Online Surgery Session

Getting started with ebooks

Session date: 22 February 2012

This session will highlight the opportunities for using ebooks in education. We will provide an overview of the current ebook landscape, with a focus on looking at the benefits, implications of use and how to get started. The session will be of interest to anyone curious about the potential of ebooks, a technical background is not a requirement.

Speakers:

• Andy Ramsden, e-Learning Development Manager, University Campus Suffolk
• Anna Vernon, E-Books for FE Project Manager / Licensing Manager, JISC Collections
• Doug Belshaw, Researcher/Analyst, JISC infonet
• Sue Burnett, Facilitation & Publishing — Blended Learning and iTunes U, University of Glamorgan
• Zak Mensah, e-learning Officer, JISC Digital Media

For more information

• RECORDING OF SESSION
• e-books & e-learning: trying to bring them together, Speaker slides from Andy Ramsden,
• Making the invisible invaluable: e-books and e-resource discovery and promotion, Speaker slides from Anna Vernon
• An Introduction to e-books, JISC Digital Media 2011
• Podcast: How important are open ebook standards to universities?, JISC 2012
• Digital Monograph Technical Landscape: Exemplars and Recommendations, JISC 2011
• Academic ebooks can succeed but publishers must play their part, The Guardian 2012
• Student resistance to e-books, A Watters via Tony Bates 2011
• History of ebooks and readers, 2010
• The shape of our future book, Craid Mod 2011
• Thoughts on the session from the New Technologies Group at the University of Birmingham Library

Transcript of questions and answers

Rosie D 1:05 PM
We are trialling ebooks for our ITT (our own college staff).

A link to Andy's Elevate site: http://a.ucs.ac.uk/elevate

Pottylyn I teach adults with learning and physical disabilities ; ebooks offer an exciting addition to classroom tools !

Will A1:12 PM
"It kinda works... but i'd rather not be the student or MOS" :-S

Simon B 1:14 PM
Using e-book readers in student assessment http://www.jisctechdis.ac.uk/techdis/resources/detail/HEAT/HEAT_Round3_MAN301

Margaret  1:15 PM
I was talking to a lecturer yesterday who has been experimenting with Book Creator (http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/book-creator-for-ipad/id442378070?mt=8) as a form of ePortfolio with students with learning difficulties. I am keen to work with her to find out more.

Adam P 1:15 PM
With regards sharing notes - Inkling offers some fantastic social features - http://www.inkling.com/features/ - don’t know models re expanding book distribution - or open access http://www.inkling.com/educators/ - iBooks Author current does not have sharing notes

Alistair 1:18 PM
Thanks Andy - I can see how Google helps you share Tutor created content but what about sharing books or copyrighted materials? How do you manage user accounts and licenses?

Claire J 1:21 PM
Anna, is it possible to get to the HE study? Is it online?

Andy Ramsden 1:22 PM
Hi Alistair - only looking at non-copyright material for Google Docs publication. The user management will be really difficult, and sharing via Kindle is also a scalability problem. Looking at the idea of signing up for Google Educational Apps. This should improve the user management (I hope)

Tim O'Riordan 1:24 PM
http://prezi.com/mdloir1okj5u/making-the-invisible-invaluable/

Alistair 1:24 PM
Thanks Anna - JISC TechDis recommend using e-books as a core part of an organisation's Alternative Format strategy.

Adam P 1:24 PM
also some html standards based book/magazine creation http://pugpig.com/ & http://treesaverjs.com - cross platform

Anna V  1:25 PM
Hi Clare, here is the link to the HE observatory project http://www.jisc-collections.ac.uk/Reports/e-books-observatory-project-final-report/

Jaki HC 1:25 PM
my very first e-book for the ipad/phone/touch http://www.equine-webdesign.co.uk/pgc.html

Claire Jardine 1:25 PM
Great thanks Anna

Zak Mensah 1:25 PM
All links and the recording will be available after the session http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/surgery/session/getting-started-with-ebooks

Jaki HC 1:27 PM
can you embed flash objects to create interactivity? within ebooks?

Zak Mensah 1:27 PM
Yes Jaki,  Here is an example of flash http://blog.threepress.org/2009/11/14/using-flash-video-in-epub/

One of the popular formats for ebook is Adobe PDF, who also make Flash. So these books can use flash very well.

Adam P  1:29 PM
iBooks Author embeds javascript based 'widgets' - nicer than flash and html5/css3 can be very interactive

Tim O'Riordan 1:29 PM
http://www.isbn.nielsenbook.co.uk/

Jaki HC 1:29 PM
thanks for this - I did see an adobe blog where you can create interactivity within captivate...

Zak Mensah 1:30 PM
Calibre for making ebooks for pc and mac http://calibre-ebook.com/

Tracey M 1:30 PM
What about accessibility when you go beyond text? (ie interactive elements)

Zak Mensah 1:32 PM
Tracey, epub 3 is trying to ensure accessibility features are supported. http://idpf.org/epub/30/spec/epub30-overview.html#sec-accessibility

Alistair 1:32 PM
BookCreator App is v easy to use but still buggy - eg you can add audio but it won't play in any non-iPad environment and doesn't allow semantic structure - which is a very significant omiision for accessibility.

