I am far from an expert in eBooks, although I do have a Nook. I love it for traveling, and I've gotten quite a few cool books from Barnes and Noble's Free Friday promotions. They also were giving away classics last summer - which was cool. You can also download eBooks from Project Gutenberg - although they are available because they are out of copyright. If you're down with classics, it's great! I have also used my Nook to borrow books from the public library, read ARCs from NetGalley, and even read books I've purchased. I have done a lot with my Nook, and I do really like it, but it isn't the same as reading a book. For me, it is the same with music. If I'm just trying something out, I'll just buy it on iTunes, but if it's an album I already know I really will love, or if it is one of my favorite bands, I'll buy the actual CD. I feel the same way about eBooks.
That doesn't mean that I don't want access to eBooks in my library. I'm not totally convinced (yet!) that it is important for me to have fiction and regular nonfiction in my elementary school library. I don't know that kids have their own devices, or that it is a good use of my money. I would say that having some reference books as eBooks would be fantastic! I wonder if a large district could purchase one copy of a specialized encyclopedia and have it shared through all elementary schools? What a great way to share resources! Now - I'm sure publishers would have something to say about that - but it's not like we don't share anyway. I think it's important for public libraries and even middle school and high school libraries to have eBooks available to their patrons, but it's not something that I'm sure fits my population - at least not yet. :)
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