This document summarizes information about ebooks and ebook readers. It defines what an ebook is, lists popular ebook reader devices, describes different ebook file formats and which devices support each format. It also explains how to get ebooks onto a device through downloading, sideloading, or borrowing from a public library. The document discusses free ebook sources and provides an overview of ebooks available through the community college and public libraries, including any limitations. It concludes by soliciting questions.

1. eBook Petting Zoo
Karen Quinn-Wisniewski, Electronic Resources Librarian
&
Elizabeth Irtenkauf, Collection Development Librarian

2. What is an ebook?
May mean different things to different
people but typically:
a book converted to digital format for
display on a computer screen or
handheld device

3. Popular Hand Held
Devices
• Amazon Kindle & Kindle Fire
• Apple iPad, iPhone
• Barnes & Noble NOOK & NOOK Color
• Sony Reader
• Other: Aluratek, Kobo, Pandigital, PocketBook
• ???

4. Types of files/devices
Mobi- Pocket.
Plain text .txt .PDF .ePub .HTML eReader .pdb Kindle .azw
.prc, .mobi
Kindle 1 Yes No No No Yes No Yes
Kindle 2, 3 Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes
Kindle Fire Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes
Android Devices Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Apple iOS
Devices
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Nook Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No
Nook Color Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
Pocketbook Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
Sony Reader Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Mac OS X Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Nokia N900 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No

5. Getting books to your device
• Download the book to your computer (via
Internet)
• Sideload – plug the device into your
computer using the USB cord that came with
it and move the file over
• Download the book directly to your device

6. Free eBooks by Project Gutenberg
• Project Gutenberg offers over 38,000 free ebooks:
choose among free epub books, free kindle books
• most of them classics whose copyrights have
lapsed.
• download them or read them online.
• Other free sites:
http://manybooks.net/
•
http://books.google.com/books

7. Borrowing an ebook from the
Public Library
• most public libraries in
MD subscribe to
Overdrive
• you must have a library
card to borrow
materials
• check out up to four
downloadable titles at
a time.
• choose loan periods of
7, 14 or 21 days.

8. eBooks at CCBC Libraries
• Ebsco is just one ebook provider in our catalog –
they use Acrobat Digital Editions to download
ebooks.

9. Using Acrobat Digital
Editions
• Connect your device via USB computer. Do this step
before opening Adobe Digital Editions. Otherwise,
the application can't see it.
• Launch Adobe Digital Editions
• Your device appears
on the left side:

10. Using Acrobat Digital
Editions
• Drag the eBook that you want to transfer to the
icon of your device on the left.
• The eBook is now transferred to your eReader
device.

11. Ebooks and Libraries:
State of the Union
• Rules, terms set by publishers
• Cost
• Usability (DRM)

12. eBooks and CCBC students
• Library surveying efforts
• Our experience
• Applications for this in classroom
• eTextbooks

13. The Petting Zoo is
Now Open!
Questions/Comments?
Karen: kqwisniewski@ccbcmd.edu
Elizabeth: egodwin@ccbcmd.edu