EDITORIAL: Surf your way to the library’s treasures

   During difficult economic times, many families are forced to make tough choices about expenses — often cutting back on items like books, CDs, and videos for family entertainment.
   Not infrequently, when this happens, many will make more use of the local public library, a place where all of the above can be enjoyed for free.
   In the last 10 years, the Hillsborough Public Library has become a multimedia outlet capable of meeting the entertainment requirements anyone could have. Books for adults, kids or teens, bestsellers, nonfiction, magazines … but also classical and popular music CDs, videos — you name it, you can find it at your library.
   About the only way to improve this service would be to enable patrons to obtain books, music or videos without having to go to the physical library.
   With little fanfare, the library has done this, creating a virtual “bookmobile” able to deliver books, music and videos through your Internet connection. Visit the library’s site, click on a title, and in seconds, you’re reading a favorite title, watching a Hollywood classic, or listening to a treasured tune.
   Download a book to your iPod; burn the music to a CD — it’s your choice.
   If your computer’s video card is capable, connect your “online machine” to your “idiot box” and watch the movie.
   Granted, the selections are not as complete as the variety found on the library shelves, but we think it’s a wonderful alternative for those unable or uninterested in driving to the library.
   But we think it’s only matter of time before it’s the preferred medium for library patrons.
   Years ago, pessimists said the Internet would mean the demise of books but what ’the Web is really doing is transforming books, movies and music into something more flexible and transportable than how we’re often used to thinking of them.
   A typical MP3 player today is capable of doing all of these things, enabling us to hold a library of books in our palm, or save a lifetime’s collection of CDs and LPs on a memory chip smaller than your watch.
   Rather than becoming an anachronism, though, today’s library’s are at the forefront, more vital and helpful than ever.
   So head on over to the library at www.somerset.lib.nj.us — or 379 South Branch Road — and check out what’s new.