Credo Reference
Access
How can I find ebooks?
The best place to find ebooks is in LibrarySearch. Enter your search terms (e.g. keywords or title) and then filter your results by choosing the ‘Available online’ and ‘Books’ filters from the right side of the page. This will narrow your results to include ebooks only. Once you have found an ebook you want to read, follow the link in the record to proceed to the ebook platform.
Can I download ebooks?
Most of our ebooks are available for download, either in full or by chapter. Some providers allow the ebooks to be downloaded as a PDF - look for this option on the platform. Others (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.
Devices
Can I download one of the Library's ebooks to my Kindle or to another ebook reader?
Ebooks which can be downloaded as PDFs can usually be saved to a computer or laptop and then transferred to a Kindle via USB. cannot be transferred to Kindle.
Can I read ebooks on my mobile/smartphone?
Troubleshooting
Why do I see a message that says the ebook is not available?
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 from platforms including VLeBooks, ProQuest Ebook Central, and EBSCOhost. 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.
There is an error page or a broken link when I try to access an ebook. What should I do?
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.
Step-by-step guide to Adobe Digital Editions
Some ebook platforms - including VLeBooks, ProQuest Ebook Central, and EBSCOhost - require you to use Adobe Digital Editions to download ebooks. This step-by-step guide will help you to install and use Adobe Digital Editions.Step-by-step guide to Safari O'Reilly ebooks
The O'Reilly ebook platform hosts thousands of ebooks, especially in the computing subject area. This step-by-step guide will help you to create an account and access O'Reilly ebooks.