Creating a User Account
- To create a user account, this information must be entered from one of the library computers.
- From any EBSCOhost eBooks page, click on the Sign In link at the top, right-hand side of the page.
- Click the Create a Free Account link on the right-hand side of the page.
- Enter your name and other identifying information in the fields provided.
- Enter a security question and answer, and complete the rest of the account information. The security question will be used in case you ever forget your password.
- Click Submit to create the account.
Logging In
Although you can use some EBSCOhost eBooks features without logging in, to check out eBooks or access your account from multiple locations, you must create a user account and log in to EBSCOhost.
- You may login to the EBSCOhost eBooks site from any page by entering your username and password in the login box at the top, right-hand side of the page.
- Enter your username and password and click Log in.
Note: If you forget your username or password, click the "Forget your username or password?" link on the log in page, and follow the instructions displayed.
Logging Out
When you finish using EBSCOhost eBooks, you should close you user account by logging out. This will prevent any unauthorized users from accessing your account.
Click the Log Out button on the right side of the page to close your user account and log out of the EBSCOhost eBooks system.
Checking Out & Downloading eBooks
Do you have an eReader and want to check out eBooks for it? (For the KINDLE© or iPad© see note below). Make sure you have a created an account and logged in. Then follow these steps:
- Download Adobe Digital Editions here and install to your personal computer. Pannell Library student computers already have the program installed. (You must have Adobe Digital Editions to manage & transfer eBooks)
- Connect your eReader
- Choose your book from EBSCOhost
- Click on “Download This eBook”
- When the window pops up click on the gold “Download” button
- A second window will pop up once download is complete. Choose to “Open with Adobe Digital Editions”
- Once Adobe Digital Editions opens, you should see your eBook listed in the “All Items” Bookshelf on the left-hand side of the program. Your eReader should also show up below the Bookshelves in the left-hand side menu.
- To transfer a title to your eReader, just drag & drop from “All Items” to your eReader
- Your download is available for a 7-day checkout. After seven days, the book will expire and automatically return itself. If it still shows up in Adobe Digital Editions, but has an “Expired” banner on it, just click on the book and choose to remove from your library.
*NOTE: Most, but not all, eReaders are supported. THE KINDLE© IS NOT SUPPORTED BY ADOBE DIGITAL EDITIONS. To see if your eReader is compatible with EBSCOhost’s eBooks through Adobe Digital Editions, check here.
KINDLE© USERS: To transfer an eBook to your Kindle©, you will still need to download and install Adobe Digital Editions. This allows the eBook to be downloaded as a PDF.
- Follow steps 1 - 6 above.
- After the eBook has downloaded to Adobe Digital Editions, you can close the program.
- Next, look for your "My Digital Editions" folder on your computer. Normally it is located under C:\Users\[yourusername]\Documents\My Digital Editions
- Open the "My Digital Editions" folder and locate the PDF of your chosen eBook. Copy this selection and then open your KINDLE© from "My Computer" and paste the eBook file into the appropriate folder in your KINDLE©.
iPAD© USERS:
- Download Bluefire© Reader from the App Store.
- From your iPad© go to the EBSCOhost eBooks login page.
- Sign in and click on "My Checkouts" at the very top above "Folder"
- Choose the book(s) that you have checked out and click "Download (Offline)."
- A window will pop up. Click on the gold "Download" button.
- The page will change and give you a button that says 'Open in "Bluefire Reader."'
- Click the button to open and read your book.
The free e-book sites:
Bookbub --- good resource for free and reduced price books. Searches a variety of platforms including Amazon Kindle©, Barnes & Noble Nook©, Apple iBooks©, Google Play© and Kobo©.
Project Gutenberg – the original site for free text online, more than 33,000 free books for most e-reader platforms.
Have a bookshelves feature where collections are grouped by topic.
Easy to use.
Baen Books, publisher of science fiction and fantasy offers a number of their titles for free downloads.
Currently 120 titles with new titles added monthly.
The online Books page of the University of Pennsylvania libraries offers hundreds of online books freely readable on the Internet.
http:// digital.library.upenn.edu/books
The Digital Reader is a blog devoted to news, reviews and opinions on everything e-book.