Presented to Appleton Public Library Staff September 17, 2010 By Diana Sandberg, Media Librarian

What are e-books? An e-book is a electronic book that you view on a e-reader device such as the Kindle, Nook, or Sony Reader. E-books may also be read on certain phones, on your computer or laptop, and on devices such as the iPad, if you have the proper software. This is in contrast to an audiobook, which you listen to.

*portability—a thousand books in one hand! *e-books are cheaper than buying hardcover books *you can download books for free from libraries and other sources *it saves trees, if you normally buy new books *there is access anywhere to read and purchase books, using 3G networks or Wi-Fi Advantages of e-books:

Disadvantages of e-books: *must purchase device and books *need to charge device/cost of electricity *some people prefer the feel of paper books, and e-readers can be much heavier *formatting may change, making some documents hard to read *Not all e-book formats work on all devices

Most e-readers use e-ink, which attempts to create a paper-like viewing experience, in shades of gray. Color e-ink is on the horizon, however. Other screens use LCD technology. Devices like the iPad (not a true e-reader) have backlighting for the screen, while others avoid it, saying it is hard on the eyes. Viewing e-books

PDF and ePub formats may be used on a computer, some e-readers, and some smart phones. Overdrive e-books come in both formats with epub being the preferred format.

Allows the reader to change the size of the display, resize the text, or change the font for easier reading. Epub is also used for enhanced e-books, which may contain linked video, music or photos within the text. This is a linked video of an interview with Richard Nixon in a biography. EPUB format

PDF Format A good format for documents with complex layouts, as it preserves the structure of the text. A graphic novel is an example of an e-book that is best read in this format. To use PDF format JavaScript and Adobe Flash Player must be enabled. You must also download free Adobe Digital Editions software to your computer.

Amazon’s Kindle and other e-readers may use a proprietary format, which limits them to e-books in that Digital Rights format. They may also be able to access DRM-free e-books, like those from Project Gutenberg. NookKindle DX

Adobe Digital Editions, requires patrons to choose: anonymous activation (which only allows the e-book to be read on one computer) or they can create an Adobe ID (or use their current ID). This allows the patron to use the e-books on more than one computer and transfer them to their Sony Reader or other compatible device. Then they must authorize the computer in order to have the ability to transfer items. Which should I choose?

Sony Reader —available at retailers as well as online. Able to download books from Overdrive and other sources. Kindle —from Amazon.com Uses e-books purchased from Amazon & DRM-free titles. Computers, netbooks, laptops, iPad Multi-use devices also used to read e- books. Nook —available from Barnes & Noble or Best Buy. Titles are purchased from B & N. It works with Overdrive. Major ebook readers

Many other companies produce e-readers, though they may not be as well known. Kobo is a newer device, and the Kno is a text-book oriented double screen device. Cell phones using Windows Mobile or Android platforms, iPhones, and smart phones may be able to access e-books, depending on the format.

E-readers can be lighter than a paperback book, and as thin as a magazine. LG has announced flexible screens as large as 19 inches. Current view screen size varies from 5 inches to just over 10 inches diagonally. Most are 6 to 8. Most dedicated e-readers have black and white viewing e-ink screens. Some like the new Nook, also have a color touch screen with controls at the bottom. Size

Memory size varies, plus some e-readers have slots for memory cards or sticks. The Kindle DX has 4GB of memory, holding 1,500 books. The Nook has 2GB of internal memory. It also uses an SD card for more storage. Sony Reader has space for 350 books in its onboard memory, with up to 32GB of removable memory. Capacity

Other features Nook allows you to share your e-books with friends for up to 14 days, using their computer, Nook, iPhone or iPod Touch if it has the free software downloaded. Many provide newspaper and magazine downloads, as well as access to music and photos. More are also adding web browsing capability, for convenience in checking or social networks.

Accessibility Some e-readers have features which make them accessible to people with disabilities. Text-to-speech capability is built into the Kindle 2 and Kindle DX, as well as the Pandigital Novel reader. The iPad has built-in features such as Voiceover, a gesture-based screen reader for the blind. Instead of memorizing keyboard commands or pressing keys, you touch the screen to hear a description of the item under your finger, then double-tap, drag, or flick to control iPad. It supports 21 languages. There is also support for playback of closed-captioned content, Mono Audio for those with hearing loss in one ear, and White on Black, which is a reverse contrast view.

