Ebook Information Compiled by Preston Salisbury, in fulfillment of the requirements for LIS 557 Ebook Information, Presented October 6, 2013

Introduction to Ebooks Electronic books, or Ebooks, are editions of books available electronically in a variety of formats Ebooks may be used on a variety of devices, including: Ereader, such as a Kindle or Nook Mobile device, such as a Smartphone or tablet Personal computer Ebooks may be text only, or they may contain all of the same material as the original book. Ebook Information, Presented October 6, 2013

Ebooks at the local library Ebooks are often available for lending at the local library Some libraries also lend Ereaders Some libraries also lend electronic editions of magazines and periodicals. Libraries may provide Ebooks in a variety of formats, or they may only be available in one format. Check with your local library to be sure your device is compatible with their Ebooks. Ebook Information, Presented October 6, 2013

Ebooks Online Many online booksellers also sell electronic editions. Amazon.com sells electronic editions designed for their Kindle. Barnes & Noble Booksellers, as well as Books-a- Million, sell Ebooks designed for the Nook. There are also online booksellers dedicated to Ebooks. Ebook Information, Presented October 6, 2013

Ebooks Online, cont. Ebooks.com sells Ebooks compatible with a number of devices. The site does require downloading free software to your personal computer in order to transfer the Ebooks to your device. Kobo.com sells a wide variety (over 3.5 million) of Ebooks compatible with their Ereaders. Ebooks are also available from many other retailers. Ebook Information, Presented October 6, 2013

Free Ebooks (FreEbooks?) Books which are public domain (often 75+ years old) are often available for free in an E- edition. This is an inexpensive way to acquire some books, but there are problems Some may be scanned from the original, and have poor image quality. Some are transcribed from the original, and may have typographical errors. Ebook Information, Presented October 6, 2013

Free Ebooks, continued Free Ebooks are available from a variety of online resources. Project Gutenberg (www.gutenberg.org) provides transcribed documents of many books, often in a .txt or .pdf format. Books related to Christian History are available from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (www.ccel.org) in .pdf format. www.free-ebooks.net provides free books from independent authors (primarily unpublished or public domain books. Ebook Information, Presented October 6, 2013

Free Ebooks, continued The chief downside to free Ebooks is that bestsellers and other books of current interest are typically not available for free. Classics and older books, as well as outdated technical manuals, may be available for free, and this may be useful to some readers, but not all. Ebook Information, Presented October 6, 2013

Positives of Ebooks Ebooks are convenient Hundreds of books can be carried on a single device. Books may be read anywhere. Ebooks help build a community of readers Most major Ereaders, such as the Kindle or the Nook, enable users to see passages highlighted by other readers. It is easy to post quotes from the book to social media. Ebook Information, Presented October 6, 2013

Positives of Ebooks, continued Notations on the text are saved electronically, instead of taking up the margin of the page. It is possible to access only the highlighted passages of a text. This feature assists students Authors starting their career may find it easier to publish electronically than traditionally. Ebook Information, Presented October 6, 2013

Negatives of Ebooks Ebooks do not provide real ownership. A physical book may be lent to a friend or family member, re-sold, or traded in for a credit to another book at a used-book seller. An Ebook cannot be re-sold or lent to another person. Risk of losing books or notations. If an Ereader is lost or stolen, some texts may be lost, and any notations not backed up will be lost. If an Ereader is damaged or ceases to be functional, some items may be lost. Ebook Information, Presented October 6, 2013

Negatives of Ebooks, continued Cost of Ebooks is not significantly lower than paper editions. The cost of a Kindle edition from Amazon on a bestseller is generally not significantly lower than that of a regular edition. When factoring in the inability to re-sell the book, the total cost of ownership may be higher. Difficulty in highlighting/underlining and taking notes. Although it is easier to save notes, typing on most Ereader keyboards is more difficult than writing. Ebook Information, Presented October 6, 2013

Negatives of Ebooks, continued Some argue that Ebooks “price people out of reading” (Brodsky, 2013). As a digital medium, Ebooks are obsolete much more quickly than traditional printed books. Ebook Information, Presented October 6, 2013

Conclusion Ebooks are a new medium with some clear advantages and disadvantages by comparison to traditional books. Ebooks are becoming more widely available. Ebooks are ideal for some people (particularly young people or disabled people), but are not yet a suitable replacement for traditional books for the entire population. Ebook Information, Presented October 6, 2013

Sources www.kobo.com/aboutus www.ebooks.com/news/41 Brodsky, A. “The abomination of Ebooks: They price people out of reading.” Accessed at: http://www.wired.com/opinion/2013/10/ho w-ebook-pricing-hurts-us-in-more-ways- than-you-think/ Ebook Information, Presented October 6, 2013