Week 6 - Ebooks, ebook readers and eAudiobooks

Ebooks, ebook readers and eAudiobooks
eBooks and eAudiobooks are digital versions of printed books that are available for downloading from the web. Some titles are freely available, others are subscribed to by the Glucksman library, and many are available for individual purchase from booksellers' websites.One of the advantages of eBooks is that you can search within an individual title or across a collection of titles whereas searching the print version of a title is confined to the index and table of contents.One disadvantage of ebooks has been the nature of the devices used to store and display them, such as PCs and laptops. However, the development of ebook readers, such as the Sony ebook reader and the Kindle, has made downloading and reading ebooks a more user-friendly experience.

Have a look at this YouTube video on ebook readers

eAudiobook are books that are narrated and downloadable from the web as sound files. You can listen to them on a PC or transfer them to an MP3 player, iPod etc.

Discovery Resources:EBook sites: UL Library ebooksBooksonboardWaterstones.com
eAudiobook sites:http://libribox.org/Booksonboardi
Tunes Store (you need an iPod and iTunes on your PC for this)

For this discovery exercise you just need to familiarise yourself with some downloadable ebooks and get an idea of the different titles and formats you can find.

Discovery Exercise:

1.Explore the ebook collections at UL Library by looking at a collection of eBooks such as Early English Books Online (EBBO) or Safari.
2. Search Dawsonera for individual eBooks that the library has purchased, then see if you can download and read one.
3. Create a blog post about your findings.Optional:
4. Take a look at eBooksellers' websites like Booksonboard, which offer eBooks and eAudiobooks for individual purchase.
5. Talk to your faculty librarian about buying eBook versions of your reading list titles.