Portable document format files (that is, files having .pdf file extensions) have been designed with Adobe Acrobat so that they will appear exactly the same on all computers, no matter the platform or browser. In order to read the .pdf files listed on this site, you will need to have the free Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. I strongly advise you to have the 5.0 version or higher of the Reader in order to read the files without any errors. You may download the free Acrobat Reader software program from Adobe.com's website. (The file is at least 9MB in size and download times will vary greatly, depending on your access speed.)

According to the website operated by Adobe^® Systems Incorporated, in answer to the question "What is Adobe PDF?":

"Portable Document Format (PDF) is the de facto standard for the secure and reliable distribution and exchange of electronic documents and forms around the world, with a ten-year track record. PDF is a universal file format that preserves the fonts, images, graphics, and layout of any source document, regardless of the application and platform used to create it. Adobe® PDF files are compact and complete, and can be shared, viewed, and printed by anyone with free Adobe Reader® software."