Free e-readers, or children's audio books are now available online with your library card. "We are happy to offer this new subscription to our library patrons. The subscription we have chosen is called Tumblebooks. Tumblebooks will allow parents and kids to explore reading on the computer, expanding both the number of children's titles available as well as the format for looking at children's books. For children who are drawn to technology, being able to hear and see books simultaneously on a computer makes reading more exciting, and it is so simple to use that even little kids can learn to do it on their own," said library outreach coordinator, Beth Helstien.

Tumblebooks is a subscription website. Its online audio books have simultaneous audio narration along with displaying the printed word and some animation on your computer screen. The computer screen highlights each sentence as it is being read, to allow the user to learn to follow along the written word. The animation of favorite books is in line with the original book's illustrations.
 
Tumblebooks are excellent for children from 2 to 10 years old. Each title is briefly profiled, and identifies the age range for which it is appropriate. "Parents who wish their kids would leave electronics like TV, video games and computers alone might finally feel that this is a good reason for the invention of computers. The site makes reading a pleasure, and kids who won't sit still to read on their own just might change their minds about reading after a few Tumblebooks sessions," Helstien continued.

The website is also great for children who are learning English as a Second Language, and a Language Learning tab even offers some books in Spanish for native speakers or those who are learning Spanish. "The bi-lingual features of the site are one reason we chose to subscribe," Helstien added. "The ability to see and hear narration simultaneously makes it much easier to work on oral comprehension, accent, and to increase the pace for new language learners who invariably may read too slowly comprehend subtle emotional overtones."

To use Tumblebooks, visit the library's web site at www.sjlib.org and click on the second button in the list for on-line databases, scroll down the alphabetical list and click on Tumblebooks, and then choose between storybooks for little kids or "readables," books without audio, for beginning readers. Explore the site, and enjoy.

The collection at the library includes both fiction and non-fiction books for very young children, for grade-school aged children and for adults. In addition to its collections of books, audio books and videos to loan, the library also provides computers for the public to use and a wide variety of subscription databases addressing topics ranging from books in print, literature, magazines and newspapers, to medical, legal and reference databases, and even auto repair. Access to the databases is available outside the library through the on-line database button on the library homepage, www.sjlib.org.
Library hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 AM to 6 PM, Tuesday and Thursday from 10 AM to 8 PM, Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM and Sunday from 1 PM to 5 PM. Library cards are free to island residents with proof of residency.