DAPHNE, Ala. — Earlier this month, e-books became available to patrons of the Daphne Public Library thanks to a technology grant the library recently received, Tonya Young, library director said.

The Alabama Public Library Service presents grants each year to fulfill the Library Services and Technology Act.

The state enacted a five-year plan in October of 2007 to meet its residents’ needs, which were identified to include expanding services for learning and access to information, developing library services to provide all users access to information and linking libraries.

Other identified needs include developing partnerships between agencies, targeting library services for all groups, and targeting library services for people who have difficulty using a library.

“We are just finishing up this grant. We have applied for one for next year,” Young said.

The library used the grant to purchase computers, computer study guides and books on the Windows operating software and senior citizens tutorials on using the Internet and email.

“We purchased materials to teach classes within the computer lab. We have also set up four gaming computers with games that are family-friendly. That way, they can play games on there instead of taking up an Internet access machine that somebody might need to work on,” Young said.

Young said the grant made two large purchases possible: a new library website and an e-book service.

“We have got a contract and we are in development for a new library website that will be very interactive and helpful for the patrons.

“They will be able to request an interlibrary loan, or ask a reference question and sign up for programs from that website,” Young said.

“It will be really super-library related. We will be attached to the city’s website but it will be a separate Web page.”

The library has already implanted its last purchase successfully.

“The other thing that we paid for through the grant was the CamelliaNet digital downloads. My staff is training. We ordered a lot of different digital devices so we can teach people how to use their particular device. We are going to have public classes shortly,” Young said.

The service has been live for almost a month, and Young said patrons have been using the service.

“The e-books have been going pretty good so far. The people that are computer savvy haven’t seemed to be having any problems with it. Once we have the classes, we hope we will be able to dispel anybody’s fears. I think having the devices here to show how to get (information) from your computer to your device, that is the hardest part,” Young said.

But people have taken kindly to the technology, apparently.

“It has been really catching on. When we informed people that we were going to get it, they were anxious to try it out and I think everybody that has used it just loves it,” Young said.

Grants and outside funding have become crucial to libraries, Young said.

“Right now, because of the economy and the departments, we have made some cutbacks so the city can function in the red. Right now, the grants are really important. Also, the (Friends of the Daphne Library) have given us $1,000 every month to purchase books and materials with. That has been a huge help.

“Even in good times, grants are always important because the libraries are non-profit,” Young said.

The Daphne Public Library was one of the five libraries that received the most funding. The library received $60,000 for library technology and automation.

The technology grants are the largest grants the ALPS distributes.

“Technology is the only category that you can get that much of a grant for. Most of them are $20,000 and under,” Young said. “It just depends on who applies for it and then the applications are competitive. You have to justify what you are going to use the money for and of course you have to account for everything in our final report.”

The library also received a state aid grant for $17,262 and a grant from the Alabama Department of Archives and History for $1,000 to be used for the special collections and the Daphne Oral History Project.

Call the library at  251-621-2818 for more information about e-book training and e-book training schedules.