February is Library Lovers Month. For a decade, consumers mostly ignored electronic book devices, which were often hard to use and offered few popular items to read. But, now in part because of the popularity of the wireless Kindle device from Amazon.com, the eBook revolution has started to take hold. What do the new eReaders offer consumers and students that make a compelling reason for a reading revolution?
Kindle 2: Delivers books wirelessly through a 3G network. Its paper-like display can be read without glare—even in sunlight. Kindle holds up to 1,500 books, including PDF personal files—and the Kindle can also read aloud to you.
Intel Reader: Designed for people with vision or reading-related disabilities, the Intel Reader first takes pictures of any printed material. Then, the text can be magnified and/or provide audio play back with or without earphones.
Sony Reader: This eReader can store approximately 350 standard eBooks in a device that can easily fit into a pocket, and includes a five-inch paper-like display. Owners can access a wide number of online bookstores as well as an eBook Library for PC and Mac.
Barnes and Noble Nook: The Nook features two displays: a 3.5-inch full-color touch screen located below a 6-inch grayscale screen. Control buttons are located on the right side. The Nook has WiFi and AT&T radios with dual speakers. The Nook has 2GB of storage, and can easily expand up to 16GB.
Hearst Skiff Reader: With 3G connectivity, it has an 11.5 inch display with a 1200 x 1600 resolution screen. It's just 0.25 inches thick, making it the thinnest eBook reader so far. The big difference between the Skiff and current eBook readers is that ithas ditched a glass screen in favor of a flexible display made of a thin sheet of stainless steel foil.
Learning Activity
Students should compare electronic reading devices and explain why they are replacing traditional print media, and what the impact will be on traditional libraries.
Students should write a report of at least 150 words (or a presentation of at least seven slides) that cites at least three resources. Students should address the following essential questions for critical thinking (you can substitute others):
What are three new features of electronic books that make them preferable to print versions?
How can electronic books be used to improve education?
What other improvements would you like to see made in electronic books and why?
How can electronic reading devices help challenged readers and the visually handicapped?
Pathfinder
Type "electronic reading devices" in the Search box > Sort Results list by DATE
Use our custom ProQuest models for written or PowerPoint reports written and PowerPoint-style reports.
