An E-book Primer Sarah Ormes UKOLN University of Bath Bath, BA2 7AY UKOLN is funded by Resource, the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) of the Further and Higher Education Funding Councils, as well as by project funding from the JISC and the European Union. UKOLN also receives support from the University of Bath where it is based. URL

2 What is an E-Book? (1) A text or monograph which is available in an electronic format. Novel on a Web site Short story available in Word A collection of poetry sent via

3 What is an E-book? (2) Professionally produced and edited text available in an e-book format. Encrypted Formatted Can’t be printed Possibly an electronic version of a commercially available print based book

4 What is an E-Book? (3) An electronic device used to read e-books. Dedicated Handheld Desktop Dedicated e-book readers most typically referred to as e-books.

5 Dedicated Readers (1) Specifically designed to be used for reading e-books. Main two available: RCA REB 1100 RCA REB 1200 Produced by Gemstar Others on the way though…..

6 Dedicated Readers (2) REB 1100 (Rocket eBook) Weighs 17 oz Stores about 20 books Size of a paperback Monochrome touch sensitive screen Cost - $299 REB 1200 (Softbook) Weighs 33 oz Stores about 20 books Size of a hardback Colour touch sensitive screen Cost - $699

7 Dedicated Readers (3) Advantages –Large screens –Large memories –Change fonts –Sound and video Disadvantages –Limited functionality –Heavier –More expensive –Something else to carry

8 Handheld Readers (1) Handheld readers are already widely in use but used for other purposes. Digital Personal Assistants (PDAs) Psions Palm Pilots Pocket PCs Handsprings

9 Handheld Readers (2) Requires the installation of e-book software –annotations –page scrolling –searching Software freely available –Peanut Reader (Palm OS) –Mobipocket (Palm OS) –Microsoft Reader (Pocket PCs)

10 Handheld Readers (3) Advantages: –Something you already carry –Lightweight –Change fonts –Backlit screens Disadvantages –Small screens –Limited memory space

11 Desktop Readers (1) PCs and laptops using special software to make reading off a screen easier. Software options –Glassbook –Microsoft Reader –PDF

12 Software freely available Text reproduction very high quality and uses full colour Change fonts Make notes Add bookmarks Desktop Readers (2)

13 Desktop Readers (3) Advantages: –Large screens –Large memories –Change fonts –Already own necessary equipment Disadvantages –Less portable –Less comfortable to use –High start up cost

14 Cost of E-books Typically as expensive as hardback books. The Constant Gardener by John Le Carre –$22.40 in hardback at Amazon –$19.60 in e-book format at Peanut Press Bag of Bones by Stephen King –$22.40 in hardback at Amazon –$19.55 in e-book format at Peanut Press –$7.19 in paperback at Amazon

15 Ways of Buying E-books Via a PC –Visit an online bookshop, purchase your book as usual. –Book available for immediate download to a PC. –Downloaded to e-book reader from PC Via your e-book reader –Plug your reader directly into a phone socket and manage the process via the reader itself.

16 Storing Your E-books E-book readers can only hold a limited number of books at one time - virtual bookshelves need to be created. Copies of books held on PC’s hard disk Book vendor creates personalised online bookshelf on your behalf. Books copied to reader when required.

17 Protecting Copyright Publishers working hard to ensure that once an e-book has been purchased it can’t be copied to lots of people. Each e-book encrypted Can only be unencrypted by the reader for which it was purchased Systems of passwords also.

18 Advantages of E-books Portable - many different texts on one small device Nothing goes out of print Instantly available Font size can be changed The Multimedia book arriving soon Supposedly cheaper

19 Disadvantages of e-books Requires equipment to be read As accessible as print based books? Unfamiliar and new Low market penetration Different standards currently in use

20 Fad or Future? The Stephen King experience: –March 2000: Riding the Bullet published solely in electronic format –500,000 downloads Publishes The Plant in stages on his own Web site –First chapter downloaded 152,000 times for a dollar each time –Dec ceases publication after users stop paying to download new chapters –Still made a profit of over $400,000

21 Fad or Future? Considerable disagreement about how successful e-books are going to be. Expectation that growth area will be in text books –end of ‘textbook shoulder’ –relevant sections only –electronic texts for ‘reference’ rather than ‘immersion’ reading?

22 Model One - Short Term Libraries circulate e-book readers with a number of titles pre-loaded E-books have records included in the catalogue The only e-books available are those installed on the circulating e-book readers Limited choice for users Users unable to read library’s e-books on their own e-book readers

23 Model Two - Medium Term E-books can be downloaded directly from the library catalogue to user’s preferred e-book reader Only one user, at one time to each purchased copy of the e-book Books removed automatically from user’s e-book reader at the end of loan period and made instantaneously available in the catalogue again.

24 Model Three - Long Term E-books purchased on demand Library moves from just in-case model to just in-time Reconsideration of how the library’s book fund is managed Book acquisition policy more or less managed by library users All libraries have access to the same stock

25 Model Four - Dot Com Libraries Commercial digital libraries –online collections of thousands of e-books, journals, magazines –direct marketing at the end user –keyword searchable –Internet accessible –micropayments - per page view Friend or foe for the academic library?

26 Dot Com Libraries (2) Questia –monthly subscription of $19.95 –one page view, one page print at a time –downloaded citations ebrary –free access to content –charge for each page printed or copied –partnership deal with libraries in exchange for product promotion and links

27 Dot Com Libraries (3) XanEdu –“no more trips to the library” –create learning packs online –total access of $29.90 for six months NetLibrary –e-book management system –purchase e-books from NetLibrary –NetLibrary manages their circulation –similar to current library model

28 Conclusions E-books are here to stay E-books will provide libraries with many new challenges which will be difficult to manage in the short term E-books may be most successful in an academic environment Potentially Dot Com Libraries could be a long term threat to academic libraries It’s up to librarians to take the initiative now.

29 E-book Articles An E-book Primer Can E-books Improve Libraries? ebooks/ All About E-books Allaboutebooks.htm E-books - I Sing the Book Electric ebooks.html

30 E-book Hardware and Software Gemstar EbookMan Microsoft Reader Glassbook

31 E-book Sellers PeanutPress E-bookNet Barnes and Noble Amazon.com

32 Dot Com Libraries Questia XanEdu ebrary NetLibrary

33 Other Resources This presentation and links to useful e-book information can be found at present/dublin/