How I Use It
I have presented this mainly to librarians in workshops and 1-on-1 training, as another resource for extending the range of high quality texts to students. I have instructed them to use the "Search Tools" when doing a search for book titles, and then filter by "Free Google eBooks." Teachers of students in Grade 4 and above have surveyed their students, and determined that over half of their students have mobile devices, in many cases iPhones/iPod Touches. I hope that the benefits of the addition of these resources to their existing collections of books will soon be evident.
My Take
Students and teachers can use Google Books to find free, Public Domain ebooks. These can be read either online, or downloaded as PDFs or EPUBs to read on your favorite mobile device! My favorite option is downloading EPUB books, to be either uploaded directly onto a Nook, or opened in the OverDrive app on an iPad or iPhone. Of course, if you have an Android, or the Google Play app on your IOS device, you can also open these books in that Google-developed app. You can also embed free books, or excerpts of paid books, as a widget in a web site. If you use Google Plus, you can also have public bookshelves to share with those in your circles and beyond, and you can submit reviews of those books, adding that "social media" element.
