Electronic Books Or E-Books

Outline Definitions Formats for distribution Advantages & Disadvantages of e-Books E-Book Publishing Examples of e-Books Digital Projects & Standards E-books in the UWC library

Definition “Simply put, it's a book that can be downloaded and read on a computer or other digital device.” “An ebook is an electronic/digital version of a book. The term is used ambiguously to refer to either an individual work in a digital format, or a hardware device used to read books in digital format.”

Definition: International Encyclopaedia of Information & library science “Term used to describe a text analogous to a book, that is in digital form to be displayed on a computer screen. CD-ROMs can store vast amounts of data in text form, as well as in digital images, animation, video sequences, the spoken word, music and other sounds to supplement this text. The added software features of hypermedia (its ability to perform text searches, provide hypertext links, expert guides, online glossaries and marginal notes, and so on) makes it seem certain that there will be growing demand for 'books' in this form.

Formats for Distribution The distribution formats, HTML, ASCII, PDF and XML are widespread, but are usually used in low-level, non-critical, and non-commercial formats.HTMLASCII PDFXML Microsoft Reader 2.0, Mobipocket Reader, Palm eReader and Adobe Acrobat Reader are in widespread use. Palm eReader Adobe Acrobat Reader Amazon’s Kindle is also very popular now

Does it need a specialised e-book reader? Yes, at times. e.g. Everybook Reader and Rocket eBook (both expensive from $699-$1600). The Rocket eBook was one of the first handheld devices created for reading an electronic book. Originally developed by NuvoMedia, the company was acquired by Gemstar TV Guide International in See a picture of it on the next slide. Note the convenient scroll buttons on the left side.

margins. )

The kindle

E-Book Advantages Text can be searched, except when represented in the form of images. Take up little space. Hundreds (or thousands) may be carried together on one device. Approximately 500 average ebooks can be stored on one CD (equivalent to a roomful of print books) Ebooks may be read in low light or even total darkness, with a back-lit device.

E-Book Advantages Type size and type face may be adjusted. However, enlarging e.g. a PDF document magnifies the text but preserves the original layout and spacing. Can be used with text-to-speech software. Readily reformatted for independent platforms. Instantly copied

E-Book Advantages When a backup is kept in a remote place, cannot be lost by fire, etc. Once distributed, elimination is hard to impossible. Distributed at low cost Simultaneously share book (if networked).

E-Book Advantages Errors may be easily corrected with downloadable lists of errata or simply with corrected text. (This can also be an advantage for printed books, in different circumstances.) At the moment, ebooks are commonly published by independent publishing houses, which can mean greater editorial and authorial freedom and more room for experimentation. An inexpensive format for works that require color. An excellent choice of format for works that benefit from search and cross-reference capabilities, such as dictionaries, reference works, certain kinds of textbooks.

E-Book Disadvantages From the user's point of view: Can be incompatible with new or replacement hardware or software Require care in handling and storage of the files, to avoid damage or loss From the publisher/author's point of view: Can in some cases be hacked, or disseminated without approval from the author or publisher (some formats are more susceptible to this than others) Not normally a good format choice for works that have extensive and/or large illustrations, such as works in art history, photography, large maps, etc.

E-Publishing One of the most contentious developments arising from digital media and computer networks is electronic publishing. Will electronic publishing give rise to the discontinuation of print, the role of publishers and libraries? History proves to us that different media continue to co- exist e.g. oral traditions, handwriting, handcrafted books and radio, alongside print, television and video. Nowadays, print newspapers co-exist with online versions, some of which are complementary products of the same publishers.

E-Publishing Up until this century publishers were reluctant to “go digital” for fear of “unauthorized” access (piracy) Purpose-built software like the Microsoft Reader, Mobipocket and Adobe Reader prevent copyright transgressions and thereby address the issue of Digital Rights Management.Digital Rights Management

E-Publishing There are publishers who make their work available without digital rights and seem to make a profit. Jim Baen’s science fiction and fantasy publishing house offers downloads for free. National Academies Press publishes all of its 2,500 books in free online editions National Academies Press

Born digital or reproduced from print? March 14, 2000 Stephen King's novella Riding the Bullet was published as an electronic book available for download. Project Gutenberg has both literary texts and reference works. Reproductions of printed works available in the public domain (out of copyright) Project Gutenberg Online-Books Page contains, amongst others, women writers collection, banned books and prize winners online, for free! Online-Books Page

Digital Projects The Internet Public Library is the first public library of and for the Internet community. Has great links to reference and subject collectionsInternet Public Library List of Digital Library ProjectsDigital Library Projects Internal Children’s Digital Library (ICDL) Feedbooks

Standards Attempts are underway to create a standard format for ebooks, notably by The International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF) formerly the Open eBook Forum (OeBF), based on XML/XHTML. International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF

E-Books in the UWC library Net library UWC has access to 247 titles. Net library Netlibrary allows you to check out up to 4 books to read offline for 4 hours Gale Virtual Reference Library – Africa African Digital Library allows free access to people living in Africa to a wide range of reference sources (including Encyclopaedia Britannica), news sources, libraries (including Questia, a very large online library) and more… African Digital Library