Mankind has had the privilege of reading books for centuries. Original books were hand written and because of the difficulty in reproducing a book, were very rare and ownership was cherished. However, one of the biggest inventions in history was the printing press. Around 1436 Johannes Gutenberg began work on the printing press. With the printing press, people were now able reproduce books and other documents easier, faster and more efficiently.

With the printing press in place, printers were producing books and manuscripts easier. With the ability to produce material faster and cheaper, books and newspapers were able to be printed and distributed to a wider audience. With easier access and distribution, the world became closer and people became more aware of what is happening in other parts of the world.

• History of the Printing Press - facts and useful information about the work involved in the invention of the printing press.
• History of Printing - informative resource discussing the invention of the printing press and how printing has evolved.
• History of Visual Communication - information on the changes over time in how information is presented in visual format from rocks and caves to the computer.
• Evolution of Printing Presses (PDF) - article containing information and images of the changing look of the printing press over time.
• Gutenberg's Printing Press - brief overview of the development of the printing press over time.
• History of Printing - useful information on how the printing press was invented and a description of how it operated.
• Johannes Gutenberg and the Printed Book - overview on the life of the inventor of the printing press with movable type.
• Gutenberg Bible - exhibit from the Library of Congress showing the finished product of the newly invented printing press.

Over the course of time further advancements in printing was done. The original printing press relied on movable type to create the pages. In time, this manual process was replaced by automated procedures and eventually a digital process. The ability to produce documents and books digitally led to e-books which are electronic books created digitally via computer. By being able to create books in electronic format led people having the ability to read books electronically.

These electronic books, called e-books, offer greater flexibility than traditional paper books. With e-books they can be read by portable book readers or by computer. In addition, e-books can be saved as a Portable Device Format (PDF). By being saved as a PDF, the books can be saved on the computer, read and transmitted to others via e-mail. By having the e-book as a PDF, it gives users of the files greater flexibility.

• Available e-books - information on the collection of electronic books that are available through the New York State Library.
• Electronic Books - useful information on e-books and all electronic resources that are available.
• E-book Definition - definition from the online web dictionary of what is an electronic book.
• Project Gutenberg - resourceful site which provides people with free e=books to be used on a personal basis.
• Net Library - portal of information on how to find and use public collections of e-books for personal usage.
• PDF Definition - information and definition of what is a Portable Document Format and how it is used.
• Definition of PDF - informative article providing the definition of a Portable Document Format or PDF.
• E-book - collection point of information and resources for e-books and readers.
• Children's E-books - useful collection of e-books especially for children.
• Interactive E-books for Children - resourceful site containing a collection of interactive electronic books, stories and activities for children.
• Children's Storybooks Online - informative website with stories for children from pre-school age to teenagers which can be viewed electronically.
• E-book Reader Software - information on software that is needed to read electronic books on portable devices.
• Software for E-book Readers - collection of resources containing software to be used by e-book readers.
• E-book Reader Comparison - useful information on the various e-book readers that are available and a side-by-side comparison of the various types of readers.
• Comparison of Readers - information on various types of e-books available on the market and information of each.

Printing and the publishing industry has gone through massive changes in the past several centuries. From manual movable type printing presses, to digitally produced documents and books, the changes have been dramatic. With all the changes that have occurred, it is expected that the printing industry will continue to evolve with the improving technology. In addition, the technology of the use of portable book readers will continue to grow and also expand.

• Future of Books - interesting article written by a book publisher discussing the future of books and technology.
• The Future of Books - futuristic look at the books of the future and how technology is driving the changes.
• The Future of Books and Technology - useful look at the future growth of online books and documents.
• Future of E-books in Libraries - article describing how e-books fit into the library of the future.
• The Future of E-books - look at e-books and whether e-books will be part of the future.
• Printing Press Future - article from the printing industry about the future of printing.
• Past, Present and Future of Printing - informative article about where printing was, where it is and where it will be in the near future.