e-books for schools

[beeswax]

Our new librarian is keen to shake up the way we do things in her domain (geddit?) and has been asking about e-books for schools. My initial Google hasn't thrown up too much of use, so I wondered if anyone has gone down this route or investigated further?

[LeMarchand]

Project Gutenberg if you're in a secondary. Most of the classics for the sum total of £0. (Due to being out of copyright).

[GrumbleDook]

I've put a tweet out to a bunch of librarians. The other thing you can do is speak to your local Schools Library Service about it too.

[pap]

One of my schools has been trying Kindles, but the problem there is the way in which the Amazon account has to be handled. There are loads of free Gutenberg texts on there and you can get the first chapter of many in print books for free. If only we could figure out how to manage the 'account' bit!

P.s. we have the same issue with using itouch in the classroom

[TimMcShane]

Check out the online link to the local library, if your kids are all members they should be able to access their accounts online and any book collections they have, including audio books. : )

[beeswax]

Some great replies there. Thanks a lot.

[russdev]

Try OverDrive but think it is quite costly. If want to see it in action then can join Herts Elibary for free (anyone in world can join don't have to be in herts).

 

hertsdirect.org eBooks and Downloadable Audiobooks

OverDrive - Global distributor of digital eBooks, audiobooks, music & video for library, school & retail--Digital Books for Schools

[RabbieBurns]

Is there anyone else here using Overdrive? We are looking at it and wondering how it will link into our existing Oliver server.

[HaleStorm]

might be worth asking Micro Librarian Systems, they did a hosted install of there eclipse library software....im sure they have some kind of e-book solution....either that or

 

1> buy a set of kindles/or prefered ereaders

2>download Calibre Library Software(freeware)

3>download required ebooks from Project Gutenburg

4>use calibre to transfer ebooks onto ereaders

 

Using the calibre route you dont need to set up a kindle/amazon account

Edited June 27, 2012 by HaleStorm

[teejay]

might be worth asking Micro Librarian Systems, they did a hosted install of there eclipse library software....im sure they have some kind of e-book solution....either that or

 

1> buy a set of kindles/or prefered ereaders

2>download Calibre Library Software(freeware)

3>download required ebooks from Project Gutenburg

4>use calibre to transfer ebooks onto ereaders

 

Using the calibre route you dont need to set up a kindle/amazon account

Project Guttenburg is a US site and not all the books are legally distributable freely in the UK:

Public Domain Books

These books are in the public domain in the United States and everybody — including Project Gutenberg and you — may read and distribute them. If you don't live in the United States you'll have to check the laws of the country you live in before downloading and distributing our ebooks.

 

A Project Gutenberg ebook is made out of two parts: the public domain book and the non public domain Project Gutenberg trademark and license. If you strip the Project Gutenberg license and all references to Project Gutenberg from the ebook, you are left with a public domain ebook. You can do anything you want with that.

 

Copyrighted Books

Some authors give Project Gutenberg permission to distribute their book(s). This permission does not automatically expand to include you. If you want to distribute a copyrighted ebook you found on PG, you have to contact the author and stipulate an agreement.

 

N.B. The catalog will tell you if an ebook is copyrighted, but sometimes the catalog is wrong. Always look at the license inside the ebook to tell if it is copyrighted or not.

[CyberNerd]

try browns, more relevant for schools:

 

Browns Books for Students