2. Outline
• Ebooks
– Readers and Formats
– Ebook Market
– Buying and Free
– Audiobooks
• Ebooks and the Library
– Online books
– Benefits
– Restrictions
Innerd 2009
3. What is an ebook?
“Books comprised of digitized
text, designed to be read on
computer screens, ebook
reading devices or portable
handheld devices.”
Pastore, 2009
Innerd 2009
4. Why I like ebooks
• Takes up less space
• Carrying around many books without the
weight
• Some screens are backlit while others use
the eink technology
Innerd 2009
5. Ebook Features
• Keyword searching
• Copying and pasting
• Printing
• Highlighting and Annotating
• Display can be adjusted
• Some ebooks can handle text to voice
• Environmental benefits
Innerd 2009
6. Readers
• • Blackberry
Apple iPod Touch
• • eBookman
Apple iPhone
• • Nokia
Txtr
770/N800/N810
• iRex iLiad
• Palm
• Amazon Kindle
• Pocket PC
• Bebook
• Symbian
• Sony Reader
• Zaurus
• PDA
Innerd 2009
7. Ebook formats
ePub iSilo
Amazon Kindle iPod Notes
PDF Custom PDF
eReader RTF
mobipocket .prc iPhone PDF
mobipocket .mobi iPhone Books app
Sony .lrf FictionBook2
PalmDOC zTXT
Plucker Rocketbook
Innerd 2009
8. Kindle
• Kindle 2.0 and Kindle DX
• Uses Whispernet to connect directly
through the internet
• Ebooks in kindle format
• Built-in dictionary
• Access to Wikipedia
• Not in Canada
• Lots of controversy
Innerd 2009
9. Publishing Industry
• Sales of Ebooks in August 2008 were up
82.9% compared to August 2007
• And up 53% for the year between August
2007 and August 2008
• In the first 3 months since it release in
mid-June (2008), over 2 million EPUB files
...to the Stanza reader.
Computers in Libraries, January 2009
Innerd 2009
11. Benefits to the Writer
• No restrictions based on print runs
• Easier self-publishing
• Contain links to related material
• Can be interactive with audio and video
clips added
Innerd 2009
12. Buying Ebooks
• What format are you going to invest in?
• Is it available as an ebook?
– Is it available in Canada?
• Can you re-download the book?
• How many devices does it support?
Innerd 2009
14. Google Settlement
• Applies only in the USA
• Mechanism for Google to pay
rightsholders who can opt out
• Libraries have to pay for access
• Creates 3 classes of books: public
domain; in-copyright not commercially
available; and in-copyright commercially
available
• Being challenged Innerd 2009
16. Library Benefits
• More than one person can use an ebook at
the same time
• Access is available when the library building
is closed
• Better support for distance programming
• Ability to use them with course management
systems (such as Blackboard)
• Collaborative tools such as sharing notes and
bookshelves
Innerd 2009
17. Library Ebooks come from:
• NetLibrary
• Safari
• OVID
• American Psychological Association
• Ebsco
• eCPS
• ArtFL
• Oxford UP Reference
Innerd 2009
18. Finding Library Ebooks
• http://www.eclibrary.ca/
– E-Resources
• Ebooks
• Many ebooks can also be found through
the Library Catalogue
Innerd 2009
24. “Though we all love books, we must also
recognize that the paper books our
profession so adores are just one
manifestation of a storage technology for
stories and information.”
Christopher Harris
Innerd 2009
