Remember when
Oprah announced that the Amazon Kindle was her favorite new gadget? That was on October 24, 2008. Fast-forward to 2013. E-books have been gaining in popularity ever since. A recent
Pew Internet study shows that 21% of Americans have read an e-book in the past year.
E-books are everywhere
People read them on laptops during commutes, on handheld devices at coffee shops, using e-readers at the doctor’s office or smartphones at the airport. It’s no wonder. They are really convenient and easy-to-use.
Where do you get them
You can read e-books on almost any computer or device including tablets, smartphones and e-readers. You're limited only by your device's storage capacity and your purchasing power. While you can buy e-books from an online bookseller, you can
borrow them for free from Virginia Beach Public Library’s
e-book site. All you need is your library card and PIN.
You’ll need an Internet connection to access or download an e-book. They come in a variety of
different formats. Because of e-book licensing agreements, you may need to download special softward to your computer or device to access them.
E-Book Software
While e-book software differs, most allow you to adjust the font size for your preference, as well as add notes, bookmarks and highlights, and the text is often searchable.
To learn more about e-books and how to download them from your library, attend one of our classes or webinars. In no time, you’ll be enjoying more than 50,000 e-book titles available at your library!