E-books are simply books that are available online or are stored on your computer. Most e-books are digitized versions of traditional print books, although some e-books are available only in a digital format.

Anything that can be contained in a traditional print book -- and more -- can be contained in an e-book, including

• text.
• graphics.
• sound.
• links.
• other multimedia elements.

The following are examples of the kinds of e-books that might be used in K-12 classrooms:

• textbooks.
• literature; most often classic works for which the copyright has expired. (Usually works published before 1923.)
• white papers, reports, and so on. (Especially for use in social studies classes.)

Next: Why use e-books?