E-Book Questions

It was only a few years ago that I discovered e-books. They soon became my favorite resources. There are a few things that I had to learn to use e-books and I thought some of you may be unfamiliar with e-books as well. Here are some commonly asked questions about e-books.

What is an e-book?
E-book stands for electronic book. They are usually in a PDF file, which is opened in Acrobat Reader. Most computers have this program or it can be downloaded for free here.

What can I do with an e-book?
You can read it on your computer or you can purchase an e-book reader device.

Can I print my e-book?
It depends on the seller. It’s always a good idea to read the copyright notice to see what that particular seller allows. Most allow for you to print it up or save it on a CD. For my e-books I allow you to print it for your own use within your immediate family. For instance if you are a sixteen year old girl you can print up a copy for yourself and your two younger sisters but you could not print up a copy for your aunt or grandmother. You would need to purchase two additional copies for the aunt and grandmother.

After I print it up what can I do with the e-book?
If you choose to print the e-book, a great way to give it a "book look" would be to punch holes on the side and put the pages in a three ring binder or leave the pages intact and insert them into page protectors. If you purchase a series of books such as Heroines of the Past you can simply add them to the three ring binder each time you get another book. Another idea is to find someone who has a comb binding machine and can bind the book. Most printers have comb binding machines.

What are the benefits of an e-book?
It doesn’t take up valuable shelf space in your home. You can store it on your computer or burn it to a CD.

How do I get the book saved on my computer?
The technical term is download. To save (download) the file to your computer, "Right-Click" use the right hand button on your mouse on the link provided and choose "Save Target As" or "Save Link As" from the pop-up menu. Select a location on your computer to save the file to, and click, "Save." There is usually an E-BOOK folder under MY DOCUMENTS.

Are there any restrictions?
Yes! Because e-books are electrical it would be easy for the person buying the book to share it with friends and family. This is illegal. E-books - just as printed books - are under copyright law. Do not forward or "share" e-books with others who have not purchased it. Sending an e-book to a friend is the same as photocopying a book - a copyright infringement.