Children's Collection Adds Tablet Readers

already offers numerous resources and programs to its youngest patrons, but now there's one more added to the list: Kindle Fire tablets loaded with books and games for kids.

Of the 10 tablets the library has acquired, families can borrow one or two at a time for up to one hour.

"They're loaded with games that we think not only will be enjoyable but educational as well," said Marge Bengston, head of the children's collection. "So far the response has been favorable."

Director Ted Gutmann said the library spent $199 on Amazon.com for each tablet – less than half the price of at least one alternative.

"Some other libraries are offering a similar service for kids using iPads," he said in an email to Patch. "However, in order to make them suitable for public use, the other libraries end up disabling so many features ... that they basically just end up with very expensive generic tablets. We felt that the Fire tablets would be more cost effective for our purposes."

At the same time the tablets were added, the game computers in the children's room were repurposed for other uses in the library when they were removed to make more shelf space for books. Gutmann said those uses include staff computers, catalog terminals or Linux servers.