On the surface this sounds like an excellent idea.

In fact, if they offered this at my local library, my iPod would be full right now.

It may be about time to dig out that old library card. Hoping to draw back readers, libraries have vastly expanded their lists of digital books, music, and movies that can be downloaded by their patrons to a computer or MP3 player — and it doesn’t cost a cent, unlike, say, media from Apple Inc’siTunes or Amazon.com Inc.

In Phoenix, for instance, branches have banded together to create a digital library that currently has about 50,000 titles of e-books, audiobooks, music and videos that can be “checked out” from anywhere. How awesome is that? You can be sitting at your Washington DC dentist waiting for your appointment, and checking out books at the same time.

Once discovered, says Tom Gemberling, the electronic resources librarian for the Phoenix Public Library, the program often proves wildly popular.

Awesome schtuff if you ask me.

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