Ebooks

Most of our ebooks are available for download, either in full or by chapter. Many providers allow the ebooks to be downloaded as a PDF - look for this option on the platform.

Some platforms (including VLeBooks, Proquest Ebook Central, and EBSCOhost) require you to use specific software such as Adobe Digital Editions. This software will allow you to download the ebook for limited number of days. It also restricts how much can be copied or printed. These limits can vary from book to book so the platform will inform you what you are able to do.

The O'Reilly platform only allows you to download books when using the mobile app. See our Guide to O'Reilly for more information.

Ebooks which can be downloaded as PDFs can usually be saved to a PC or laptop and then transferred to a Kindle via USB connection.

Many platforms will offer HTML or PDF formats which can be read using a smartphone. For platforms which require you to download using Adobe Digital Editions, an app version is available. O'Reilly also has an app where books can be read and downloaded.

Where possible we will always try to purchase ebooks with unlimited access. However due to cost or availability, we sometimes buy ebooks with licences which limit the number of simultaneous users. This is most likely to happen on the VLeBooks, ProQuest Ebook Central, and EBSCOhost platforms. If we only have 1 user licence for an ebook, this means that only one person can read online at once, and if someone has downloaded the book for a set number of days using Adobe Digital Editions, the book won’t be available to anyone else during that time.

If you see a message saying that all copies are in use, then please try again later. If you are repeatedly denied access, please contact the Library and we will investigate whether we can obtain additional user licences.

Please report this to the Library by sending details and screenshots to library@napier.ac.uk. Make sure you are following links from LibrarySearch or from reading lists, as these will authenticate you as an Edinburgh Napier user and give you access to our subscriptions. If you encounter an error page, try clearing your cache or using a different browser as this can often resolve the issue.

For most of our ebooks and other eresources, you will have options to have the ebook read aloud, to adjust the text size and font, and to change the colours of the text and background. For more information, please see Eresource accessibility tools and Technology to help you study.

Please refer to your School's referencing guidelines or the Library's guide to Referencing in APA 7th Style.

Many platforms offer the option to export to a citation manager. Look for 'Citation' or 'Export' options. Depending on the platform, you may have the option to download a RIS file or to directly export to web-based citation managers. You can also find options to download RIS files or export to EndNote Online or Mendeley on the LibrarySearch record for the resource you would like to cite.

The number of pages which can be printed varies according to the ebook supplier. The platform will inform you where there are specific limits.