This might seem, at first glance, like a library shooting itself in the foot. But libraries, of course, are about expanding, not limiting—expanding people's access to the written word, as well as to music, art, and, more recently, the entire Interweb and all it holds (except porn). And so the free classes in e-readers and e-books at four St. Paul libraries are just libraries doing what libraries do—getting books in the hands of people in whatever form is possible. The free classes do not provide e-readers; you must do that yourself. But they will tell you how to borrow e-books from the library and download them onto your PC or Mac and then transfer them to your nook, sony reader, or mobile device – android, blackberry, iphone, or tablet. (And others. There are always others.) St. Paul libraries began lending e-books in April. There are no late fees for these books, but they are automatically deleted from your ereader at the end of the lending time. The free classes will be at: 1 p.m. Aug. 1, Central Library downtown St. Paul, 90 W. 4th St.; 1 p.m. Aug. 8, Dayton's Bluff Library, 645 E. 7th St.; 6 p.m. Aug. 17, Arlington Hills Library, 1105 Greenbrier St. and 1 p.m. Aug. 22, Highland Park Library, 1974 Ford Parkway. All of them are in St. Paul, of course. No cost, no registration. Just come on by. For more information, go to www.sppl.org.