eBooks & School Libraries

by Jennifer GladkowskiLIS 773

August 7, 2012

A Brief History of eBooks1971- Michael S. Hart digitizes the Declaration of Independence, the world's first eBook.1993 - Digital Book Inc. offers the first 50 digital books in floppy disk with Digital Book Format.1998 - The first eReaders are released: Rocket eBook and SoftBook. The first ISBN's are issued to eBooks; multimedia enhanced eBooks on CDs are promoted.2000 - Stephen King releases a novella in digital file that can only be read on a computer. Over 400,000 copies are downloaded in the first 24 hours.2002 - Random House & HarperCollins start to sell digital versions of their publications.2007 - Amazon launches the Kindle for $399; over 90,000 eBooks are available to customers.2008 - BooksOnBoard begins to sell eBooks for iPhones.2009 - Barnes & Noble introduces the Nook.2010 - Apple releases the iPad with iBooks/iBookstore; Amazon reports that for the first time, eBook sales outnumber hardcover book sales.

Source: ebookfriend.ly

eBooks in the School Library~ Public and academic libraries have been the dominant provider of eBooks to patrons

~ School libraries have been entering the eBook scene slowly; from 2010 to 2011 there was a 33% increase in the number of school libraries offering eBooks

~ Of the 44% of U.S. school libraries offering eBooks, most of them are found in high school and middle school libraries

~ Those school libraries without eBooks say they plan on purchasing them by 2013

~ As of October 2011, eBook purchases accounted for approximately 3% of school library budgets

Options for School LibrarieseReader Brands:Amazon Kindle: $79-$379Barnes & Noble Nook: $99-$249iPad (tablet): $399-$699

Many vendors offer eBooks, including:Follett, Gale, Marshall Cavendish, ABC CLIO, Salem, & InfoBase, as well as titles that can be purchased directly from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Platforms: offered by numerous vendors with varying features give users access to ebooks remotely and on a variety of devices (Compatibility is key!). Overdrive is the leading platform vendor.

Benefits & Advantages of eBooks~ Multiple copies of one title can be circulated (with the approriate platform)~ School libraries have strong relationships with publishers & vendors~ Enhanced eBooks and Interactive eBooks are engaging and provide greater access to students with a variety of needs (text to speech, hi-lo, E Ink)~ Allow students to take notes, highlight words & passages, & utilize dictionary instantly~ Lots of nonfiction titles available in different formats;social studies texts now includemaps & primary source docs~ Can be used to support CCSS and enhance students' abilities in working with complex texts~ eBooks make reading fun!

Challenges & Disadvantages of eBooks~ Accessibility is limited due to budget constraints and socioeconomic challenges

~ Multiple copies of one title may not be able to be circulated without a platform (very expensive)

~ Some books are not available in digital format: To Kill A Mockingbird, Catcher in the Rye

~ Interactive elements may distract from the elements of the story & detract from critical thinking & open-ended discussions about text

~ Circulation of devices may be difficult to manage

~ Time consuming for library staff to manage eBooks & eReaders

eBooks in ActionMinnetonka Middle School East near Minneapolis, MN: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aV6XOozvtLk

CPS has purchased 10,000 eBooks, 7,000 of which have been downloaded and can be accessed by students.http://www2.youseemore.com/cps/school.asp?sID=277

Promotional video from Overdrive - how it all works:http://www.overdrive.com/Solutions/Schools/K12/SDL/#!prettyPhoto/0/

eBook Clubs:http://theaudaciouslibrarian.blogspot.com/2012/06/phillips-hs-nook-book-club.html

Teachers & librarians need to learn how to use these devices too! Students need to know how to navigate these devices to get the most benefit from them instructionally.

Resources for Using eBooks in Your School Library

Interactive eBook Reviews: http://www.bestinteractiveebooks.com/

Best Apps For Kids: http://bestappsforkids.com/

All things eBooks & eReaders: http://www.ebookanoid.com/

Library Connects wiki eBooks page: http://libraryconnects.wikispaces.com/E+Books

Mobiliary wiki - CPS Department of Libraries:http://mobilary.wikispaces.com/home

Buffy Hamilton: http://theunquietlibrary.libguides.com/content.php?pid=228880&sid=1892912

eBooks vs. Traditional Books“It’s just cool that you can read on your iPad,” said Julianna, who started using e-books when she was 6. “It’s more fun and you learn more from it.” - Julianna, 2nd grader

“Old books don’t really cut it anymore,” she said. “We have to transform our learning as we know it.” - Kourtney Denning, teacher

“We don’t have any evidence that any kind of electronic device is better than a parent.” - Julia Parish-Morris, post-doctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania

“But without the balance of children holding and touching and learning how to take care of a book, you run the risk of children losing a sense of what books are and how they feel,” Miller says. “You lose the understanding of how they came to be.” - Gabrielle Miller, national executive director of Raising a Reader nonprofit organization

ReferencesFitzgerald, Thomas J. "Bringing Up an E-Reader - Kids and Ereaders." Web log post. Read-an-ebook.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Aug. 2012. <http://www.read-an-ebook.com/2012/04/bringing-up-e-reader-david-maxwell-new.html>.

Hamilton, Buffy. "EBooks and EReaders for School Library Programs  ." Creekview High School. N.p., 9 July 2011. Web. 06 Aug. 2012. <http://theunquietlibrary.libguides.com/content.php?pid=228880>.

Harris, Christopher. "Ebooks and School Libraries." American Libraries (2012): n. pag. Web. 6 Aug. 2012. <http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/features/01132012/ebooks-and-school-libraries>.

Lau Whelan, Debra. "More School Libraries Offer Ebooks; Increased Demand, Rise in Circulation." School Library Journal (2011): n. pag. Web. 6 Aug. 2012. <http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/home/892394-312/more_school_libraries_offer_ebooks.html.csp>.

McKenzie, Jamie. "EReading: How Is Reading Changing with the Advent of EBooks?" From Now On: The Educational Technology Journal 21.3 (2012): n. pag. Web. 4 Aug. 2012. <http://www.fno.org/jan2012/newagereading.html>.