The best place to search for e-books is through the library catalog. By using the catalog, you will be searching across all our e-book platforms.
First, go to the library home page and type your keywords into the library catalog search box. This can be an author, title, or general keyword. If you are searching for a phrase, like a book title, using quotation marks will help keep those words together in your search.
Scroll through to find the e-book title you need. If your search is returning too many results, you may need to filter your search by using the left menu called Tweak my results. Here, you can filter by Full Text Online, date range, subject, and more.
If your search is returning too few results (or no results at all), you may need to expand your search by clicking "expand your search" at the top.
If there is an e-book copy available, you'll see the words Full Text Available under that result. Click on it to open up the title details.
Navigate to the View Online section of the catalog record to access the link to the e-book. This particular e-book is available through ProQuest Ebook Central. Click on "ProQuest Ebook Central" to go into the e-book platform and access the book.
Once you are in an e-book platform, you'll want to look for the Read Online or Access Options or Full Text PDF link to view the e-book online. You do not have to download an e-book in order to read it. We recommend reading e-books online if you can.
In ProQuest, you'll want to find the Read Online button under the cover image on the left.
In EBSCO, the button to access the e-book is under the Access Options drop-down menu.
All other platforms will have a PDF link to access e-books.
While the best place to find individual titles is the catalog, you may also want to browse our e-book platforms. To do so, check out our List of E-Book Platforms.
The library purchases one copy of every textbook reported to the Greener Bookstore. Print copies of these items are located in Open Reserves, near the library's research desk. These items are available for a two-day checkout with a two-day waiting period before they may be checked out by the same patron again. E-book copies of materials may also be available through the library catalog.
Check out the Course Materials on Open Reserve guide to see which books the library owns and in which formats.
If you are unable to find a specific title, you can request it using the following methods:
Request the print book or a copy of a chapter from another library by Requesting Items through Interlibrary Loan (video).
Suggest a library purchase by filling out our Purchase Request Form.
Some e-books on ProQuest and EBSCO will have publisher restrictions on copy/pasting text and downloading. This section will show you how to navigate within and around these restrictions.
When you navigate to an e-book on the ProQuest platform, the landing page will show publisher restrictions pertaining to that particular title. Every title is different, as these restrictions are assigned by the publisher when negotiating a contract with ProQuest.
Let's go through each restriction and what it means.
First, under Availability, it says: Your institution has unlimited access to this book. This means that an unlimited number of users can read this book simultaneously. This is called the unlimited e-book license.
If the availability states, "Your institution has multiple copies of this book," this is called a nonlinear license. This means that an unlimited number of users can view the e-book simultaneously. However, there is a limit on the number of "loans" per year. This limit is typically capped at 325, meaning the e-book can be downloaded up to 325 times throughout the year.
If the availability is limited to 3 users, it will note that by stating: Your institution has access to 3 copies of this book. This means that only 3 users can read this book simultaneously. There are also licenses that only allow one user to access the e-book simultaneously.
But, what happens when an e-book with a limited license is being used? You will see an in-use message with an option to be notified once the e-book returns to the digital shelf. If this becomes an issue in your class, please let the library know by emailing libraryhelp@evergreen.edu. We might be able to purchase an additional license for that title.
There are three options for reading an e-book on ProQuest: Read Online, Download Book, and Download PDF Chapter.
Read Online will launch the e-book reader within your browser window. This is the recommended option for reading e-books on this platform. You can search the text, highlight, add notes, and cite the book using tools available on the reader. Though, you will have to create a free ProQuest account (different from your Evergreen account) to save your work. For an overview, view the below video provided by ProQuest.
There are two options for downloading: Download Book and Download PDF Chapter. Download Book will prompt you to download an EPUB file accessible through Adobe Digital Editions. EPUB files are a way for publishers to allow users to download the full text of an e-book while maintaining any copy/paste and print restrictions. PDF downloads do not include those restrictions but may be limited to a total number of pages.
For steps on how to download an e-book, see the Download an E-Book box on this guide.
Copy/paste and printing restrictions on e-books can also be found under Availability in the column on the right.
This example states: "38 pages remaining for copy" This means that a user can copy/paste up to 38 pages of text from the ProQuest reader or a downloaded EPUB file per session. If you log out, close your browser, and restart your session, this number will refresh.
This example states: "75 pages remaining for PDF print/chapter download" This means that a user can download in PDF format and print up to 75 pages per session. If you log out, close your browser, and restart your session, this number will refresh.
If you need to print an e-book, you will have to download it in PDF format. For steps on how to download an e-book, see the Download an E-Book box on this guide.
When you navigate to an e-book on the EBSCO platform, the landing page will show publisher restrictions pertaining to that particular title. Every title is different, as these restrictions are assigned by the publisher when negotiating a contract with EBSCO.
Let's go through each restriction and what it means.
