1701 9th Avenue North
Texas City, TX 77590
Phone: (409) 643-5979
Fax : (409) 948-1106
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Thursday, Friday: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sunday: Closed
Moore Memorial Public Library does not offer ebooks for check-out at this time but we are working to provide this service and will post that information as soon as it is available. In the meantime, below is information about ebooks and sources for free ebooks.
Ebooks: An introduction
Ebooks and audiobooks from MMPL
Free ebooks
Free audiobooks
What is an ebook?
An ebook is an electronic book. Any book published, accessed or distributed in an electronic format is an ebook. Typically the term refers to a book-length printed text republished within a digital format. Today however, many ebooks are written purely for digital publication and distribution. Also, many self-published works are being made available through the ebook medium.
What is an ebook reader?
Essentially an ebook reader, or e-reader, is any device used for reading ebooks. E-readers are often specialized software programs which allow users to read full-length books on their personal computers. Recently, however, e-readers have been most closely associated with portable devices which offer more ergonomic and compatible ways to access ebooks.
How are library ebooks the same as print library books?
The library gets licenses for digital content through certain providers. These licenses are contracts protected through copyright laws pertaining to legal distribution of the content.
How can I "check out" an ebook like I would a regular book?
Just like regular print books, most titles can only be checked out by so many people at one time. If an ebook you are looking for is checked out, you can usually place a digital hold using your library card. An email will be sent to you as soon as that title is ready. When you download an ebook to your PC or portable device, you are downloading a file of that title.
What do I need to read an eBook? How do I read an eBook?
What is Digital Rights Management?
Digital Rights Management (DRM) is meant to ensure that copyrights of an author and publisher are secure and protected to prevent fraud or piracy. With digital files, DRM regulates what users can and can't do with a certain file such as an ebook. It prevents the use of files to be freely distributed and it's why ebook readers can't simply abscond with free ebooks at will. DRM also prevents the transference of a digital file from one device to another or from one computer to another. It also prevents many ebooks from being printed out.
Where can I find free ebooks?
Free ebooks are not always easy to find. Many of the best online resources for free ebooks may require the user to register with the site in order to access an item. In many cases, free ebooks will be contained within a site which will also feature titles for purchase. See our free ebooks list below.
What are eAudiobooks?
Audiobooks that can be downloaded and played on computers or personal devices would count as electronic audiobooks. These types of audiobooks will come in several different formats making them compatible with different types of audio devices.
Two primary file types exclusive to eAudiobooks are WMA and MP3. WMA (Windows Media Audio) audiobooks are digitally protected by DRM and are designed to be listened to on devices which support DRM protected files like iPads or iPods. MP3 (MPEG Audio Layer 3) audiobooks can be played on virtually all devices though not all files downloaded will be protected by DRM.
How can I get eAudiobooks?
Downloadable audiobooks operate much like regular ebooks and can be obtained through the library’s OneClickDigital membership. In addition, check out our list of free downloadable audiobook websites.
Can I "burn" eAudiobooks to a CD?
While some publishers allow certain eAudiobook titles to be burned to a CD, many are protected by copyright and just like regular audiobooks may not be duplicated.
EPUB: The EPUB (.epub) is the most common ebook file type. It is the closest thing the eBook industry has to an open and standardized file format. Basically it's a file combining XHTML, XML and Zip file formats into a language standard specifically designed for ebooks and e-readers.
OEPUB: Open EPUB files are digital book files that are not protected by digital rights management (DRM) and can be viewed without restrictions or software authorization on the same devices as EPUB files can.
PDF: Most people are familiar with PDFs (Portable Document Format) and many will be familiar with how such files are accessed through Adobe Acrobat reader software accommodating most computers. PDF is reliable and generally one of the easiest formatting standards to work with being compatible to most desktop computers and e-reader devices like Nook and Sony Readers. The only drawback is that PDF files are less visually flexible and font type and size are generally unalterable.
HTML and Plain Text: Many ebooks are still formatted within the language of the internet, or HTML, which is accessible to users of computers and e-readers and any platform with an internet browser. The Plain Text format (.txt) is one of the oldest formatting standards around that remains transferable through computer technology. The flexibility of the language is the common reason why many if not all e-reader devices are compatible with it.
AZW/Mobi: These two file formats are almost exclusively associated with the Amazon Kindle e-reader (both are technologies owned by Amazon). Each are file formats which are basically an older version of XHTML, a more versatile web language than HTML.
eReader Palm Media: eReader (.pdb) is a freeware program for viewing Palm Digital Media electronic books on devices such as iPhone, PalmOS, WebOS, Android, BlackBerry, Smartphone, Windows Desktop and MacIntosh. Text content is shown one page at a time and allows hyperlinks and images to be displayed.
