Sony Reader

The second most popular eReader is made by Sony. Sony offers three different models for their eReaders as shown from left to right: Pocket Edition, Touch Edition, and Daily Edition. 

The only differences between the models is size and features. But the main reason many people like this eReader, is you can either buy your books or you can use with downloadable eBook services, such as Overdrive or NetLibrary, if offered by your local library!

Now, all of these models utilize eInk or ePrint technology (what is eInk?). However, unlike the Amazon Kindle, all Sony eReaders come with 12 dictionaries, have touchscreen capabilities, which is a plus for many users, and has bookmarking features so you never lost your place.

The Pocket Edition allows for 1,200 books and has a two-week battery life according to their website. The only complaints, we could find from Internet reviews, was that it requires being connected to a computer for Internet access and for charging. Oh yeah! And it only comes in two colors: hot pink or gray.

According to their website, the Touch Edition allows for 50,000 books via 2GB of on-board memory and has a two-week battery life. Unlike the Pocket Edition, this one offers MP3 capabiilty, where you can put your favorite songs on it and listen as you read. Unlike the Kindle, you must utilize headphones.  Also unlike the Kindle, it comes with a note-taking app (what is an app?) for say a To-Do list. Furthermore, it has an expandable memory slot in case you run out of space for all those books. The Touch Edition comes in two colors: gray or red.

Just like the Touch Edition, the Daily Edition also allows for up to 50,000 books with an expandable memory slot and 22 days of battery life. The advantages to the Daily Edition is that it comes with WiFi and 3G combined. Just like the Touch Edition, you can add your favorite songs, but you must use headphone to listen. The Daily Edition also allows you the ability to subscribe to newspaper and magazines too. Unlike previous Daily Edition models, the most recent model only comes in black only.

The only disadvantages that I am aware of regarding Sony eReaders pertains to the battery life.  Although they claim a 14- or 22-day span, I would like to point out that this eReader only goes into sleep mode after it has experienced one hour of inactivity unlike the Amazon Kindle, which goes to sleep within 10-15 minutes of inactivity. The second disadvantage is the cumbersomeness of learning which software to use for managing your collection along with problems downloading eBooks from the vendor's website, then moving the eBooks to the software - say the Adobe Digital Editions - and finally from the software over to the eReader. Therefore, if you purchase a Sony eReader, find someone who can help you beforehand, so you can get through its learning curve rather quickly and start fully enjoying your books right away.

Like Amazon, Sony has its own eBookstore, where you can purchase titles. Unlike Kindle which requires you to only buy books from Amazon.com, with a Sony eReader, you can purchase titles from any vendor that provides eBooks in ePub format. So, if you haven't already, go out and get your new Sony eReader from the Sony Store online, from Best Buy®, etc., by clicking here to visit the Sony Store today!

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Barnes and Noble Nook

The third most popular eReader is made by Barnes and Noble. The Nook now comes in two models: Nook and Nook Color. Just like the Sony eReaders, the Nook (see image furtherest to the right) and Nook Color (see image on the left) allows you to use downloadable services, such as Overdrive, offered by your local library.

First, there is their Nook, which uses eInk or ePrint technology and can hold up to 1,500 books. It comes in either 3G or WiFi models with an expandable card of up to 16GB. It does not support other common formats, such as Word or PDF files, like the Kindle and Sony and it doesn't support radio features or listen to audio version of eBooks. Lastly, the battery life is upwards of 10 days with the wireless is turned off - not good!

The Nook Color is only one of the three most popular eReader brands that offers an eReader in full color. It is 100% touchscreen, can hold up to 8,000 books, allows for newspaper and magazine subscriptions, allows you to share your eBooks with friends through LendMe technology and it comes with preloaded games and Pandora Internet Radio. Just the Kindle, this model allows you to share updates on Twitter and Facebook! However, there are a few disadvantages, such as it only comes in WiFi and the battery life - with the wireless turned off, its up to 8 hours, which cancels out the fact that the memory can be expanded to 32GB.

