All about e-books

eBook Basics

What is an eBook? An ebook is an electronic file preformatted for computer viewing. What makes them different from other types of computer files is that they can only be opened in a designated type of software (reader) and are usually protected from being freely distributed (copy-protected).

What are the advantages of eBooks? You can conveniently buy e-books from your computer or reading devices while at home, work, or on the go. Text or words can be searched, cross-referenced or looked up in a dictionary. Hundreds of books can be stored in the memory of your computer or reading device, and they can be stored on several computers or portable devices, making them readily accessible.
If you lose an e-book, you can replace it by re-downloading the title (up to the number of allowable times). Readers who have difficulty reading printed books can benefit from the adjustment of text size and font. Most e-book reading devices allow reading in low light with an included backlight. Although electricity is required for reading, e-books are not made of paper or ink, making them considerably greener than the print alternatives.

What types of eBooks are available? There are many available formats for ebooks and each format requires special software. Each ebook reader software has different advantages and limitations, and ebooks may be available in multiple formats. The eBook formats we support are Adobe, Microsoft and Palm. The software installed on your computer will determine which ebook formats you purchase. Or conversely, the type of ebook you have purchased will determine which ebook reader software you must install on your computer.

Do I need a computer to read an eBook? All ebooks must be opened and read with the software for which they were designed. In other words, an Adobe ebook must be opened with Adobe Reader software, a Microsoft ebook must be opened with Microsoft Reader software, and a Palm ebook must be opened with the Palm Reader software.

How do I buy an eBook? You can buy an eBook just the same way as any other book. Since eBooks are to be downloaded, there is no shipping address or shipping fee. In most cases, the eBook order is processed immediately and you will receive a confirmation email. In rare cases, it could take a couple of days to process your order. You will be notified by email as soon as the order has been processed. Before purchasing your e-book, you need to have an e-book reader software installed on your computer. Please review the e-Book Reader Compatibility Chart to find out which e-book reader software is compatible with your computer or other reading device.

How do I download an eBook?
In most cases the eBook order is processed immediately and the eBook is available for immediate download. For security reasons the download URL for the Ebook is not emailed to you. The eBook download URL can be retrieved by logging into 'My Account'. After logging in, click on the order number for the eBook order and then the eBook title. In rare cases, it could take a couple of days to process your order. You will be notified by email as soon as the order has been processed and you can follow the steps mentioned above.

How are eBooks protected? Publishers or authors of ebooks decide whether they will allow their ebook to be freely distributed (meaning anyone can copy it and read it) or encrypted for only one person to read.

Depending on the type of ebook software, the ebook file is either encrypted to a specific computer or device (meaning it can only be read on that computer or device) or it is encrypted to a specific user's account (meaning it can be read on any device or computer which contains that user's secret account information). If an ebook has been protected for only one person to read, then consumers download the file to their computer and must read the ebook on that computer (or on other devices containing their secret account information). Copies of the ebook can only be read on authorized computers or by authorized users. If a publisher/author has decided not to copy-protect their ebook, then consumers download the file to their computer and can then copy it to any other computer/device they choose.

Can I print an eBook? The answer is usually no. However, Some ebook formats (currently Adobe) allow consumers to print their ebook if the publisher/author chooses to allow this, but often this is restricted to only a few pages at a time.

Can old eBooks be transfered to new computers? The process of transferring your e-books to a new computer varies depending on the e-book reader software and the level of copyright protection that each e-book contains. Please visit the following FAQ/ Support section of each e-book reader software for more information.

Adobe Digital Edition FAQ
Microsoft Reader Support
eReader FAQ

If you are still experiencing difficulties in the transfer process, please contact staff@bookweb.org

Browser, OS/computer compatibility Please visit the following link:

Compatibility Chart

Important information to know before buying your ebook

Gift cards cannot be used to purchase Palm ebooks. A credit card must be used.

Gift cards may be used for Adobe and Microsoft formats.

Confirm that you have the correct eBook Reader installed and activated. Refer the compatibility information for the eBook Reader software you are using. This lists supported browsers, operating systems and computing devices for each eBook Reader. Download only one eBook at a time to prevent your system from slowing down or timing out (resulting in download cancellation). eBooks are non-returnable and non-refundable. eBooks should be downloaded within 30 days from the date of processing the order. Each eBook can be downloaded only 4 times.

How to download/install eBook Reader Software Before downloading an ebook, you must acquire, install, and register the appropriate ebook reader software on the computer. To find out which e-book reader software is compatible with your computer or reading device, please check the Reader Compatibility Chart . The following links provide downloads of the ebook reader software as well as instructions for downloading, installing, and registering the software.

Adobe Digital Editions - Download Adobe Digital Editions

Microsoft Reader - Download Microsoft Reader

eReader Pro - Download Palm Reader

To test your installation of the software, we suggest you download one of many free ebooks available from Adobe, Microsoft, or Palm.

How to open and read your eBook All e-books must be opened and read with the e-book reader software for which they were designed. Most e-book readers allow you to store and organize all your e-books on a bookshelf or in a library, from which you can select and open an e-book for viewing.

Transfer eBook to handheld computer/PDA Most eBooks are transferred to handheld devices including Palm, Pocket PC, iPhone and iPod Touch, by "synchronizing" the device with your computer. If you are not familiar with synchronizing your device, you should consult the instructions for your specific device.

About eReader Pro for Palm
About eReader Pro for iPhone and iPod Touch
About transferring ebooks to Pocket PC

Find a downloaded eBook If your ebook does not appear in the "bookshelf" or "library" of your ebook reader software, you can use the find or search tool on your computer to locate it.

Using Your Computer's Find or Search Tool - If you can’t find the eBook you downloaded there are several options you should try:

Check the directory structure used by your eBook download software. For example, in Windows, the My Documents and/or My Library folders are often used for storing ebooks.
If you are using Windows:
Please use Windows Explorer to search for the file extension corresponding to the ebook format you are searching for:
Open "Explorer"
Go to "Tools" on the toolbar
Highlight "Find", then "Files or Folders"
For "Named" type in the appropriate file extention; for example: "*.lit"
Adobe Reader uses "*.pdf"
Microsoft Reader uses "*.lit"
Palm Reader uses "*.pdb"
For "Look in", from the pulldown menu select, "C:"
Click on "Find Now"
Highlight and double-click on the correct title to open

If you are using Mac OS:
Currently Microsoft Reader is not compatible with Mac OS. Only Adobe and Palm have Mac OS compatible eBook reader software:
Open "Sherlock"
For "Find" type in the appropriate file extention; for example: "*.pdf"
Adobe Reader uses "*.pdf"
Palm Reader uses "*.pdb"
Click on the Search icon
Highlight and doubleclick on the correct title to open

If you still can't find it, contact us and we can arrange for a new download.
Here is how ebooks are stored for

Adobe Reader 6
Windows - eBook files are stored in My Domuments -> My eBooks
MacOS - eBook files are stored in Documents -> eBooks

Adobe Reader 7
Windows - eBook files are stored in My Documents -> My Digital Editions
MacOS - eBook files are stored in Documents -> Digital Editions

Adobe Digital Editions
Windows - eBook files are stored in My Documents -> My Digital Editions
MacOS - eBook files are stored in Documents -> Digital Editions

Microsoft
Microsoft ebooks are typically stored in the My Library directory within the My Documents folder. However, during the transfer, they are typically stored as a temporary internet file until the download is complete.

Palm
Palm eBooks can be stored anywhere on your computer; typically, you will specify a preferred location during the download process.