What makes library e-books different?
Deakin Library has nearly 870,000 e-books in our collection and it’s growing every day! We aim to buy ‘e-first’, which means if there’s a digital version of a book, we’ll get it. With almost all students doing their university studies online, having electronic options for key texts is especially crucial.
We love e-books because:
- you can use the search function to look for key terms
- you don’t have to carry around a heavy text
- they’re accessible to everyone, anytime.
It’s important for everyone to understand how library e-books are different from what you buy for your personal Kindle, iBooks or other e-book collection.
Check out some FAQs below to understand e-books better. More information on accessing e-books is available on the Library help page.
Frequently asked questions about e-books
If the library has an e-book, that means it has unlimited availability, right?
Not necessarily – every e-book is a little bit different. Some publishers make their e-books accessible to everyone, all the time, but not all of them. Others limit the number of users at one time or the number of downloads in a year. It’s always best to check with the library if you have questions about the access.
Can I print or download the whole e-book?
To protect copyright, most e-book publishers will limit how much you can print or download a title.
How do I search for e-books on the library website?
There’s a quick way to find them: just go to the library homepage, search for your topic and use the refining options on the left-hand side to limit the source type to e-books.
Alternatively, you can go directly to one of our e-book databases. Here are some of the major ones:
- ProQuest E-book Central
- EBSCO e-book Academic Subscription Collection
- Taylor and Francis e-books
- Springer e-books
I saw the e-book on Kindle/iBooks; why doesn’t the library have it?
Most of the e-books you see online are only for individual users. Library e-books are a bit different because everyone needs to be able to access them. This means we have to buy e-books from special providers. We are always happy to search our providers for any title you’re interested in. Just get in touch.
Does the library still order physical textbooks?
The library will always have some print copies of each prescribed or recommended text. Of course, these titles are in high demand, so it’s always best to place a hold request if you want to join the borrowing queue for a book. (See also: how COVID-19 is impacting library services).
Need more help?
As always, get in touch with us via Library Chat if you need help finding a digital resource or have any other questions.