Besides B&N, the Nook or Nook Color is available at Best Buy, Books-A-Million and other stores. Click here to purchase your Nook or Nook Color or to learn more.

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Last week we introduced you to eReaders. This week we are going to take it one step further. Today we are going to discuss the benefits of an eReader. You may be like me and ask yourself “Why do I need an eReader?” For starters, imagine condensing your home library into one device. That’s right, eReaders can store hundreds of ebooks; some can store thousands. So instead of having an entire room to “store” your books, you can have one device that holds them all. The second reason you may be looking to get an eReader is because you may be tired of carrying books around with you everywhere you go. As we all know, vacations are awesome. It’s time away from reality, even if it’s only a day or two. Instead of carrying 2-5 books with various weights, you can carry one device that weights far less than a pound and keeps all your ebooks organized. College students are starting to use eReaders as well. Places like Amazon have many books available to download in digital form; and most of the time the digital books are cheaper that the physical book. As most of us know, college books can be expensive. eBooks is just another way to save.


One of the main questions that is asked about eReaders is, “What should I buy an eReader when a laptop does the same thing?” And that is a good question. But since we are talking about eReaders, we will stick with eReaders. eReaders are lighter, more mobile, cost less, and are easier to read. Computers, including laptops, have a bright screen that basically lights up when in use. This is called a backlight screen. The main drawback to having a backlight screen is your eyes become tired faster. This means less reading. eReaders were created for the reader in mind. They use what’s called E ink. E ink is meant for the eReader to have a book feel to it. When reading an ebook, you feel as if you are reading a real book. This means you can read longer without your eyes getting tired.


Backlight display



Physical book compared to E ink.

 

Before we get into the brands, if you do not own an eReader but would like to one day soon, I want you to think about your answers to these questions:

Do you...

1. ...want an eReader that has built-in Internet for buying and downloading books anywhere, anytime, any place?
2. ...want an eReader that allows you to highlight and save passages?
3. ...want an eReader that allows you to download and read eBooks from your local library?
4. ...consider yourself a casual or an avid reader?
5. ...prefer reading, listening, or both?

Your answers to the above questions will determine which eReader is best for you whether your are a potential buyer or an existing owner thinking about trading in, then listen and learn! Today I'll briefly introduce the first of three brands. And although there are scores of eReaders out there, the three most talked about are the Amazon Kindle, Sony eReader and Barnes & Noble Nook. So, now it's time to find out, which is what?

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• BPL's List of Common eReader Terminology (view now).
• Article: 10 Features in the Kindle 3 You Didn't Know About (view now).
• Article: Lots of Little Improvements Makes the Kindle 3 the Best E-Ink E-Reader (view now)

TO GET STARTED: 

To start using Overdrive, visit our “Virtual Branch” at http://bossier.lib.overdrive.com/.

Whether you are new to eReaders or consider yourself a pro, here are just a few terms that you should be familiar with as we progress through the month of February focusing on eReader technology. Oh yeah and just in case I miss an term you think is important, feel free to add it as a comment. Or if you want to give us your take on one of the definitions below, feel free to do that too!

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3G (or Third Generation). Commonly heard in regards to cell phones and cellular networks, it is a wireless format that enables you to access to Internet content via your eReader. Having an eReader with 3G means it has the Internet built-in. As long as you can get a signal, then you can access the eReader store and buy/download eBooks. Since 3G is built-in, there is no monthly fee or subscription for utilizing it. (see also eBook & eReader)

app (or application). Commonly heard in regards to smartphones, it is a generic term for a stand-alone application (or program). Most eReaders come pre-installed with apps. Some vendors provide a store in which you can download and install additional apps either at no additional charge or for a small fee.

