New E-Book Program Being Tested in West Metro

It seems electronic books are all the rage right now, and many schools are trying to figure out how to incorporate them into their own libraries.

A new e-book concept started in Minnesota may be the answer for schools.

The program is called Brain Hive, and about 25 schools across the country have been testing out the technology.

It is technology many believe is here to stay.

Sharon Lapensky's career revolves around books, and she is sad to see them stuck on shelves at Plymouth Creek Elementary.

"That's a hard one, that's a hard one to swallow," Lapensky said.

However, the media specialist knows kids are connected and school budgets are tight.

"A lot of libraries are budget less," Lapensky said.

So to save money, Lapensky, and her Wayzata school have been testing Brain Hive. A new e-book program that kids will get to use in the fall.

"In this model, you don't have to make that up front investment," Terri Soutor said. "You're only spending based on what students and teachers are actually reading and using."

When a student or teacher checks out a book, it costs the school $1. Schools do not have to pay a subscription fee and the books can be read on any Mac, PC, or Ipad. The e-library has 3,000 titles and will grow.

Lapensky says the books are interactive and believes for the schools bottom line, $1 for a book, sounds like a good deal.

"If you have a school full of 800 kids like we do, it's hard to replace enough books for each of the students who might need it at a grade level," Lapensky said.

Besides Plymouth Creek in Wayzata, about 60 other schools across the country will be using Brain Hive in the fall.

For more information on Brain Hive, go to: www.brainhive.com