EBSCO eBooks

What are EBSCO eBooks?

EBSCO eBooks are online versions of print books that your library has either purchased with a perpetual license or via an annual subscription. eBooks that are owned will be available to the library in perpetuity, with provisions being made for long term access and preservation. eBooks available via subscription are renewed annually for the library to retain access. EBSCO eBooks are available from all major academic publishers in virtually all academic disciplines.

EBSCO eBooks offer a number of advantages over their print counterparts.  Users can:

• Download titles to mobile devices, including iPhones, iPads, Kindle Fires, and Android Devices
• Search within a book for specific words or phrases
• Save, print, or email chapters or sections
• Copy and paste portions of text for easy access during the research process
• Link to books or book chapters for easy reference or social sharing
• Save a list of favorite books to a personal book shelf
• Generate or export citations to bibliographic management tools
• Save notes to a personal folder with an EBSCOhost account
• Navigate between sections or chapters and the index via linking
• Place holds on titles with limited simultaneous user licenses (though most titles are available for unlimited access)

If you’re interested in making a purchase of an eBook for the library collection, contact your librarian.

eBook Basics: Can I Use Them in the Classroom?

EBSCO eBooks can be used in the classroom or as a part of your course syllabus. Using e-books available from the library can be cost effective use of student textbook funds, particularly if the book is not something students intend to keep long-term, or if you’re only assigning a chapter or section of the work.

Using EBSCO eBooks provides some advantages over print books in addition to cost-savings. Students can:

• Search within the titles for words or phrases
• Save/email/print chapters or sections
• Automatically generate bibliographic citations or export to bibliographic management tools

To learn more, see: eBook Basics: Using EBSCO eBooks in the Classroom on the EBSCO Support Site.

Can I print or save EBSCO eBook pages as a PDF?

Depending on publisher-specified limits, up to 100 pages of an EBSCO eBook can be printed, saved or emailed as a PDF file (per user) from within the eBook viewer to be printed at a later time.

Notes:

• Some titles may not allow for printing due to individual publisher-specified limits.
• The number of pages may vary depending on individual publisher-specified limits.
• If you have reached your printing limit, the option to print or save eBook pages will be temporarily unavailable.

To learn how to save, print, or email eBook Chapters, see:

• How to Print, E-mail or Save EBSCO eBooks Pages as a PDF

How to Check for an Unlimited Access EBSCO eBook

To check for an EBSCO eBook that includes Unlimited Access, find an eBook of interest and navigate to the Detailed Record.

The Detail Record contains the license information, displaying either Limited Access (1 or 3 copies available) or Unlimited Access.

For limited access titles, you may still save and use PDF chapters in your class. However, if you’d like to link to the title or make the title available for everyone to view online or download at the same time, you’ll want to make sure the title has an Unlimited User Access. (You can contact your librarian to expand the user rights for most titles).

How do I cite EBSCO eBooks?

EBSCO eBooks are available in both PDF and EPUB formats. PDF books have page numbers that typically correlate with the print version of the title, and those page numbers may be used for citation purposes. EPUB eBooks are formatted with reflowable text, which means the text resizes to fit the viewing window, and therefore they do not have stable pagination.

Most citation style guides, particularly in the humanities, make allowances for eBooks without stable page numbers. Visit our Support Site FAQ for reference if you’re trying to cite an eBook.

How do I cite an eBook?

What is the EPUB format?

EPUB has become the industry standard format for delivering eBooks, because it enables publishers to create books that behave more like web content.

EPUB titles are often embedded with links to help the user navigate between sections, from the index to the relevant pages, and out to the open web.

To learn more about EPUB format and the difference between EPUB and PDF format, see the following FAQs:

• What is EPUB for EBSCO eBooks?
• What is the difference between PDF and EPUB when downloading EBSCO eBooks?
• What is the difference between viewing EBSCO eBooks in PDF and EPUB formats online?

Can I link to EBSCO eBooks or eBook chapters in my syllabus or Canvas?

Yes, the Permalink feature in the eBook Viewer makes it easy to copy a link to an eBook or chapter and insert it into Canvas, Moodle, or any other course management system.

To learn how to copy Permalinks in EBSCOhost, see How can I link to eBooks or eBook chapters in my syllabus or on Blackboard? on the EBSCO Support Site.

Checkout and Download eBooks to Your Computer

To checkout and download eBooks to your computer:

1. Search EBSCOhost for eBook titles of interest.
2. Select the book that you would like to read by clicking on “Download This eBook (Offline)” in the result list
3. Select a Checkout Period and click “Checkout & Download”
4. When the File Download box opens, select “Open” and the eBook opens in Adobe® Digital Editions.

To learn more, see Checking out and Downloading EBSCO eBooks on EBSCO Help.