DRM (or digital rights management). A concept derived from the music industry in which control is held over description, identification, trading, protection, monitoring and tracking of both tangible and intangible assets. Ultimately, DRM allows for limited user access while at the same time meeting the restrictions set forth by the actual copyright holder. An example of DRM is whether or not eBooks can be shared with others and at what rate.

eBook (or electronic book). An digitally-formatted interactive book often containing hyperlinks and other multimedia. Designed to be read from a desktop, laptop or tablet computer or a portable reading device also known as as eReader. eBooks are often restricted by digital rights management (see also eReader & DRM). Other variations of eBook are e-Book, eBook, Ebook and EBook.

eInk - Developed in the mid-90s by the E Ink Corporation, eInk also known as "electronic ink", is a technology that displays or mimics the look of ink on paper. This technology is most commonly used now for eReaders because it is easier on the eyes. eInk is usually associated with various shades of gray but in recent years, eInk is becoming available in color for eReaders. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_Ink)

ePaper (or electronic paper). see eInk.

eReader - An portable electronic device that is designed primarily for the purpose of reading digital books and periodicals and uses e-Ink technology to display content. Some eReaders have multi-function capabilities offering additional features such as the ability to access the Internet, download and playing apps, listening to music and much more. see app.

ePub (or electronic publication). This format is the most common format in which eBooks come. ePub is the standard for all eBooks; however, not all eBooks come in ePub format. Some come in other formats, such as plain text (TXT), portable document format (PDF), or mobile version (MOBI), among others.  For example: Amazon Kindle books are DRM-protected and restricted with a format called AZW; therefore, Amazon Kindle eReader does not support ePub. see PDF.

PDF (or portable document format). A format developed in the early 80s by Adobe Systems. This format allows for users to store, open and print a document used free software called Adobe Reader (available here). PDF files always end with a .pdf extention - resume.pdf.

Wi-Fi (or wireless fidelity). A means in which a portable device such as an eReader, laptop, or tablet computer can connect to the Internet wirelessly. Unlike 3G, Wi-Fi is not built in. So you must be in the vicinity of a Wi-Fi connection to connect to it.
       There are two ways to access Wi-Fi: through a secure or an unsecure network. Secure Wi-Fi network have a password that only authorized people have, while an "unsecured Wi-Fi network" is open to all. For security purposes, always use caution with connected to an unsecured Wi-Fi network since these types of network can be easily hacked to gain unauthorized access to your devices. (Other variations are WiFi or WIFI). see 3G.

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Check out these eReader glossary available on the Internet:
- http://electricread.net/ereadglossary.html
- http://www.mansfieldct.org/schools/mms/palms/Meet_the_Team/Glossary.htm
- http://www.planetebook.com/mainpage.asp?webpageid=70
- http://www.nova.edu/library/help/misc/glossary.html

Do you have an eReader? Are you thinking about buying one? Or did someone give you one during the holidays? Well that's great because for the entire month of Feburary, we will be focusing on everything you need to know about the latest generations of the Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook/Nook Color or the various Sony eReaders.

Our anticipated article "line-up" is as follows:

1. eReaders 101
2. eReader Terminology - apps? ePub? Wi-Fi? 3G? What does it all mean? Learn the basic terminology to stay ahead of the game.
3. eReader Brands - What's hot and what's not in the new e-World?
4. eReader Benefits - For example: Imagine all of the books on your shelf being compacted into one hand-held device, this along with other eReader benefits will be discussed.
5. How to Get Started with Overdrive? - Have you OD on Overdrive cause you're still trying to figure out how it works? We understand so we will post step-by-step instructions for how to get started.
6. eReader Apps (and Other Cool Features) - Look at the coolest built-in features as well as fun apps that you can download to your device.
7. eReader Buying Tips - We'll highlight the important features of the top-ranked eReaders to help you decide which one may be best for you.

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DID YOU MISS OUR BLOG POSTINGS FROM JANUARY 2011?

Last month, we covered the latest in library product offerings from Overdrive to Mango to Research Databases, such as, Tutor.com and Teen Health & Welleness. Here are the links in case you missed it!

