Finding Ebooks Online

Finding
E-books
Online

Summary
So you're interested in e-books. Perhaps you've checked out one of the Library's Sony
Reader e-book devices. Or maybe you'd like to read some e-books on your mobile phone.
Whatever your interest, this walkthrough will show you how to navigate various free e-
book sources on the web. You'll be acquainted with what an e-book is, where to look for
e-books online, and how to download those e-books to your computer.

Table of Contents

What is an e-book and why should I read one?......................................................2
Finding E-books Online.......................................................................................3
Google Books....................................................................................................4
Internet Archive.................................................................................................7
Project Gutenberg..............................................................................................9
Feedbooks.......................................................................................................10
ManyBooks......................................................................................................12
Want More?.....................................................................................................14

This document is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United
States License. For more information, visit http://www.creativecommons.org.

Finding E-books Online, p.1

What is an e-book and why should I read one?
E-books, short for electronic books, are essentially digital versions
of printed books. They can be read on various electronic devices
such as personal computers, mobile phones (as shown at right), or
e-readers such as the Amazon Kindle or Sony Reader. E-books
come in various file formats, although the EPUB format is quickly
becoming one of the most popular. E-books are often also
produced as Portable Document Format (PDF) files.

E-readers like the Sony Reader are specially designed to be able to
read e-books. However, computers and mobile phones often
require separate software to be able to read e-books. Common
software for personal computers includes Sony Reader Library
(http://ebookstore.sony.com/download/), Adobe Digital Editions
(http://www.adobe.com/products/digitaleditions/), and Microsoft Reader
(http://www.microsoft.com/Reader/).

E-books have several advantages and disadvantages compared to printed books.

Advantages:
• Portability: Since e-books can be read on a number of devices, they can be taken
almost anywhere. They have relatively small file sizes, so one device holds multiple
e-books. This makes bringing reading material while traveling much easier.
• Cost: E-books are often cheaper than printed books, since publishers do not incur
the expense of printing them on paper and shipping them.
• Linking: E-books often include links (similar to links to websites) that allow you to
quickly skip through to different chapters or to jump back and forth from
footnotes.

Disadvantages:
• Device-dependent: With a printed book, you can simply pick it up and read it, as
long as it's in a language you understand; nothing additional is needed. However,
e-books require you to have some sort of technology on which to read them. These
devices often require power, such as batteries or wall chargers.
• Digital Rights Management (DRM): Depending on the licensing terms when buying
them, e-books often cannot be lent or resold. Often, customers are purchasing a
right to read an e-book rather than actually buying a copy of the book to own, as
with a printed book.
• Obsolescence: Since e-books are technological, different e-book formats or devices
are liable to become obsolete like other technologies. E-books thus may need to be
converted to other formats eventually.

Because of the advantages and disadvantages, e-books are definitely a technology that
will be around for a while. However, they likely won't replace printed books anytime soon.
We hope that you'll experiment with them to see if e-books are right for you. The next
few pages will show you a bit more about e-books and e-readers.


Finding E-books Online
One nice feature of e-books is that you can read them on a variety of devices: personal
computers, netbooks, mobile phones, e-readers, etc. Each device is a little bit different,
so we'll leave the explanation for how to transfer the books to the device itself up to the
manual that came with your gadget. However, we will show you how to find various e-
books online and download them to your computer.

If you'd like to try one of these devices, you can check out e-readers from the North
Bend Public Library. We purchased the touch edition of the Sony Reader (model no. PRS-
600), a popular e-reader that can be operated simply by touching its screen (similar to
an iPhone, ATM, or grocery store self-checkouts). Just ask at the Library if you're
interested (541-756-0400, nbpl@cclsd.org)!

E-books can be found various places on the internet, both paid and free. Popular paid e-
book websites include Amazon (http://www.amazon.com), eBooks.com
(http://www.ebooks.com), Fictionwise (http://www.fictionwise.com), and the Sony
eBook store (http://ebookstore.sony.com). However, this walkthrough will focus on
several free e-book resources.

Google Books (http://books.google.com):
Google Books is perhaps the best known free source of e-books
on the web. The site include literally millions of books that have
been digitally scanned and placed online. It also includes
previews of current books provided by publishers. Many of these
titles can be viewed or downloaded for free.

Internet Archive (http://www.archive.org):
The Internet Archive, like Google, has been digitally scanning library books
from around the world. They primarily focus on works in the public domain
(i.e. works that are no longer in copyright, generally those published before
1923 in the United States). These scanned texts can be downloaded from
the Internet Archive's website.

Project Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.org):
Project Gutenberg is one of the oldest e-book websites around. Like
the Internet Archive, it primarily focuses on public domain works.
One nice feature of Project Gutenberg is that titles can be
downloaded in many different file formats. It is an excellent source
for classic books.

Feedbooks (http://www.feedbooks.com):
Like other sites mentioned, Feedbooks offers several public
domain titles for download. It also allows you to download
books from several contemporary new authors.
Try this site to find something new!


