eBooks have found a home at Muncie's Huffer Memorial Children's Center.

The United Way-sponsored childcare center was given 15 electronic books as part of a study organized by Richard Bellaver, associate director of Ball State University's Center for Information and Communication Sciences.

The intent of the study was to see if children would favor eBooks over their traditional hard-bound counterparts. Also studied was how well children retained information gained from eBooks versus traditional books.

Seeing the children gather around the eBooks answers the first question. They pick up the devices, which are smaller than a laptop computer but bigger than a personal digital assistant, and quickly locate their favorite stories with a couple of taps with a stylus.

Some of the children enjoy reading one of the 17 stories — downloaded from Web sites providing free literature for eBooks — stored on each electronic device. Others use the electronic dictionary while completing their homework. Many like using the stylus to peck at the typewriter or scribble on the electronic drawing board.

"I like the pictures in ‘The Three Little Pigs,'" said Carl Lewis Jr., age 7.

In regards to comprehension, Bellaver found that test scores taken after reading eBooks compared to those taken after completing traditional books were nearly identical. In six tests taken over six weeks, there was only a one-point difference, he said.

The eBooks also provide a viable alternative to heavy backpacks filled with textbooks, Bellaver added.

"Overweight backpacks are causing back problems, so there is a need for a lighter medium such as eBooks," he said. "From our study, we've learned that children like eBooks and that they are durable enough to go back and forth between home and school."

Bellaver and graduate student Matt Ramey made frequent trips to Huffer Memorial during the study, which was funded by the Center for Media Design. Bringing the eBooks to Huffer Memorial was orchestrated in part by Community Tech Link, a program of United Way of Delaware County.

About Ball State University and the Center for Media Design

Ball State University, located in Muncie, Ind., is the third-largest public university in Indiana, with more than 18,300 students. Originally a private teacher training school when it opened in 1899, Ball State became a university in 1965. The 1035-acre residential campus in Delaware County is an hour's drive north of Indianapolis.

The Center for Media Design is an R&D facility focused on the creation, testing and practical application of digital technologies for business, classroom, home and community. The center is part of Ball State's iCommunication initiative, funded by a $20 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.

Community Tech Link, a program of United Way of Delaware County, provides wide range technology solutions for the nonprofit community and looks for innovative and fun technology for nonprofit organizations to test. 

(Note to Editors: For more information or to arrange a visit to Huffer Memorial, contact Bellaver at (765) 285-1503 or rbellaver@bsu.edu.)