E-book purchase Some e-readers allow you to purchase or download e-books wirelessly from their company (Amazon’s Kindle, for example). Others may require you to use a computer to access the e-book and transfer it to the e-reader, through Audible or iTunes. Indie Commerce book storewebsites and Google’s e-book store sell universal formats that can be used on most e-readers..

Free downloadable e-books with DRM-free format are available from a number of sites, but may not be compatible with all readers. Adobe Digital Editions or apps, like that for Kindle, may be needed on your PC or phone in order to use them. Project Gutenberg Project Gutenberg has e-books classics and older titles, as does Penn State. Manybooks.net is another free source that works with many e-readers.Penn State Manybooks.net Free e-books from non-library sources

Choosing an e-reader This depends on your budget, how you will use your e-reader, and where you intend to acquire your e-books. Key items would be: screen size, touch screen vs. keyboard, and whether there is backlighting. How many titles are available and in which format, connectivity, storage capacity, multimedia ability, battery life, how much tech support is provided, and of course cost.

Downloadable books in libraries First offered to libraries in 2004 they have been growing rapidly ever since. Their sales today account for 21% of the spoken-word audio market, according to the Audio Publishers Association. In Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Public Library Consortium provides services through Overdrive and Netlibrary to member libraries.

How are Overdrive books chosen? The WPLC consortium receives funds from the state. Participating libraries and library systems have selectors who choose titles from those available through Overdrive. I am the selector from Appleton. I put titles in a cart, and the main committee combines the lists. We have a conference call every month or two to discuss what to purchase. They do the ordering in Madison and new titles are available within a few days.

Using downloadable books from the catalog In Infosoup there are two types: Overdrive and Netlibrary. Netlibrary is all e-books, which are viewable by clicking on the link in the catalog. If a patron sets up an account using their library card, while they are in the library, they can access these from home. Patrons can have exclusive use of a title for 24 hours by checking it out online.

Overdrive provides multiple formats, including WMA and mp3 audio books, epub and pdf format e-books, plus a few videos and music. To search for e-books only, choose e- books from the search format box (it’s below “audio books”).

Formats are shown above the icons in Overdrive.

Titles are available for 7 (or sometimes 14) days on your computer, in Overdrive Media Console. Sony Readers limit use to 7 days. Other readers and mp3 players may allow you to keep the title indefinitely, but not transfer it to another device. How long do I have to read it?

Once the checkout period expires, the item will still show up in Overdrive Media Console, but it is no longer active. Patrons must delete it themselves to reuse the space. The full title entry will also show whether the title can be burned to cd (usually 1 disc per part), or transferred to another device such as an mp3 player..

Currently there are only a few public libraries that circulate e-readers, due to: *expense of purchasing reader and e-books *special handling (to avoid loss) *chance of damage to the reader *control over downloading by patrons *copyright/permission issues *incompatibility between devices and services Checking out e-readers

Libraries circulating e-readers generally load titles on each e-reader and disable the download feature. Often each e-reader has a theme or genre. They are very popular. Patrons often must sign a waiver saying they will pay for the device if it is damaged. A recent WI study had 11 libraries respond—8 lent Kindles, 5 lent Sony Readers, 5 lent Nooks and 1 lends a Kobo.

When a patron calls about using Overdrive with their device: 1.Kindles do not work with Overdrive; Sony Readers and Nook should. Check the Compatible Devices list on the Overdrive page for other brands and types of devices. Most brands have blogs or forums where you can see what other users of the device have found to work.

2. Did they download the Overdrive Media Console first? If they are checking out epub & pdf formats, did they download Adobe Digital Editions? They are free programs, on the Quick Start section of the Overdrive page.

3.Were they able to sign in to Overdrive? Maybe their card has expired, or they have fines. 4. Are they trying to download a format that won’t work on their device? Not everyone understands e-book versus audio book. The icons can be misleading, but you can see the format of the item when you look at the full page description of the title.

5. If they are using Adobe Digital Editions, they will need to authorize it with their current Adobe ID or create anew one if they want to read their materials on more than one computer or transfer it to a device. Then they will need to open their files so they can drag the item from the Adobe Digital Editions into the files of their reader.

