VOA标准英语2012--E-books Catch on at Public Library

 

E-books Catch on at Public Library

Complete the following sentence:

“You go to the library to check out . . . . .?"

The obvious answer is “books.” But a harder question might be, “What do we mean by ‘book’?”

Electronic books or “e-books,” have established a firm foothold in American society.

The big online bookseller Amazon, for instance, recently announced that less than four years after introducing them to its catalog, it's now selling more electronic versions of its book titles than printed ones. 

And this past April, Encyclopedia¹ Britannica, the world’s oldest and largest maker² of encyclopedias³ - a staple⁴ at any library - announced it would no longer publish a print edition.

Last week, the Pew Internet & American Life Project released a survey about the use of e-books by library patrons. It found that 12 percent of Americans age 16 and older who read e-books say they had borrowed at least one from a library within the past year.

But the survey found that the broader public, including 58 percent of those who have library cards and 53 percent of people who own electronic book readers, are not aware that they can find and check out e-books from public libraries, even though three-quarters of the libraries offer that service.

Pew Internet Project director Lee Rainie noted⁵ that e-book borrowing is becoming more popular at the same time that publishers - who are selling plenty of e-books and fewer hard-copy editions - are worried that free e-book check-outs at the library will hurt sales. 

In February, for instance, the big publisher Penguin⁶ Books stopped supplying new e-books and audio books to libraries.

Penguin just reached an agreement to resume supplying one big library system - in New York City - but not until six months after new titles are released. That way, those who want the latest books will have to buy them. 

So things are a little murky⁷ in the library world when it comes to electronic books.

More and more patrons want them, but publishers are giving the libraries a hard time about offering them. Demand’s not the problem. Supply may soon be.

1 encyclopedia   

n.百科全书

参考例句：

• The encyclopedia fell to the floor with a thud.那本百科全书砰的一声掉到地上。
• Geoff is a walking encyclopedia.He knows about everything.杰夫是个活百科全书，他什么都懂。

2 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

3 encyclopedias   

n.百科全书， （某一学科的）专科全书( encyclopedia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• However, some encyclopedias can be found on the Web. 同时，一些百科全书能也在网络上找到。 来自互联网
• Few people think of encyclopedias as creative enterprises; but they are. 鲜少有人想到百科全书是创意的工作，但它确实是。 来自互联网

4 staple   

n.主要产物，常用品，主要要素，原料，订书钉，钩环；adj.主要的，重要的；vt.分类

参考例句：

• Tea is the staple crop here.本地产品以茶叶为大宗。
• Potatoes are the staple of their diet.土豆是他们的主要食品。

5 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

6 penguin   

n.企鹅

参考例句：

• The penguin is a flightless bird.企鹅是一种不会飞的鸟。
• He walked with an awkward gait like a penguin.他走路的步子难看得就像企鹅。

7 murky   

adj.黑暗的，朦胧的；adv.阴暗地，混浊地；n.阴暗；昏暗

参考例句：

• She threw it into the river's murky depths.她把它扔进了混浊的河水深处。
• She had a decidedly murky past.她的历史背景令人捉摸不透。