Princeton residents looking to explore more digital offerings from their library will have even more choices on what to read thanks to a new service.

The Lois Nelson Public Library rolled out a new offering, SimplyE, Tuesday, July 19, which will give library card holders additional access to digital books free of charge.

Library Director Glenda Puckett said SimplyE was a “no-brainer” for the library to offer because it is available through the state. She added that it is specifically designed for smaller libraries in Texas and the Nelson Library was able to enroll for free.

The library already pays for a subscription to OverDrive but SimplyE will allow more versions of the same book to be checked out, said Puckett. Some popular titles on OverDrive have had long wait times for a checkout in the past, she added.

“It really helps out patrons, especially when they’re looking for that hot new book,” Puckett said. “Having this additional resource allows them to get books quicker.”

SimplyE has several different genres of books to choose from, said Puckett, adding that there are plenty of audiobooks available through the service as well.

Unlike OverDrive, which has a limited selection of periodicals, SimplyE is solely focused on providing books.

The SimplyE app can be downloaded through both Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store.

Once an individual has downloaded the app, he or she needs to search for the Lois Nelson Library before being prompted to log in. To access the service, current card holders need to enter their library card number as the username and the phone number associated with the card as the password. 

“It’s a very simple process,” Puckett said. 

For the full story, see the July 28 issue of The Princeton Herald.