eBooks

Welcome to your guide to using eBooks for study and research.

Reading

Whatever your device - desktop, laptop, tablet, smartphone, or eReader - there are many ways to read eBooks.

Our two main eBook vendors are:

With ProQuest and EBSCO eBooks you can read online. For most titles you can also download the complete book.

Some of our other eBook vendors only allow you to read online. Some vendors will allow you to download individual chapters but not the complete book.

Software for reading

Some eBooks have built-in restrictions that controls the use of digital content on devices. This means you may need to install free software to download and read the eBook offline.

Other eBooks without restrictions can be read online or downloaded as a PDF.

You usually need Adobe Digital Editions for a desktop computer and for a mobile device:

Using Kindles

Kindle Fire users can download the Bluefire Reader app to read eBooks requiring Adobe Digital Editions.

Standard (e-ink) Kindles are not compatible with Adobe Digital Editions so eBooks requiring this software can't be read offline.

eBooks (or individual chapters) that can be downloaded as PDFs and read without Adobe Digital Editions can be transfered to Kindles.

Further help is available on the Amazon website:

Borrowing

Adobe Digital Edition eBooks have loan periods just like regular books. Once the loan period is over, the book will become inaccessible. If you're not finished with the book, you can download it again. Looking in Adobe Digital Editions will tell you how long you have the book for.

Printing and copying

Most eBook vendors usually allow more printing than granted under copyright. Printing chapters is common but not the whole book!

Sometimes you have to borrow the eBook before you can print. To find out how much you can print or copy, look for the “Help” link when you are reading an eBook online.

Refer to ProQuest Ebook Central or EBSCO information in this guide to find out how much you can print from these vendors.

Bookmarking and notes

Many eBooks are able to be bookmarked and annotated for future reference. Easily see what you've previously read and the notes you've captured. Share these with fellow students or colleagues.

Referencing and citing

Export the citations of your readings to referencing software such as Endnote or Zotero using the options provided on each platform. Double check any automatically generated citation, as it may need to be edited to match the rules of your chosen style exactly.