ManyBooks.net (http://manybooks.net):
Are you looking for a bit more variety? ManyBooks.net provides a mix
of new and old titles in a variety of categories. This includes popular
fiction genres (romance, science fiction, etc.) as well as various
nonfiction titles.

There are several more sources of e-books on the web, but we'll give you detailed steps
for how you can use these great resources.

Google Books
(http://books.google.com)

Google Books is an effort by the popular search engine company to make the vast
amounts of knowledge stored in printed books searchable on the web. There are two
parts to the program: the Library program, which seeks to digitally scan books from
libraries around the world, and the Partner program, which allows publishers and authors
to place free previews of their books online.

One nice feature of Google Books is that you can search it as simply as you would search
for information on the Google search engine. Simply type what you're looking for into the
search box on the Google Books website (shown below).
Search box
Use to search for specific books.

Categories
Use to browse
various topics
or genres of
interest.

Let's try a search. Say you're searching for a copy of Bram Stoker's Dracula. Click your
left mouse button once inside the box next to the Google Books logo. Type “dracula” (no


quotes) in the search box and left-click “Search Books.” You'll get a list of results like that
shown below.

Your results show books that include the word “dracula.” By clicking the title of the book,
you can view at least part of the title. Some of them you may be able to view in their
entirety, or even download them to your computer. Most of them, however, you will not.
For many, you may only be able to see a few passages of the books with the word or
phrase you viewed (called the “snippet view”). Titles that are not fully viewable are still
subject to copyright. You can limit your search results to only books that you can view in
full, or even only to books that are in the public domain, by using the options on the left
side of your screen. These options are explained below.

Shows all books, even those are still
in copyright and not fully viewable.

Only shows books that can be viewed in their
entirety.
Only shows books that are in the public domain, i.e.
that are no longer subject to copyright. These
books generally have fewer restrictions, so you can
often download them.

Click “Public domain only” now. Your list of results will change, showing similar results to
the picture below. You'll see that the book we want, Dracula by Bram Stoker, is right on
the top! Click the title of the book now to view the book.


Clicking the link will allow you to read the book directly on your computer, as shown
below. The various parts of the book viewer are explained. Contents
Click “Contents” to
Search this Page view skip directly to
book Changes whether you see one, two, certain chapters or
Allows you to or multiple pages on the screen. pages of a book.
search for words
and phrases that
appear in the
book.
Page navigation
Use the arrows to
flip between pages
Zoom of the book, or
Make the type a specific
text of the page into the box.
book larger
or smaller.

Viewing area
This is where your book is
shown.
Of course, you can read the book right on your computer. However, many books on
Google Books can also be downloaded so that you can read them on another device. In
the top right of the book viewing area, you'll see a few options, as shown below. Click the
link that says “Download.”

For this particular book, we have two options: PDF and EPUB. Some books only allow you
to download them in PDF format. PDF is a very common file format that can be read on a
number of different computers and gadgets. EPUB is a file specific for e-books that allows
slightly more flexibility with things like changing font sizes, etc. They can be read by
most e-readers and e-book software, with the exception of the Amazon Kindle.

Click the “EPUB” option now. When you have the choice, EPUB is generally a better
choice given its flexibility. A save dialog will open like the one shown on the next page.


Depending on what web browser you're using (e.g.
Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc.), this box will look
slightly different. However, in most case, you should
have the option to open the file (if you have a
program on your computer that reads e-books) or
save the file. If you plan to transfer the book to a
different device, we recommend that you save the
book, perhaps in a folder on your computer
specifically for saving e-book files. Then, you'll know
where to look when you want to transfer the book
to your e-reader, phone, or other gadget.

Internet Archive
(http://www.archive.org)

Another great source of e-books (and many other wonderful, freely-available things) is
the Internet Archive. The Internet Archive aims to preserve a number of important,
primarily public domain, works in various formats: audio, video, and text. They are also
known for the Wayback Machine, an archive of web pages as they appeared in the past.
Ever wondered what Google looked like back in 2000? The Wayback Machine can show
you. The many things available on the Internet Archive are shown prominently on their
homepage, displayed below.

Texts
Click here to
access e-books.

Like Google Books, the Internet Archive has been digitizing printed books from around
the world. To access these books, click the “Texts” link near the bottom right of the page
(or up in the menus near the top of the page).


Search box
Type the
subject, author,
or title that you
want into this
box.

You will go to a page that looks similar to the one above (we've cut off the rest of the
page in the screenshot). From here, searching for texts is simple. There is a small search
box near the top middle of the screen. Click inside this box, type the subject, author, or
title you want into it, then click “Go.” Let's try a sample search now for books on
beekeeping. Type “beekeeping” (no quotes) into the box. A list of results will appear.

Move between the
pages of results here.

Sort your results
by the number of
others who've
downloaded
them, their
rating by
readers, or other
factors.

If you find a book that interests you, simply click the blue title. You'll get more
information about the book, including title, author, publisher, a description, which library

These options allow
you to read or
download the book.


contributed the book, and more. Scroll down the results until you find
Practical Beekeeping and click its title to view it.

