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

2.  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 2

3.  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 3

4.  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 4

5.  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 5

6.  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 6

7.  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independent authors (primarily unpublished or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
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8.  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 8

9.  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 9

10.  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
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11.  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
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12.  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 12

13.  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 13

14.  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
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15.  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
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