First, under Permissions, it says: Unlimited copies available. This means that an unlimited number of users can read this book simultaneously. This is called the unlimited e-book license.
If the availability is limited to 3 users, it will note that by stating: "3 of 3 copies remaining." This means that only 3 users can read this book simultaneously. There are also licenses that only allow one user to access the e-book simultaneously.
But, what happens when an e-book with a limited license is being used? You will see an "Unavailable" message. If this becomes an issue in your class, please let the library know by emailing libraryhelp@evergreen.edu. We might be able to purchase an additional license for that title.
There are three options for reading an e-book on EBSCO: PDF Full Text, EPUB Full Text, and Download. We recommend reading e-books online via the Access Options drop-down menu. You can click either PDF Full Text or EPUB Full Text, if both formats are available. Some e-books may have one option: Access Now (eBook).
PDF Full Text or EPUB Full Text under the Access Options drop-down menu will launch the e-book reader within your browser window. This is the recommended option for reading e-books on this platform. You can search the text, have it read aloud, highlight, add notes, and cite the book using tools available on the reader. Though, you will have to create a free EBSCO account (different from your Evergreen account) to save your work. For an overview, view the below video provided by EBSCO.
After clicking the Download button, there are two options for downloading: Chapters Only or Full eBook. Chapters Only will allow you to download a set number of pages in PDF format. The maximum number of pages allowed is determined by the publisher. Full eBook will allow you to download the entire book in EPUB format. EPUB files are a way for publishers to allow users to download the full text of an e-book while maintaining any copy/paste and print restrictions. PDF downloads do not include those restrictions but may be limited to a total number of pages.
For steps on how to download an e-book, see the Download an E-Book box on this guide.
Copy/paste and printing restrictions on e-books can also be found under Permissions on the e-book landing page.
This example states: "Copy & paste available" This means that a user can copy/paste an unlimited amount of text from the EBSCO reader or a downloaded EPUB file per session.
This example states: "Chapter download, print, email & save 60 pages allowed." This means that a user can download in PDF format and print up to 60 pages per session. If you log out, close your browser, and restart your session, this number will refresh.
If you need to print an e-book, you will have to download it in PDF format. For steps on how to download an e-book, see the Download an E-Book box on this guide.
You do not need to download an e-book in order to read it. We recommend reading the e-book online, unless you need to access it offline or print it out.
Most of our e-book platforms will allow you to download e-books in PDF format. Just look for the PDF icon to start downloading. Two of our platforms, EBSCO and ProQuest, may require you to download e-books in EPUB format, which requires you to use specific EPUB readers to access the downloaded file. Because of this, the download process from EBSCO and ProQuest are a bit trickier, so I've outlined the steps below.
First, click the Download button under the e-book title. You'll see this on the landing page for the e-book in EBSCO, after clicking through from the catalog or from a results list in the database.
A pop-up box will appear with three options: Chapters Only, Full eBook, and Metadata Only
You can download individual chapters in PDF format by selecting which chapter you would like to download and clicking the Download button on the bottom-right. There may be page limits for downloading in PDF format, which will be displayed under Publisher page limits. Note: you can reset this limit by closing your web browser, re-opening a new session, and re-navigating to the e-book landing page.
You can download the full e-book by clicking Full eBook, selecting your preferred file type, and clicking the Download button on the bottom-right. Some e-books can only be downloaded in EPUB format, which will require you to download a free EPUB reader like Adobe Digital Editions or Calibre.
Still having trouble? Try looking through the EBSCO eBooks on the New EBSCO Interfaces User Guide or contact the library with the title of the book you are trying to access.
On the e-book landing page, you will find information regarding download restrictions under the Availability header. This will let you know how many pages you can download in PDF format and if you are able to download the full e-book.
To begin downloading, click the Download Book button below the cover image on the left side. You may need to open the book in your browser first by clicking the Read Online button.
Once the e-book is open in your browser, navigate to toolbar, where you'll find the download icons.
The first icon (an arrow pointing down into a box) will allow you to download the entire e-book. Some e-books are able to be downloaded entirely in PDF format. If there are publisher restrictions on the e-book, like the example below, you will need to download the entire book in EPUB format and use the ProQuest Reader app.
The second icon (a sheet of paper with the text PDF) will allow you to download individual chapters from the e-book in PDF format.
To download this entire e-book, click the download icon and follow the prompts to login to your Evergreen account, download the ProQuest eBook Central app (if you haven't already), confirm your loan length, and begin reading your e-book in the app.
Still having trouble? Try looking through the ProQuest Ebook Central Reader App guide or contact the library with the title of the book you are trying to access.
The Evergreen Library has some audiobooks on CD available through our library catalog. We do not currently offer online audiobooks through the library. For full-length online audiobooks, check out the links below or visit your local public library. Timberland Regional Library in Olympia and Tacoma Public Library both have audiobooks available.