• Have You Checked Out "Dear Reader" Yet? (Jan 18th)
• Have You Heard About Tumblebooks? (Jan. 19th)
• Want to Learn a New Language Fast? (Jan. 20th)
• Are You Planning (Or Reestablishing) Your Career? (Jan. 21st)
• Why Teen Brains Fixate on Stuff Like Tacos & Ninjas? (Jan. 24th)
• Hey! Homework Help is Just a Click Away?!? (Jan. 25th)
• Why Buy When You Can Download? (Jan. 26th)
• Need to Practice for that Big Exam. Try Then... (Feb. 1st)
• Two Great Ways to Research You Family's Background (Feb. 2nd)

Genealogy is a very popular topic, as evidenced by the popularity of TV shows like Who Do You Think You Are? and Faces of America.  If you’re interested in tracing your family tree, we have two free quality resources – Ancestry Library Edition and HeritageQuest.  You can access Ancestry from the Bossier Parish Library homepage on a library computer at any branch.  HeritageQuest is accessible from your home computer; you just need to enter your library card number.


Great Way #1: About Ancestry


Ancestry Library Edition is a fantastic tool for anyone who is researching family history.  With Ancestry, you will be able to search US federal censuses, the social security death index, military records, state censuses, immigration records with ship manifests, passport applications, birth and marriage records, and heaps of international sources, which come in handy once you are able to trace your ancestors back to a country of emigration.  You can also view and print images of the original records.  If you’re lucky, you might locate a forgotten picture – I was surprised to see a high school yearbook photo of my grandfather!

1910 census image from Ancestry, showing Amelia Earhart as a young girl in Iowa.

It’s very easy to start searching with Ancestry.  You simply type in any known information about the person you are trying to find.  If you don’t know the exact birth date or birthplace of an ancestor, take a guess.  If you heard family stories that Great Grandpa was born around the turn of the century, add 1900 to your search box.  Ancestry will use this information and give results that closely match your search items.  At the History Center, we recommend that beginners start by researching family members that they know personally.  Backtracking is easier to do; you simply follow the records, linking the people you do know to the mystery branches on your family tree.


One of the best sources of information on Ancestry is the US Census Collection.  US Federal Census records range from 1790 – 1930.  The 1940 census will be made public in 2012.  The information from each census varies slightly, depending on which questions were asked.  You will almost always find name, age, gender, race, marital status, nationality, and relationship to head of household.  You may also find occupation, real estate value, age at first marriage, birth month and year, education level, year of immigration, citizenship status, naturalization dates, and place of parents’ birth.


Great Way #2: About HeritageQuest


HeritageQuest (HQ) is another genealogy resource that provides census records and allows users to view, print, and download original images.  If you can’t get to the library to use Ancestry and want to do some genealogy detective work at home, HQ is your best bet.  It provides a collection of material for both genealogical and historical researchers, with coverage dating back to the late 1700s.


In the Books section of HQ, you can search through genealogy and local history books with digitized pages.  Use it to find published works on families, as well as historical books that focus on specific regions.  Learning about the time and place where your ancestors lived can give you a good sense of their daily life.  The Periodical Source Index (PERSI) on HQ is a comprehensive index to genealogy and local history periodicals.  For example, you can search through issues of The Genie, the journal of the Ark-la-Tex Genealogical Association.


There isn’t enough space to fully explain all of the resources you will find on both Ancestry and HeritageQuest, but it’s easy and fun to browse through their databases as you begin your genealogy journey.  I encourage you to take a peek into your family’s past if you haven’t started to already.  If you’d like some assistance, the staff at the History Center is always ready to help!

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Marisa has been the Curator of Collections and Exhibits at the Historical Center since February 2009.  She creates exhibits that focus on Bossier Parish history and also cares for the archival collections.  She enjoys assisting patrons with their genealogical research and continues to search for her own family history.  You can contact her with your history or genealogy questions at mdiedric@state.lib.la.us    

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Connie has been the Reference and Education Coordinator since August 2010 and has been with the Bossier Parish Library since 2006. Since becoming the Reference and Education Coordinator, she has been training staff and the general public on how to take advantage of Learning Express Library. There has been a lot of positive feedback from everyone including the local schools that have introduced the database to their students.

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