2. A Brief History of eBooks
1971- Michael S. Hart digitizes the Declaration of Independence, the world's first
eBook.
1993 - Digital Book Inc. offers the first 50 digital books in floppy disk with Digital Book
Format.
1998 - The first eReaders are released: Rocket eBook and SoftBook. The first ISBN's are
issued to eBooks; multimedia enhanced eBooks on CDs are promoted.
2000 - Stephen King releases a novella in digital file that can only be read on a
computer. Over 400,000 copies are downloaded in the first 24 hours.
2002 - Random House & HarperCollins start to sell digital versions of their publications.
2007 - Amazon launches the Kindle for $399; over 90,000 eBooks are available to
customers.
2008 - BooksOnBoard begins to sell eBooks for iPhones.
2009 - Barnes & Noble introduces the Nook.
2010 - Apple releases the iPad with iBooks/iBookstore; Amazon reports that for the first
time, eBook sales outnumber hardcover book sales.
Source: ebookfriend.ly
3. eBooks in the School Library
~ Public and academic libraries have been the dominant provider of
eBooks to patrons
~ School libraries have been entering the eBook scene slowly; from
2010 to 2011 there was a 33% increase in the number of school
libraries offering eBooks
~ Of the 44% of U.S. school libraries offering eBooks, most of them
are found in high school and middle school libraries
~ Those school libraries without eBooks say they plan on purchasing
them by 2013
~ As of October 2011, eBook purchases accounted for approximately
3% of school library budgets
4. Options for School Libraries
eReader Brands:
Amazon Kindle: $79-$379
Barnes & Noble Nook: $99-$249
iPad (tablet): $399-$699
Many vendors offer eBooks, including:
Follett, Gale, Marshall Cavendish, ABC CLIO, Salem, & InfoBase, as
well as titles that can be purchased directly from Amazon and Barnes
& Noble.
Platforms: offered by numerous vendors with varying features give
users access to ebooks remotely and on a variety of devices
(Compatibility is key!). Overdrive is the leading platform vendor.
5. Benefits & Advantages of eBooks
~ Multiple copies of one title can be circulated (with the approriate platform)
~ School libraries have strong relationships with publishers & vendors
~ Enhanced eBooks and Interactive eBooks are engaging and provide greater
access to students with a variety of needs (text to speech, hi-lo, E Ink)
~ Allow students to take notes, highlight words & passages, & utilize
dictionary instantly
~ Lots of nonfiction titles
available in different formats;
social studies texts now include
maps & primary source docs
~ Can be used to support CCSS
and enhance students' abilities
in working with complex texts
~ eBooks make reading fun!
6. Challenges & Disadvantages of eBooks
~ Accessibility is limited due to budget constraints and socioeconomic
challenges
~ Multiple copies of one title may not be able to be circulated without a
platform (very expensive)
~ Some books are not available in digital format: To Kill A Mockingbird,
Catcher in the Rye
~ Interactive elements may distract from the elements of the story & detract
from critical thinking & open-ended discussions about text
~ Circulation of devices may be difficult to manage
~ Time consuming for library staff to manage eBooks & eReaders
7. eBooks in Action
Minnetonka Middle School East near
Minneapolis, MN: http://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=aV6XOozvtLk
CPS has purchased 10,000 eBooks, 7,000 of
which have been downloaded and can be
accessed by students.
http://www2.youseemore.com/cps/school.
asp?sID=277
Promotional video from Overdrive - how it all
works:
http://www.overdrive.
com/Solutions/Schools/K12/SDL/#!
prettyPhoto/0/
eBook Clubs: Teachers & librarians need to learn how to
http://theaudaciouslibrarian.blogspot. use these devices too! Students need to
com/2012/06/phillips-hs-nook-book-club. know how to navigate these devices to get
html the most benefit from them instructionally.
8. Resources for Using eBooks in Your
School Library
Interactive eBook Reviews: http://www.bestinteractiveebooks.com/
Best Apps For Kids: http://bestappsforkids.com/
All things eBooks & eReaders: http://www.ebookanoid.com/
Library Connects wiki eBooks page: http://libraryconnects.
wikispaces.com/E+Books
Mobiliary wiki - CPS Department of Libraries:
http://mobilary.wikispaces.com/home
Buffy Hamilton: http://theunquietlibrary.libguides.com/content.php?
pid=228880&sid=1892912
9. eBooks vs. Traditional Books
“It’s just cool that you can read on your iPad,” said Julianna, who started using
e-books when she was 6. “It’s more fun and you learn more from it.” - Julianna,
2nd grader
“Old books don’t really cut it anymore,” she said. “We have to transform our
learning as we know it.” - Kourtney Denning, teacher
“We don’t have any evidence that any kind of electronic device is better than a
parent.” - Julia Parish-Morris, post-doctoral fellow at the University of
Pennsylvania
“But without the balance of children holding and touching and learning how to
take care of a book, you run the risk of children losing a sense of what books are
and how they feel,” Miller says. “You lose the understanding of how they came
to be.” - Gabrielle Miller, national executive director of Raising a Reader
nonprofit organization
10. References
Fitzgerald, Thomas J. "Bringing Up an E-Reader - Kids and Ereaders." Web log post. Read-an-ebook.com. N.
p., n.d. Web. 6 Aug. 2012. <http://www.read-an-ebook.com/2012/04/bringing-up-e-reader-david-maxwell-
new.html>.
Hamilton, Buffy. "EBooks and EReaders for School Library Programs  ." Creekview High School. N.p., 9
July 2011. Web. 06 Aug. 2012. <http://theunquietlibrary.libguides.com/content.php?pid=228880>.
Harris, Christopher. "Ebooks and School Libraries." American Libraries (2012): n. pag. Web. 6 Aug. 2012.
<http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/features/01132012/ebooks-and-school-libraries>.
Lau Whelan, Debra. "More School Libraries Offer Ebooks; Increased Demand, Rise in Circulation." School
Library Journal (2011): n. pag. Web. 6 Aug. 2012. <http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/home/892394-
312/more_school_libraries_offer_ebooks.html.csp>.
McKenzie, Jamie. "EReading: How Is Reading Changing with the Advent of EBooks?" From Now On: The
Educational Technology Journal 21.3 (2012): n. pag. Web. 4 Aug. 2012. <http://www.fno.
org/jan2012/newagereading.html>.
