my ebook to surf the web or check messages.
3. The battery lasts for about 3 weeks on a single charge.

My first e-reader was from Sony and I loved it.  It was easy to use and had buttons or screen swiping for navigating.  Best of all I only needed one library account to borrow ebooks.  After moving about a dozen times I started borrowing books from the library instead of buying them.  I refused to change my reading habits and still borrowed ebooks even though I knew that “moving” ebooks wouldn’t involve packing and backbreaking labor.

I recently switched to a KoboGlo and was dismayed to learn that borrowing library ebooks was not nearly as easy.  I had to to create an account with Kobo just to use the e-reader.  Then I discovered the e-reader couldn’t link directly to my local library as the Sony e-reader had.

To borrow ebooks from my library I performed the following:

1. Create login/password account to use Adobe Digital Editions (required)
2. Download Adobe Digital Editions to access the ebook format
3. Install Adobe Digital Editions on my computer
4. Access my library overdrive account to borrow ebooks
5. Download ebook into Adobe Digital Editions
6. Connect KoboGlo to computer
7. Add ebooks from Adobe Digital Editions to KoboGlo

I now have 2 additional accounts to manage, plus all the steps involved to get ebooks onto the e-reader (steps 4-7).  However, if I had purchased books, I could have been reading on the KoboGlo within minutes of setting up the account.

Reading is one of my favorite hobbies.  When I switched to digital I wanted the process of borrowing and reading to be just as easy as it was in print. Although I do love the e-reader for many reasons, I sometimes find myself getting frustrated with all the setup and accounts required to something as basic as reading a book.