Frequently Asked Questions About ASCD’s Electronic Publications

E-Books 

ASCD offers PDF e-books of most titles for sale in the online store. When available, the PDF e-book is accompanied by bonus MOBI and EPUB files to ensure compatibility with any device you choose to use, such as a Kindle or Nook. The e-book's description in the online store will indicate if bonus files are available for that title. For more information, see the frequently asked questions on this page.

Purchasing an ASCD E-Book

• Why would I want to buy an e-book?
• What is the advantage of purchasing directly from ASCD?
• Is there a way to check e-book compatibility with my device before I purchase?
• Can I get an e-book for my membership book?

Downloading an ASCD E-Book

• When I download an e-book from the ASCD Online Store, what do I get?
• How do I open an e-book that I’ve downloaded from the ASCD Online Store?
• How long do I have to download my e-book?
• Can I download my e-book more than once?

E-Book Troubleshooting

• How do I fix display issues?

Sharing and Feedback About ASCD's E-Books

• Can I e-mail or share my e-book with others?
• How can I provide ASCD with feedback about my e-book experience?

Why would I want to buy an e-book?

When deciding whether to purchase an e-book or print book (or both), take into consideration your desired reading experience. E-books offer the following benefits:

• Instant availability: Purchase, download, and read in a flash.
• On-the-go flexibility: Carry your entire library with you. Read what you want, when you want.
• Searching, searching, searching: An e-reader can skim copy faster than the human eye to find just what you’re looking for. Plus, you can bookmark it.
• Shelf-space savings: Thousands of e-books can fit in approximately the same space as one print book.
• Personalized reading: Change the font. Change the background. Customize your e-book. Make your reading experience what you want it to be.
• Peace of mind: Save a backup copy (within the fair-use guidelines) for safekeeping.

What is the advantage of purchasing directly from ASCD?

By purchasing directly from the ASCD Online Store, you’re supporting the nonprofit organization whose mission is to develop programs, products, and services essential to the way educators learn, teach, and lead.

Most ASCD books are offered as PDF e-books, and when available the PDF is accompanied by two bonus e-book formats (MOBI and EPUB) so that you can read your ASCD e-book on any device. Because we want to make your e-reading experience as convenient as possible, our e-books are provided with minimal digital rights management (DRM), which means you never have to worry about DRM barriers to your reading. Only e-books downloaded from ASCD’s Online Store offer this ease and flexibility.

ASCD understands that you may need to re-download an e-book (perhaps you’re changing to a new computer or you accidentally deleted the files). If you find yourself in such a situation, you can re-download the e-book for your own personal use within 90 days of the original purchase.

Is there a way to check e-book compatibility with my device before I purchase?

When you purchase an e-book from ASCD, your e-book will appear in your account's "My Downloads" area as a PDF e-book or, when available, a PDF e-book and two bonus e-book formats: MOBI and EPUB. (The product description in the online store will note whether it is a PDF e-book or a PDF e-book with bonus MOBI and EPUB formats.) The following chart matches popular devices with our recommendations for the best file type for your e-reading experience. 

Can I get an e-book for my membership book?

To receive e-books instead of print books as a membership benefit, you must be a Select Online or Premium Online member. Get more information about ASCD membership categories.

When I download an e-book from the ASCD Online Store, what do I get?

Most of ASCD’s books are offered in PDF e-book format for purchase in the online store. When available, the PDF e-book is accompanied by two bonus formats of the title: MOBI and EPUB. Because everyone has personalized preferences in reading, and because e-reading devices and applications vary in display capabilities and file compatibility, providing these three formats will let you tailor your e-reading experience based on your preferences. 

You may download all three formats of the e-book for your own personal archive and use. (See the Terms and Use section in "Getting Started with Your ASCD E-Book" for fair use guidelines.)

How do I open an e-book that I’ve downloaded from the ASCD Online Store?

Once your e-book is in your "My Downloads," you may be able to download the compatible format directly to your e-reading device. If you choose to first download your e-book formats to your computer for safekeeping (ASCD's fair use guidelines allow you to retain an electronic copy of each format for personal use), you can then transfer the compatible format to your device or read it on your computer through a compatible application. Review "Getting Started with Your ASCD E-Book" to choose and load the right format for your device, or refer to the compatibility chart on this page. 

How long do I have to download my e-book?

We recommend that you download your e-book formats within a week of purchase, but for your convenience, your e-books are stored in your ASCD account until you delete them.

Can I download my e-book more than once?

We recommend downloading your three e-book formats once and storing them in a safe location on your computer. However, for your convenience, you can download your e-book for up to 90 days online.

How do I fix display issues?

Devices and applications for e-reading have varying capabilities of display and use. If you experience challenges in viewing content, try adjusting the font size or other user-controlled settings on your device or try reading the e-book on another device or through another application. 

Because the screen size of some e-reading devices is small, larger images and graphics may not display well, but they should view better in a desktop application (Adobe Acrobat Reader for PDF; Kindle for Mac or Kindle for PC for MOBI; Adobe Digital Editions for EPUB) or on a tablet.

Can I e-mail or share my e-book with others?

No. The downloaded e-book files are intended to be used by the purchaser only, and any circulation of these e-book files for use by anyone other than the purchaser without ASCD’s consent would be considered unfair use. Your download allows one person to retain an electronic copy of the files for personal reading and to make one printout for personal use. Display on an intranet or website is prohibited. It is illegal to reproduce, store in or introduce into a retrieval system or database, or transmit any portion of this book in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior permission of the publisher, ASCD. By using only authorized electronic or print editions and not participating in or encouraging piracy of copyrighted materials, you support the rights of the authors and publishers.

How can I provide ASCD with feedback about my e-book experience?

ASCD welcomes your feedback about the three e-book file formats and your e-reading experience in general. If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, please contact us.