I own a hand-me-down eBookwise; my mother gave me hers when she bought a Nook several years ago. Recently, I’ve been wanting to use the thing to read the Oz series. But, I can’t for the life of me figure out how to get books on the thing? I’ve installed several things, and reset the reader. But whenever I plug the USB cable into my laptop, nothing happens. It doesn’t even give me an error code (neither the computer, nor the reader). I spent several hours pouring over my mom’s old files, hoping she left instructions, but found nothing. I know she used Calibre (which I downloaded) but it doesn’t seem to do anything. Help!
That is a device so old that it only complies with the hardware spec for USB, and not the software drivers spec.

It uses custom drivers which I think are only available bundled with the companion Windows app. FYI: Installing that app could bork some of the less important network protocols on your device.

I will go look for the install tool for the companion app. In the meantime, you might find it easier to get a storage card and a USB reader for the card, and use that to get ebooks on your eBookwise.
I think I found the app you need:
http://ebookwise-librarian.software.informer.com/

fine print: I do not vouch for that site or the install file. Use at your own peril.
Also, I seem to recall that the eBookwise required IMP ebook files.

If you have a bunch of ebooks you would like to transfer, you can save some time by converting them with calibre.
you would not believe the stuff I have on my hard disk.

Here's the quick start guide.
I have a few files saved that appear to be drivers for the USB:

• Win_eBookUSB_Installer.exe (2005)
• Win_eBookUSB_Installer_3.0.exe (2006)
• Win_eBookUSB_Installer_4.0.exe (2009)

I also have saved copies of the EBWLibrarian program, which is a rebranded version of GEBLibrarian (which was originally offered by Steve Breen at http://www.breeno.org/eBook/), plus various version of the ETI eBook Publisher program. If I remember correctly (and I admit the details are fuzzy), I think ETI bought the readers after Rocketbook stopped selling them.

They're executable files, so I don't know if I could upload them here if you'd want to try them. I did a Google search using the filename of the first USB installer, and it did come up on a couple of driver sites.

I thought I had some old notes about using these programs, but I'm not having luck finding them.

EDIT: FYI - I just noticed that the Breeno site linked above still offers a download of the USB drivers and instructions on how to use GEB librarian. On second glance, they link the really old Gemstar USB drivers and provide a no-longer-functioning link to the old ETI website for the USB drivers.

I'm willing to share what I have, if you're willing to trust my uploading EXE files (assuming I even can).
The OP never returned, so let me say:

Thank you for posting those.
You're welcome. I only wish I could have found my conversion notes.

I could have sworn I had pages copies from the ETI website with all kinds of useful info, but they're not in any place that it makes sense to me (today).
Let me start with I’m so very, very sorry that I’m just now getting back to this. Life’s been just a bit more complicated than I would like, lately. (And after everyone has been so very nice, too!) I can’t emphasize just how terrible I feel about letting this sit around.

At any rate, I used the MobileRead Wiki and downloaded (from here http://www.ebooksystem.net/support_download.htm) the USB Driver for ETI-2, but my computer still fails to even see the eBookwise. After realizing that the eBookwise takes a different format that I first thought, I also downloaded the eBook Publisher. No change. My laptop doesn’t even see something plugged into the USB drive. (Any drivers that would make the eBookwise recognizable to a computer would be highly appreciated.)

On a side note, my laptop is running Windows 8, but I do have access to a desk computer that’s running Windows 7. Would this make any difference?
I probably haven't used mine since I was on Windows XP, so I can't say. Sorry.