Zak Mensah 1:33 PM
This of course doens't guarantee accessibility. Thanks Alistair

Adam P 1:33 PM
yes epub 3 is nice, building on semantic markup, content should always be accessible

Alistair 1:34 PM
However to give Apple their due, ebooks on iPad (via iBooks app) are EXCELLENT for general accessibility)

Zak Mensah 1:35 PM
There are plugins for blog tools such as wordpress that will make an ebook from automatically from blog posts

Melanie Peters-Turner 1:36 PM
On the library side, my feeling is that we should be providing in as non-platform-specific a way as possible as we don't want to alienate any of our users...

Zak Mensah 1:36 PM
Melanaie, i think we'll have a produce once, publish to many..

Adam P 1:37 PM
WAI-ARIA is good for helping semantic stuff be even more accessable

Margaret 1:37 PM
thanks for the feedback on Book Creator Alistair

Alistair 1:37 PM
From a library perspective a really important thing is to ensure accessibility questions are asked of ALL suppliers during the procurement process. The more they think it affects sales the sooner they respond.

Melanie 1:38 PM
Very true Alistair - too many are still not offering even basic mobile accessibility

Anna Vernon 1:38 PM
on Alistair point on accessibility and procurement, let JISC Collections know if you experience accessibility issues with any of the publishers we work with.

Alistair 1:38 PM
@Melanie - the accessibility > mobile friendly argument is an important one to push wherever you can

Alistair 1:39 PM
Sorry - meant to say accessibility = mobile friendly and vice versa

Mark N 1:40 PM
How can I procure a collection of popular fiction e-books for use in the sixth form library?

Lyn L 1:41 PM
can you clarify the legal position for purchasing e-books and sharing via e-reader devices such as Kindle?

Allison J 1:41 PM
How can I share books within a small library, say approx 6 times each?

Alistair 1:41 PM
For library based ebook platforms TechDis have a useful guide for librarians on what to anticipate and how to respond - see 

Good Practice Guidance for Library and Information Professionals: Moving Towards Accessible e-Book Platforms

Anna Vernon 1:42 PM
http://www.swets.com/swetswise/ebooks

Adam P 1:42 PM
lendle.me - is nice for user > user not sure re LIbrary > user

Adam Warren 1:42 PM
What are the problems (if any) with the use of Adobe PDF as an e-book standard? Readable on all devices, searchable, reader provides good accessibility...

Sue Burnett 1:42 PM
http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/advice/

Melanie Peters-Turner 1:43 PM
Re PDF - screen size adaptation that I've seen

Sasi 1:43 PM
Andy could you expand more on analytics?

Adam P 1:43 PM
I was also going to comment surely PDF is the easiest way to get your stuff on eBook readers ASAP

Jane Lund 1:43 PM
Re. PDF screen size adaption, esp on mobiles

Zak Mensah 1:43 PM
Epub and PDF both very widely supported

Alistair 1:43 PM
Adobe Acrobat is more accessible than many of the ebook platform front ends so yes - but make sure learners know how to access magnification, text reflow, autoscroll etc - see Accessibility Essentials on TechDis website

PhilW 1:43 PM
If the presenters could offer one word of advice, or one word of encouragement, to pass onto our colleagues regarding e-books what would it be?

Melanie 1:44 PM
How are other people working it regarding the different platforms

Abi M1:45 PM
Other than PDF, how close is an ebook standard format which is usable on all platforms? Perhaps a more interactive standard for example?

Alistair 1:45 PM
@Jane - pdfs are more problematic on mobile devices because I've not yet found a mobile PDF viewer that does text reflow.

Adam P 1:45 PM
I have often found that Library eBooks for lending is via browsers and make reading rather awful compared to downloading into iBooks, goodreader apps etc - better eBook lending any good links ?

Anna Vernon 1:45 PM
COUNTER is the main usage statistics standard for ebooks usages, br1 br2 reports.

Melanie 1:45 PM
ePub is trying to be that. Also mobi

Will 1:45 PM
Are PDFs more bloated (i.e. larger filesizes) than ePub?

Zak Mensah 1:45 PM

Abi, the epub format and pdf together are the key formats to consider now

Jaki HC 1:46 PM
is calibre better than e-pub?

Adam Procter 1:46 PM
epub layout and typography has a long way to go

Anna Vernon  1:46 PM
http://www.projectcounter.org

Melanie 1:46 PM
Calibre to me is a programme that converts

Will  1:46 PM
Q: What's the difference between ePub and mobi?

PhilW 1:46 PM
Q? ebooks, e-books, eBooks etc. Is there a preferred way of shortening electronic books?

Anna Vernon 1:46 PM
@will how long have you got ( ;

Alistair 1:46 PM
Publisher print ready pdfs can be GIANT so if asking for PDF for alternative format for disabled learner ask for a non-Print ready pdf

Blayn 1:47 PM
Is it the case that the Kindle doesn't support the ePub format?

