Genealogy is a hobby that requires a lot of research. Research requires one of two things: access to the internet, or access to the actual printed books that you can hold in your hand. While a visit to a library can be very helpful, it has limitations. The other option is to buy the book you need. Many genealogists quickly end up with more books than they have the physical shelf space for. One great way to save valuable shelf space is to purchase the book in electronic format.
Digital books are also called electronic books, or eBooks. They contain the same information that a physical copy of the book contains. The advantage is that the eBooks won’t take up any space on your overcrowded bookshelf. This spares you from having to make some difficult decisions. You won’t have to figure out which of the books you purchased to help you with your genealogy research are no longer necessary. No one wants to have to get rid of a book that they just might need to refer to again in the future! It also saves you from needing to buy a brand new, larger, bookshelf, and from having to figure out where in your home it will sit.
If you are interested in electronic books, there are several sources to choose from. You might want to purchase an electronic book reader. Kindle is from Amazon. It has sharp contrast, making it easy on the eyes while reading. Purchase books for the Kindle from Amazon.com. You can read a sample chapter for free before you decide to buy the book. Nook is the electronic book reader from Barnes & Noble. As expected, you need to purchase books for the Nook from the Barnes & Noble website, by clicking on the eBooks tab at the top of the page. Apple has the iPad, which can be used to read books on. It also has a lot more functionality than the other devices. You buy books for the iPad from the iTunes store. It is also possible to download electronic books to your laptop or desktop computer, and read them there.
Electronic books are still a new concept. This means that you can easily find classic books, as well as popular fiction. You may need to search around a little more for books about history, or books that are helpful in a very specific way to your genealogy research. If you are running out of bookshelf space, and cannot bear to part with books that you might need again, electronic books may be an option to look into.
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