Beyond the Web: TEI, the Digital Library, and the Ebook Revolution

Between August 2000 and August 2002, the Electronic Text Center at the University of Virginia distributed over seven million freely-available electronic books to users from more than 100 different countries. Delivered in a variety of formats, including .lit and .pdb, these ebooks have provided proof-of-concept for the adaptive uses of TEI standards beyond the World Wide Web – standards that the Electronic Text Center has employed since its inception in 1992. The first half of this paper discusses the mechanics of ebook production at the Etext Center, the limits of the current technology, and the conversion workflow we hope to implement in the future. The second half discusses user response to our ebook collection, classroom applications of ebook technology, and the advantages and disadvantages that different formats offer to scholars and instructors in the