Where can I find an ebook?
Ebooks are listed on the Library Catalogue and on EOLAS. To access them, search by title, author or keyword and then refine your results to “ebooks” using the filter options on the left hand side of the screen.
The library subscribes to the following two ebook database collections which are included in our “Databases A-Z list“:
- eBook Academic Collection (EBSCOhost)
- Ebook Central (Proquest)
What are ebook licence restrictions?
Some ebooks have licence restrictions.
- 1 user licence: only allows 1 person to access the ebook at a time.
- 3 user licence : allows 3 people to access the ebook at the same time.
- unlimited licence: allows everybody to access the ebook at the same time.
If a person closes their browser or an ebook is left inactive for 30 minutes, it will time out and become available for another person.
Some ebooks are based on credits (.e.g 365 credits per ebook), where a credit is triggered by a person reading for more than 5 minutes online or highlighting a page/printing a chapter. With the credit based system, any number of people can access the ebook at the same time, but the ebook is only accessible while credits remain.
Can I download an ebook or check it out?
All ebooks can be read online using your browser. However, if you wish to access the ebook when you are not connected to the internet or if you wish to read it using a different device, then you will need to download it.
First, check that you have Adobe Digital Editions installed. It can be installed on a Windows or Mac pc or as an app on a tablet or smartphone. Once installed you will need to register to get your Adobe ID. You will then be able to download or check out an ebook.
How long can I download/check out an ebook for?
There are different limits on the length of time an ebook can be downloaded or checked out for. Once the time limit has passed, the ebook will disappear and you will need to download it again.
| Vendor | Licence | Download/Check out options |
| Proquest | 1 user licence | Not available for download. Must be read online. |
| Proquest | 3 user licence | Can be downloaded for a max of 3 days. Only 1 of the 3 licences (ebooks) can be downloaded. The remaining 2 must be read online. |
| Proquest | unlimited access | Can be downloaded for a max of 60 days |
| Proquest | Non linear access (e.g. 365 credits) | Can be downloaded for a max of 7 days. |
| EBSCO | 1 User Licence | Not available for download. Must be read online. |
| EBSCO | 3 User Licence | Can be downloaded/borrowed for 7 days. |
| EBSCO | Unlimited access | Can be downloaded/borrowed for 7 days. |
| EBSCO | Concurrent access (eg. 365 credits) | Can be downloaded/borrowed for 7 days. |
What format should I use?
Ebooks can be downloaded using a PDF or ePub format. If you are downloading the ebook to read on a mobile, tablet or an ebook reader use the ePub format. If you are downloading the ebook to read on a pc or laptop use the PDF format. The ePub format is more accessible than PDF as the text can be resized.
Can I change the background colour or font colour on an ebook?
To change the background colour or font colour, you can install a plugin for Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome called Midnight Lizard from the Midnight-Lizard website.
To change the background colour in Adobe Reader, choose the Edit menu and select Preferences and then Accessibility. Check the box “Replace Document Colours” and click on “Custom Colour”. You can then choose your preferred colour.
Can I print some pages from an ebook?
Yes, it is possible to print pages or a section of an ebook. Each ebook gives information about how many pages can be printed.