Amazon Kindle: Amazon's own ebook reader, the Kindle, was introduced in 2007 with subsequent models, Amazon Kindle 2, Kindle DX and Amazon Kindle 3, put on to the market recently. All Kindle devices use the "e-ink" screens which are essentially electronic paper. What initially made the Kindle unique is instant streaming accommodation which allows users to purchase or acquire books and read them instantly.
Sony Reader: Sony has several e-reader devices, all them utilizing the PRS (Portable Reader System) supporting a wide variety of formats like EPUB though not MOBI or AZW. Sony Readers are readily accessible on the traditional market and are available for purchase at most traditional outlets like Target or Wal-Mart.
Barnes & Noble Nook: The Nook supports many of the same formats as the Sony Reader (i.e., epub, pdf, html) but not Mobi. Probably the nook's most unique feature is its touch pad operating screen and light sensitive design.
Smart Phones and Cell Phones (with apps): Many of today's cell phones and other digital communication devices contain applications capable of downloading ebooks. Some ebooks are even published especially for use on cell phones.
iPad and iPhone: iPads are essentially the next new wave of e-reader technology facilitating the user with multiple interface capabilities and even a larger screen with optional touch-pad menus.
Amazon.com eBooks: Amazon.com offers free ebooks through its website but registration with the site is required. Also, in order to view most of the free ebooks, users will need to download free "Kindle for PC" software.
Barnes & Noble Nook Books: Registration with a credit card is required for access, even to free titles. The Nook uses the EPUB file format, a free and open ebook standard, so the actual Nook device isn't required for ebook downloads.
Google Books: Google has made many full-text ebooks available to users for free. But know that all "available" titles may not provide full access to the content.
Internet Archive: Contains a wide range of fiction, popular children's books, historical texts and academic books.
ManyBooks.net: Offers nearly 30,000 titles of exclusively free ebooks which can be read in over a dozen languages. This site does require an online registration.
Open Library: This site features a good majority of all ebooks within the public domain. Very user-friendly.
Project Gutenberg: The most well-known and exclusively collection of ebooks on the web contains an enormous collection of more than 19,000 copyright-free ebooks and a growing collection of audiobooks.
Baen Free Library: A unique site with free ebook downloads of mostly science fiction novels.
Booktrope: Offers ebooks that can be read online. A small registration is necessary by the user but no cost is required.
CK-12 Flexbooks: Features online digital textbooks in math and science for grades PreK-12. Must be read online or through a PDF reader.
DailyLit: Daily Lit allows users to access ebooks through RSS feeds or links fed to a user email.
Free-eBooks.net: A major source for ebook downloads of all types of fiction and non-fiction books. A small registration is required and downloads are limited to HTML, PDF, TXT and Apple formatting configurations.
Get Free eBooks: An ebook site with mostly popular fiction and non-fiction titles, all of which can be read online or downloaded to multiple portable devices.
HathiTrust Digital Library: HathiTrust is a partnership of major research institutions and libraries that preserve culturally significant documents for free distribution. Their Public Collections section contains a wide variety of readily available documents for immediate download.
Obooko: Registration and email confirmation are required for this service although there are generally few restrictions or technical applications that are needed in order to begin reading. Their selection includes hundreds of fiction and non-fiction titles and all ebooks are downloadable to PDF format.
The Online Books Page: An academically sponsored site with more than 25,000 downloadable books.
Online Free eBooks: Provides links to various PDF formatted ebooks and technical manuals mostly within non-fiction categories.
Online Computer Books: Provides access to computer software manuals and programming language textbooks.
Open Culture: An extensive collection of ebooks, audiobooks and digital media resources focusing on cultural education.
Scribd: Scribd is a social publishing website where authors of ebooks, mostly without print equivalents, can be read for free. No registration is required.
Books Should Be Free: Contains many audiobooks read by volunteers that are in the public domain. All books can be legally downloaded using mp3 format to a personal computer or portable audio device.
LibriVox: Extensive collection of free audio books read by volunteers. Their goal is to record every book in the public domain. All titles are available through RSS podcast and mp3 format.
Open Culture: An extensive collection of ebooks, audiobooks and digital media resources focusing on cultural education.
Project Gutenberg: The most well-known and exclusively free collection of ebooks on the web contains an enormous collection of more than 19,000 copyright-free ebooks and a growing collection of audiobooks.