Fridley retiree Eugene O'Neil, an avid mystery reader, received a Nook e-reader last Christmas. At first he ran into some technical difficulties with the device, but after he attended a couple of e-book classes offered by the Anoka County libraries, he was able to start borrowing digital titles right away.

These days, he reads volumes both in print and on his e-reader. "Nooks are simpler to carry around," he said. "You have to get acclimated to it. It's a different process."

To help ease that e-book learning curve, the Anoka County Library system is offering more free "how-to" classes at eight of its branches across the north metro area from Oct. 24 through Nov. 19.

The classes will target Kindle users in particular because the platform only recently became available to the county's libraries, according to Monica Campbell, who oversees the Anoka County Libraries' digital collection.

In September, Kindle manufacturer Amazon reached an agreement with the library e-book vendor OverDrive to make it compatible, she explained.

Anoka County libraries started carrying e-books for other e-readers such as the Nook and iPad in January of this year.

Since then, e-book use has grown steadily every month, and there have been more than 32,000 digital checkouts at Anoka County libraries so far this year.

The Kindle opens up "a whole new layer of demand," Campbell said.

In the classes, which are open to anyone with any kind of e-reader device, "We introduce people to the interface that they need so they can download the e-books and we do troubleshooting," she said.

Library cardholders can check out up to four e-books at a time or join waiting lists. As with print editions, the libraries buy a limited number of e-books at one time.

Right now, Anoka County libraries have nearly 20,000 digital titles to choose from, including a mix of bestsellers and classics, with the most popular genres being fiction, romance, thriller and mystery, according to Campbell.

New titles get added weekly, while library users also can submit requests via the library website.

Previous e-book classes have drawn people of all ages, but Campbell said she's found that the technology appeals to an unexpected demographic: older readers.

Every book in large type

"We thought [young people] might be early adopters because they're so comfortable with technology," Campbell remarked. But an older set of bibliophiles has been quick to embrace e-books. Besides the portability of e-readers, "They can change font size, and every book can be a large-print book."

E-books, which also are offered in the Hennepin County Library system and many others, signal a new role for libraries. "People think of us as being about books, but we're about technology, too," she said. "We always helped in literacy, but now we need digital literacy just as much."

Anoka County Commissioner Jim Kordiak has advocated for the e-books in local libraries. "I think e-books are about putting books in people's hands," he said. "Someone can get 16 of the hottest titles in the market. They don't have to buy all 16."

It's also more cost-effective for cash-strapped libraries: e-books don't have to be transported by truck or re-shelved.

"I'm happy with this direction," Kordiak said. "People will always need a chair and a nice warm spot to read a paper book," but the idea is to "keep opening doors to get information."

Anna Pratt is a Twin Cities freelance writer.