On the left side of the page, you'll see you have various options for
using the book under the “View the book” heading. Like Google
Books, you can read the book directly online. Do so by clicking the
“Read Online” link. You can also download the links in various formats
(PDF, EPUB, etc). Click the link for the file type you'd like to download
(again, we recommend EPUB). You'll see a save dialog similar to the
one that opened when you downloaded a file from Google Books. You
know what to do here: save the file where you want it and then keep
searching Internet Archive for more great books, like we showed you!

Project Gutenberg
(http://www.gutenberg.org)

Project Gutenberg is one of the oldest sources of e-books on the internet. As with the
Internet Archive, Project Gutenberg works with texts that are no longer in copyright. The
books can be downloaded in a variety of formats (simple text files, PDFs, internet
documents, or even EPUB in many cases).

As with other sites, Project Gutenberg gives you an option right on their main page to
search for a title or author of interest (see the search boxes on the top left). Let's try
searching for something now. Click inside the author box and type “shakespeare.” In the
Title Word(s) box, type “hamlet.” Then click “Go.”


You will get a list of results like the one shown above at left. As you can see, with a
common title like Hamlet, you may get multiple results. Click on the title of the first
result to open up a page showing you more information about the book (i.e. title, author,
publishing date, etc.), shown above at right.

As with the other websites, you can also
download the files. Scroll down slightly on the
page until you see the heading “Download this
ebook for free.” Under this heading, you will see a
(what should be now familiar) list of various file
formats in which you can download the book in
various formats, including PDF and our favorite,
EPUB (which is listed under the “Computer-
Generated Files” section). When you find the type
of file you'd like to download, click the “main site”
link in the “Download Links” column. You'll be
prompted to open or save the file, as we've
discussed earlier.

Feedbooks
(http://www.feedbooks.com)

Up to now, most of these websites have been focused more on searching for books on
specific topics. However, Feedbooks is a bit more for the browsers among you. Are you
just looking for something interesting to read but don't have anything specific in mind?
Feedbooks may be a good option for you.

Feedbooks includes public domain books, as with the other sites.
However, it also includes original books by new authors of whom you may
have never heard. Move your mouse cursor over the “Original Books” link
near the top of the page. It will open the options shown at right. Click
“New & Popular” now to see a list of popular books on Feedbooks.


Browse through
public domain
books or original
contemporary
books by moving
your mouse over
the links at the
top of the page.

As with the other websites, you can simply click the title of the book to view more
information about it. A sample page on a book is shown below. To download a book,
simply click the appropriate link on the right side of the page and save the file as
previously described.

Click one of
these links to
download a file
of the e-book.


ManyBooks
(http://manybooks.net)

Last but certainly not least, ManyBooks is another
website for those of you who like to browse. This site
has several thousand free e-books, most of which
are also in the public domain. However, they make it
very easy to browse around and find interesting
books or authors in your areas of interest. For
instance, using the links on the left side of the page,
click “Genres.” It will open a list of genres like the
one shown at right. You can select one of these
topics and look at various books that may pique your
fancy, including art books, mysteries, magazines,
and more.


For instance, try clicking the link for “Pirate
Tales.” You'll see a list of titles (including covers)
of various pirate stories, as shown at right.
ManyBooks is designed to help you easily browse
through titles on various topics to pick ones of
interest. You can view titles of interest by clicking
the title. Do this now by clicking the title for
Blackbeard.

As with other sites, clicking the title will give you more information about it (see below),
including publishing information, a description, and even reader reviews.

Click this arrow to
get a drop-down list
of different formats
in which you can
download the book.

You can download the book in various file formats by clicking the small down arrow under
the “Download” heading on the right side of the screen. Click on the file type you want
(again, we recommend EPUB), then click the “Download” button below the list box.
Again, you will be prompted to open or save the file, as shown before.


Want More?
These were just a few of our favorite e-book websites. But in case you're seeking more,
there are many other e-book websites out there. Here are a few for you to peruse.

• Finding Free eBooks (http://finding-free-ebooks.blogspot.com)
This blog highlights several freely available e-books from around the net!

• Free-eBooks.net (http://www.free-ebooks.net)
Another great source of free e-books. There are several new titles by
contemporary authors who want to share their books with the world. Check it out!

• Smashwords (http://www.smashwords.com)
A source of several cheap and free independently-published e-books in lots of
different formats. Try this site to find something new.

• Suvudu (http://www.suvudu.com/freelibrary)
Fantasy and science fiction fans take note. This site gives many free e-books of the
first books in lots of series, just to let you try them out. Use this to try out a new
author or fantasy series.

Have a few favorite sites of your own? Or maybe you have some questions about e-
books. Perhaps your interest might even have been piqued and you'd like to try out an e-
reader. Whatever the reason, feel free to contact us at the North Bend Public Library:
541-756-0400 or nbpl@cclsd.org. Happy reading!

Last updated: April 1, 2010, (no joke) by Buzzy Nielsen. Thanks to Gina Gallo for her advice on
putting together this walkthrough.


Finding Ebooks Online

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Finding Ebooks Online