How many e-Books does SPU have access to?
SPU currently has access to over 270,000 e-Books.
May I assign an e-book as a course text?
Yes, but make sure that the book allows for multiple or unlimited simultaneous users. See Library eBooks as Textbook Alternative for more information. You may link directly to the book or book chapter in Canvas.
How do I link to a book or book chapter?
Most e-books provide an option to link to the book from the book's main page. If there is not a direct way to link to the book, there are two options for linking:
*screenshot of The Wiley Handbook of Problem-Based Learning Primo record, showing the Permalink option under the Actions tab
Why can I not access the book? It's giving me a message that all copies are currently in use.
While most SPU e-Books allow for multiple users to access the book at the same time, occasionally librarians purchase e-Books that only allow access to 1 or 3 users at a time. For low-demand books, this is a cost-effective strategy. You will need to check back later to see if the book is available.
*screenshot of Availability information on a ProQuest e-book, showing that SPU only has access to 1 copy and that all copies are currently in use
I read an e-Book recently that I cannot find any more in the catalog. Where did it go?
Occasionally older or low-usage e-Books are removed from our e-Book subscriptions. If you'd like to recommend the library purchase a copy to have long-term, please contact your liaison librarian.
How do I recommend that the SPU library purchase an e-Book?
Please contact a liaison librarian to recommend an e-Book to purchase. Not all books are available to purchase as e-Books, especially traditional textbooks.
You can start from a search in SPU Primo of all currently available e-Books and limit from there by classification or genre.
Or you may choose to browse one of the several vendors through which we have access (list is not all-inclusive and not all e-Books may be available):
Follow the citation style needed for your assignment. Most e-Books are cited similarly to print books, but may also include a DOI (digital object identifier) if available, URL, or date of access. Refer to the Citation Styles guide for more information.
How much can I print or save to PDF from an e-Book?
It depends on the book, as each publisher has different allowance. Within each e-Book, look for the print or save to PDF option, and it will tell you how many pages you are allowed at that time. Also refer to the other tabs of this guide for information specific to each publisher.
How can I take notes on an e-Book?
If you are planning to take notes on an e-Book, consider downloading the chapter or section you are going to annotate as a .pdf file. PDF readers often will have a comment function that you can use to make notes on a .pdf document. Another strategy is to keep your notes in a separate file, like a Word or Google doc. Notes made in the text when reading online will not remain after you close your browser.
Are e-Books accessible? Do they support W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines?
For the most part, yes, but refer to the accessibility information for the e-Book you need to use. The most common platforms are linked below: