The one place that can always be relied on to have physical books has fallen victim to the electronic revolution.

With the increasing popularity of tablets and new technology, electronic books have become common at public libraries. However, ebooks are usually much more expensive for libraries than for individuals, said Diana Brawley Sussman, the director of the Carbondale Public Library. Despite that, libraries in the southern Illinois region have joined together to cut costs.

Sussman said out of the five or six top publishers, Harper Collins is the only one that limits the number of times an e-book can be rented before the library has to subscribe to it again at a reduced cost.

Erica Hanke, assistant director at the Marion Carnegie Library, agreed with Sussman.

“The other publishers aren’t really doing that, but the prices … for libraries to buy e-books is a lot more expensive than just a regular person buying their own e-book,” Hanke said. “New bestsellers cost anywhere between $80 and $90.”

Southern Illinois libraries now have a program that allows libraries to access e-books that libraries have purchased.

Matt Keepper, director of the Herrin City Library, said this program is called the Shawnee OverDrive program, which started in 2010.

“There were three libraries that started it,” Keepper said. “The actual main driver to start the program was Marian Albers of the Mascoutah Public Library.”

Keepper said the Herrin City Library and the Marion Carnegie Library joined the Mascoutah Public Library for the OverDrive program. The program, based out of Ohio, requires at least three libraries. The Shawnee program now has 35 libraries, some of which use as much as 500 e-book or audio rentals a month, she said.

Libraries involved in the program have a budget of roughly $3,000 to spend on e-books and the books that are bought are available to all members of the libraries affiliated with the program, Keepper said.

Not all libraries in the area are a part of the OverDrive program. Margaret Mathis, a librarian at the Vienna Carnegie Library, said the library is very small, though it does have a lot of members. Mathis said the library may join the e-book program in the future, but for now, it is too expensive.

Libraries in other states are finding other approaches on ways to save money, but still provide e-books to their patrons or members.

NPR’s Lynn Neary reported that Jo Budler, the state librarian of Kansas, created a Facebook page to inform Kansans about their e-book dilemma.

In the broadcast, Budler said people did not understand why the libraries did not have many newly released or bestseller e-books. The Facebook page showed members of the library how difficult it was for the library to get those books, if they were available and how expensive they are.

Jamie LaRue, head of the Douglas County Libraries in Colorado, said he has found a way around the problem of expensive e-books. LaRue found a way for libraries to deliver e-books themselves by using the Adobe Content Server, which allows readers to use the data cloud or to check out the e-books on other digital devices.

LeRue said patrons are given the option to buy the e-books and they encourage people to read less-known books and authors.

For more information on the Shawnee OverDrive program, please visit the Southern Illinois Libraries on the Go website, available at http://silibraries.lib. overdrive.com.