BY AMANDA SNYDER

Special to The Pilot

For avid readers, an eReader device opens up reading possibilities they may never have imagined, especially for the vision-impaired.

However, for those who have never used the device, they can be confusing.

The Southern Pines Public Library offers a solution to this problem by holding one-on-one technology tutorials. A reference staff member will sit down with a patron and walk them through the process of using eReaders, as well as how to access free eBooks through their library card.

The service - offered free of charge for cardholders - is a great way to get oriented with an eReader and learn how the device works. The tutorial also covers how the patron can access thousands of eBooks and eAudiobooks through databases and cooperatives such as the North Carolina Digital Library (NCDL), NC LIVE, and Tumblebooks (for kids), all free with a valid library card.

Guides to accessing these eBooks or using an eReader or eAudio device are also available online at http://www. sppl.net/library/ebooks_and_eaudiobooks.aspx.

If more help is needed than what is provided in the guides, scheduling a tutorial is easy.

"Call or stop in the library and leave a name and phone number, what type and model of eReader the tutorial should cover, and a couple of times that work for the appointment," says library associate Natalia Travis.

The library will set up a tutorial time and contact the patron to confirm.

Thanks to funds provided by the Friends of the Library, the library owns a basic Kindle, Nook and iPad for demonstrations of the differences between devices. Patrons are welcome to stop in the library and try them out.

Anyone wanting more information on the service can contact the library at (910) 692-8235.

The Southern Pines Public Library is located at 170 W. Connecticut Ave. and is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m.

The catalog and other information about the library are available at www.sppl.net.