Melanie 1:47 PM
@Will - quick answer: Just different format for different programmes

Alistair 1:47 PM
As far as epub size goes Northanger Abbey (Jane Austen) is less than 1Mb in epub

Adam W 1:48 PM
Re: screen size. Is it reasonable to expect our student's ebooks to be read on a screen that is large enough to display the equations, diagrams, images and other graphics that our text books will probably include?

Will  1:48 PM
So, if I was offering e-book versions of say project reports, should I offer all of ePub, PDF and mobi? (converted via calibre perhaps)

Anna Vernon 1:49 PM
the diagram at the foot of this article is useful http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_e-book_formats

Mark Ayton (RSC-NW) 1 1:49 PM
@Alistair Adobe Reader for Android has text reflow option on the menu-viewmode

Will 1:49 PM
@Anna Not long enough i'd suggest! ;-)

PhilW 1:49 PM
NTU isn't but is thinking about it (so I believe).

Melanie 1:49 PM
@Will: Ideally that would be awesome, but the problem with conversion is DRM

Alistair 1:49 PM
@Mark - thanks - Android is the one platform I don't have a device for!

Blayn 1:49 PM
Not currently at York St John but it has been discussed

Richard C 1 1:50 PM
Yes, Birmingham City University http://bcu.ac.uk

Richard C 1 1:50 PM
http://itunes.bcu.ac.uk

Adam P 1:50 PM
http://itunes.apple.com/itunes-u/winchester-school-of-art/id458569825

Sue Burnett 1:50 PM
Thanks - I'll check out your content :-)

Santanu V 1:51 PM
We have our own Media Streaming Server at Brunel, plus YouTube Channels etc...

Alistair 1:51 PM
RNIB do good comparison of accessibility features of hardware ebooks

Melanie 1:51 PM
Are people using platform providers or negotiating / buying from individual publishers etc now?

Sue Burnett 1:51 PM
Uni Glamorgan on iTunes U http://itunes.glam.ac.uk/

Melanie 1:51 PM
@Alistair: do you have a link before I go Google? :)

Alistair 1:51 PM
RNIB comparison table (for procurement purpose :-) ) 

Will 1:51 PM
@Melanie Content is BY NC SA so no DRM issues i hope. Awesome!

Adam W 1:52 PM
But isn't that letting the hardware drive the education?

Sue Burnett 1:52 PM
Santanu - we have our own streaming server too, and marketing/individuals use YouTube - they all complement each other

Adam P 1:52 PM
RNIB good link :)

Will A 1:52 PM
How far are we from "ebook by default" with educational content?

Jaki HC 1:52 PM
what about adding video content to the ebooks, is it recommended or not? I made a small ebook with epub, just a few lines of text, images and a small video clip

Adam P 1:53 PM
I think the term book limits vision sometimes :D

Keith 1:53 PM
got to go, many thanks for this session

Alistair 1:53 PM
Publishers definitely driving to XML workflows to allow wide range of distribution via different devices.

Adam W 1:53 PM
But would we produce a printed book that is 10cm by 6cm?

Will A 1:53 PM
@Adam Good point ... And indeed, the notion of reading has probably changed too.

Santanu V 1:54 PM
@Sue Burnett - We are a bit worried having too many platforms, confuses a lot of people, but interesting to know!

Adam Warren 1:54 PM
I love reading novels on my phone, but they are tetx only...

Zak Mensah 1:54 PM
Adam, a good post by Craig Mod on the future book http://craigmod.com/satellite/our_future_book/

Adam P 1:54 PM
I have seen some books which if in the right eBook format include tutorial videos inline and the other formats link to web page version

Alistair 1:54 PM
Ira Socol waxes eloquently on what reading is now - he's dyslexic - http://speedchange.blogspot.com/

Adam W 1:55 PM
thx Zak for that link

Jane Parker 1:55 PM
Will you be able to answer off-line some of the questions that don't seem to have been answered now? There are some interesting ones & I haven;

Melanie 1:55 PM
I think I'm going to be doing lots of reading now this afternoon :)

Alistair 1:56 PM
Remember that the more media types are added to book the more inclusion benefits there are but there's also an added risk of accidentally sidelining some users - eg lots of audio content without text summaries excludes deaf etc.

Jaki HC 1:56 PM
sounds a good work around

PhilW 1:56 PM
It’s been a really useful session and I’m sure I’ll gain even more when I re-watch the presentation at some point. Thanks - Phil.

Jaki HC 1:56 PM
Will you have seminars where you actually show making an e-publication?

Sasi 1:57 PM
thank you!

Alistair 1:57 PM
Will there be an email round with the key chat pane links in it?

Sue Burnett 1:57 PM
Jane (and anyone...) if you want to contact me with follow up q's, email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or follow on twitter @sueburnett

Deborah Ferns 1:57 PM
Thank you for a useful session

Allison Jackson 1:57 PM
thanks.

Alma Wardrope 1 1:57 PM
Thanks. It's been an interesting session.

Zak Mensah 1:58 PM
Need to get in touch? http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/jdm/help-form/