Baker & Taylor is one of the largest companies that power your local libraries audiobook and e-book collection. In the past, if you wanted to consume the digital content that you borrowed, you needed to download one of their apps for Android and iOS. B&T is simplifying their approach with the advent of their new online cloud reader.
The Axis 360 Browser Reader will allow public and school libraries can utilize web‐access terminals as ebook reading stations so library patrons do not need to bring their own devices to read e-books at the library.
You may also download the e-book into your browser’s cache for future reading when you may not have internet by clicking on the top left menu button in the reader and then “Offline Access”. Once the book has been downloaded, you can create a bookmark to get back to it later or access it through the “offline content library” through the top left menu icon in the reader. The offline library will display all the books you have downloaded.
Additionally, the browser reader comprises enhanced reading and annotation features, including a font and contrast control, reference lookups through Google, Wikipedia and the American Heritage Dictionary online, text highlighting, bookmarking and note‐taking.
The Axis 360 browser reader is live right now for libraries who want to use it, but it remains to be seen if patrons can use it to read their e-books outside of the library.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
