Books - E-

Digitisation of content with XML ‘tags’ enables publishers to deliver text, images, animation, video and audio in ways different from traditional printed books, including ‘enhanced e-books’ and ‘apps’. E-books can be downloaded to computers and tablets or to e-readers and mobiles or accessed online (in ‘the cloud’) via the internet.

The term ‘e-’ is usually applied to the electronic version of the printed book, in its myriad of formats (eg EPUB and PDF). Formats can be open and free or proprietary and tied in to a particular reading device or online service. Some e-books include digital rights management (DRM) while others can be freely copied to different devices, or even printed out.

Publishers of e-books can be traditional book publishers who may publish in different versions (print and/or digital) or specialist digital only publishers. They could also be not-for-profit organisations that allow free downloads of out of copyright material or a library service which may loan e-books for a certain period. Given that e-books are made available via the internet, the location of a publisher or service is largely immaterial, but territorial and market restrictions may still apply. E-books can be obtained from a variety of booksellers here in the UK and around the world.

This is a rapidly changing market and there are many new publishers and services launched into the marketplace almost daily. Listed below are various sites as a introduction to the world of e-books.

General

Digital Book World The Digital Reader FutureBook Gigaom The Shatzkin Files TeleRead

E-Books

DailyLit Books Indie Shop Kobo ManyBooks.Net MobileRead Online Books Page Oyster Safari Books Online The txtr

Audiobooks

Audible Listen2 Listening Books Silksoundbooks

Education & Libraries

BiblioBoard Blackboard Ebrary Flat World Knowledge Inkling Kortext OverDrive ProQuest Questia ReadCloud Read Print VitalSource CourseSmart

E-Book Readers

Cybook: Bookeen iPad: Apple jetBook: ECTACO Kindle: Kobo: Kobo Letto: Adlibris Netronix: Netronix Nook: Nook Tolino: Tolino

Digital Publishing Technology

Adobe PDF Copia E Ink EPUB Foxit LibreDigital Lulu ScrollMotion Tomes Vearsa

BA Reports Library August 2015