This presentation was given March 23, 2010, as part of the LSU Libraries Tech Talk Series, facilitated by Digital Technologies Librarian Rebecca Miller.

1. Electronic Books March Tech Talk March 23, 2010

2. Definition & History eBooks: First produced by Project Gutenberg in the 1970s Had to be read using a computer until late 1990s Started out for small and very targeted markets: technical manuals, etc. Most books that were digitized were already in the public domain

3. eReaders (standalone) eReaders: Came on the market in the late 1990s Dedicated hardware devices for accessing e-books Specifically designed for the reading experience Are available for the general consumer to use Market is dominated by only a few eReaders: Amazon Kindle ($259) B&N Nook ($259) Sony Reader ($169-$399)

4. Other “readers” eBooks are also available via other devices: “Regular” computers Laptops, netbooks Smartphones May need special software applications

5. Possible document formats Not all documents can be read on all devices. Some possible formats include: PDF Broadband eBooks (BBeB): proprietary (Sony) RTF Amazon Whispernet (AZW): proprietary (Amazon) HTML

6. For Amazon Kindle, from wikipedia

7. Conversion There are many proprietary and free ebook converters that can convert documents to the formats appropriate for the device you’re using: http://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/E-book_conversion

8. Digital Rights Management DRM=limitations for the user Prevents transferring, copying, printing, too many downloads, etc. Always check to see what limitations may come with the document you’re purchasing/downloading Consumer comments re: DRM: “I call it a Swindle, not a Kindle” DRM-free? Project Gutenberg Manybooks (link at end of presentation) Quite a few others

9. Other (evolution of?) eReaders ALA Midwinter TechSource webinar: Blio (http://blioreader.com) Free eReader software Copia (http://www.thecopia.com) Social eReading experience Sophie (http://www.sophiecommons.org) “Redefines the notion of a book”

10. Advantages Books are cheaper (around $10) Instantaneous access Space saver Environmentally friendly Access to many out of copyright texts Visual advantages for those with weak eyesight or for reading in direct sunlight Annotating/hyperlinking/etc. Many have read-aloud features Many have language translation features

11. Drawbacks Devices themselves are expensive Obsolescence (betamax metaphor) Susceptibility to damage All your “eggs” in one device Content compatibility Navigating tricky legal situations (from a library’s point of view)

12. Considerations How are advantages/disadvantages resolved? Consider: Use Lifestyle Preference Budget Savviness

13. University examples UT-Austin http://www.laits.utexas.edu/fi UVA http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/newsRelease.php?id=9509 Penn State University Libraries’ 7 Things You Need to Know About Sony Readers in a Higher Ed Enviroment: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/etc/medialib/psulpublicmedialibrary/lls/documents.Par.53256.File.dat/7things_SonyReader.pdf

14. eReaders in libraries… From Farleigh Dickinson University Library

15. eReaders in libraries… And, from the ARL Mobile Technologies Report (January Tech Talk): University of Nebraska-Omaha’s (Criss Library) use of Kindles (Library Journal 6/17/2009) UNO's Kindle plan: “We do not see a violation of the terms of service agreement,” Joyce Neujahr, director of patron services, told LJ, after discussing the issue with library dean Stephen Shorb, who initially proposed that the library lend the device. “We have purchased the content on the Kindle, and loan the Kindle just like we loan a hardcover, print book. The difference is where that purchased book resides. Whether it is on a shelf, or on a Kindle, we have still purchased the title.” Neujahrnoted that, unlike BYU, UNO is using its nine Kindles to circulate requested best-sellers, not for ILL, and to the UNO community at large. Moreover, UNO is taking a conservative approach and not adding each title to several devices, though Amazon allows a book to be placed on multiple devices. She said UNO had not sought approval from Amazon but had consulted law professors, who agreed that the terms of use seem to bar only profit-seeking efforts to distribute the digital content to a third party.

16. More resources Horizon Report Resources: http://delicious.com/tag/hz10+ebooks Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page Scribd: http://www.scribd.com DailyLit: http://dailylit.com ManyBooks.Net http://manybooks.net