Digital Books: 

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If you want to read a whole book, or a long article, you should probably read it inside an app.  start reading Often it is more comfortable to read on a tablet. For longer items, reading apps allow you to highlight and take notes on an article or a book and save them.

You can also search your notes and highlights later if you are looking for a specific piece of information. Notes and highlights can be printed out so you can study, or look for material to use in a paper.

 

 

Commercial e-readers have limits on their TTS capabilities because of copyright restrictions on audio versions of books


 

Google Play, Kindle apps, iBook and Nook

  • The apps are free, however, you pay for the books.
  • All but iBook’s are available on multiple platforms.
  • They all have dictionary, highlighting and annotation options.
  • Text to speech is not very easy or high quality for copyrighted works but can be made to work on some devices.
  • Kindle paperwhite owns Audible, so you can usually purchase the Audible version of a book for a discount.

Free sources for eBook reader

Bookshare:

If you are an individual with a documented reading disability, you can use Bookshare.

(see here for more detail: https://www.bookshare.org/cms/bookshare-me/who-qualifies)

  • Free eBooks, including textbooks for people with reading disabilities.
  • Almost all current commercial fiction and non-fiction are readily available
  • You can submit a request for books to be digitized can take 4-6 weeks.
  • Option to download a pure audio version of a text to use with MP3 player
  • Free software for all devices to read these books available to members
    • Our recommendation is Voice Dream, although it is not free

Registration also required for the following free sources of e-books:

New York Public Libraryjust regular registration, no proof of disability required, has ebooks and audiobooks

 

The Andrew Heiskell Library – requires registration and proof of reading disability but offers special services.

 

The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped – requires registration and proof of reading disability



No registration required for the following free online sources of e-books:

Project Gutenberg – offers over 53,000 ebooks

Google Scholar – free published articles.

Textbooks (k-12) – California digital textbook free resource

Internet Archive – More than just text, also pictures, videos and websites

 


Audio Books:

If you are just listening for pleasure, and don’t need to take notes, an audio book can be just the thing.

 Sources of pure audio books

Librivox – free recordings of public domain books for anyone

 

Learning Allyrequires registration and proof of reading disability and an annual fee

  • Audio versions of over 80,000 textbooks and literature.
  • Offers membership to qualified students and individuals for an annual fee.
  • Reading Ally offers ,free tool ,software and apps for Android devices, iPad, iPhone or iPod.
  • http://www.learningally.org/

 

Audible – high quality dramatic readings for a fee, available to anyone.