Book scanning or book digitization is the process of converting physical books and magazines into digital media such as images, electronic text, or electronic books (e-books) by using an image scanner. Large scale book scanning projects have made many books available online.
Internet Archive Scribe book scanner in 2011
Internet Archive book scanner
Turning the pages in between taking scans
An example of a DIY non-destructive book scanner/digitizer, with the book downwards design, allowing gravity to flatten pages
An ebook, also known as an e-book or eBook, is a book publication made available in electronic form, consisting of text, images, or both, readable on the flat-panel display of computers or other electronic devices. Although sometimes defined as "an electronic version of a printed book", some e-books exist without a printed equivalent. E-books can be read on dedicated e-reader devices, also on any computer device that features a controllable viewing screen, including desktop computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones.
Someone reading an e-book on an e-reader
Michael S. Hart (left) and Gregory Newby (right) of Project Gutenberg, at Hackers on Planet Earth (HOPE) Conference, 2006
The first portable electronic book, the US Department of Defense's "Personal Electronic Aid to Maintenance"
Reading an e-book on a third-generation Kindle