E-book sales are rapidly growing CategorySalesPercent Change E-books$313 million176.6% Adult hardcover $2.6 billion 6.9% Children's/YA paperback $1.5 billion 2.2% 2009 book sales, by type, from the Association of American Publishers Studies have shown that many people who own e-readers continue to read paper books as well. They also report reading more books total.

“By the end of this year, 10.3 million people are expected to own e-readers in the United States, buying about 100 million e-books,” according to market research company Forrester. Amazon’s news releases about selling more Kindle versions than hardcover doesn’t include paperback and audio cd formats, and does include books that only appear in e-book format. So there are still a lot of paper books being sold.

Some colleges and schools are hoping to replace textbooks with e-books. Naturally there are both positives and negatives in a change to digital textbooks.

Privacy rights could be compromised. Would schools be able to access student notes or see what they were reading or listening to on their device? If the electricity goes out, or there is a power surge, digital items may be damaged or unavailable. Big Brother scenarios, like Amazon removing e-books from Kindles after people had purchased the device and the e-book from them, show how little control consumers might have. Ironically, the book Amazon removed was Animal Farm.removing e-books Possible Negatives

Easing of the physical burden of heavy textbooks in the student’s backpack. Easier to update textbooks to keep them current. Might be less expensive. Wouldn’t have to replace damaged ones—just download it again. Possible to provide more variety as there could be links to online databases and other sources included on the device, or hyperlinks from the text could provide enriching extras. Potential Positives

Providers of digital content are gearing up to provide streaming digital media to public libraries as well as college and university libraries. Currently they don’t have the popular materials that patrons want, plus they are very expensive, which is part of why libraries are not funding this service. Services such as Netflix and free content online provide individuals with most of their streaming content at this time. Streaming Content

Are e-books green? E-book supporters claim that e-books are better for the earth, but are they really? The New York Times article “How Green is my iPad?” from April 4, 2010, explains the ecological costs of both e-readers and paper books. The point where reading with an e-reader begins to have less of an ecological footprint than reading paper books is reached at 40 to 50 e-books for fossil fuels/water use/mineral consumption. To factor in global warming you would have to read 100. The article ended “All in all, the most ecologically virtuous way to read a book starts by walking to your local library”.

Publishers may focus on reducing prices or expanding markets. Amazon has chosen the first with the Kindle, Sony seems to be following the second with their Reader. People probably will demand more sharing & less DRM so they don’t need as many devices. They need to access them in multiple formats in multiple places, in ways the Kindle app allows. Changes in the e-reader market

Some e-reader companies are starting to work more with libraries. Sony is cooperating with libraries and schools in its Reader Library Program to promote digital reading at public libraries

Importance of ereaders & streaming to libraries: *Makes us more relevant to patrons’ lives if we provide access *May be a cheaper form of delivery *Don’t take up physical space *A virtual library is available anywhere,anytime *Added value/content *Speedy turnaround (order, they are there) *No wasted time on the holds shelf *No overdue or billed items

Difficulties with e-books and streaming in libraries: *Incompatibility *Cost—you have an access fee plus cost per title/copy; technical support; staff training; costs of hosting the website *2 models of accessibility (Overdrive, etc.) One copy = 1 download at a time Unlimited access (more expensive; most audio book publishers won’t allow— Blackstone and Tantor are two who do provide this level)

* No covers—how do you browse? *Bandwidth may be limited *How do we allow access for downloading to those who don’t have computers but have a device such as a compatible phone or mp3 player? Programs like iTunes sync with what is on that computer, so new users could lose what they have on their device. *Security and privacy issues

E-books are digital documents so we could reinvent books: a way to read, take notes, access online extras, and share with colleagues and friends in real time. While reading on a device, you could interact with the author, or a friend. A book could provide social access by allowing real time comments, or a conversation. Potential new uses of E-books in libraries

In book clubs, a“bibliocast”—revisions and commentary in addition to the text of the book, could be automatically downloaded in preparation for a discussion. For classwork, books and other classroom materials, a multimedia lecture and an online discussion could all be accessed as a package on one device. A new view of homework help! Libraries could take advantage of all these choices.

The future of libraries in a digital world We need to think about what our users will need in the future. Streaming video and music rather than CDs and DVDs? Will our libraries shrink in size and gain download stations rather than new materials? Will virtual libraries become the norm?

Libraries exist to help the average person, to be the center of a community, and digital formats give us more ways to perform those functions. While libraries may need to change, they will still be relevant, and popular.