Q. How do ebooks work?

SEARCHING FOR EBOOKS

The library catalog (WorldCat Discovery) is your best bet when it comes to finding ebooks. 

• Search for the title, and then use the Format limiters on the left to limit your search results to ebooks only.
• If Butler has access to an ebook, the item's catalog record will show that it is held by Butler University Libraries and display one or more links to access the text.
• PLEASE NOTE: Ebooks that are part of one of the libraries' Demand Driven Acquisitions (DDA) collections will show up as available in the library catalog, even if they have not been purchased yet. Usually, these ebooks will still be accessible to read, with an automatic purchase being made behind the scenes after the ebook has been read for a certain amount of time. However, a small percentage of DDA ebooks will require a purchase request to be approved by the library before full text access is available. These mediated purchase requests are reviewed M-F during business hours. 

You can also search and browse directly within our ebook databases.

EBOOKS NOT OWNED BY BUTLER

Because WorldCat Discovery is a shared catalog, it includes records for items not held by Butler. We include these because they often can be obtained via interlibrary loan. However, most ebook publishers will not allow for sharing in this way. If we don't have access to a title you desire, you can request the interlibrary loan for a physical copy, or speak with your liaison librarian to discuss other options. 

USING OUR EBOOKS

We purchase ebooks from a large number of publishers and platforms, so there is a lot of variance in process and appearance when it comes to access our ebooks. We suggest trying the options to read in browser or online whenever possible. We also suggest exploring options for downloading/printing/saving chapters of ebooks, as these can often be done without downloading any special software. A lot of information is housed in our All About eBooks LibGuide. 

If you are a faculty member and would like to use an ebook for your class, please be in touch with your liaison librarian. They can make sure that the ebook is owned by the Libraries and will have user setting to allow for the use your students need.