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eBooks @ The University of Alabama in Huntsville

This guide will give you helpful information on navigating our eBook collection.

eBooks on EBSCOhost

eBooks on EBSCOhost

We have over 65,000 eBooks on EBSCOhost.  eBooks can be viewed online in the Salmon Library, on your computer on campus or at home, and in many cases downloaded to computers or mobile devices.

If you want to download them,  you need to have an EBSCOhost account and then download them. By default they are compatible with Adobe Digital Editions and a few other readers. There is also a way to send portions of them to your eInk style Kindle, though.

Or, you can skip downloading them and read them online and have some built in note and highlighting capabilities that might serve you well.

To Download or Not to Download?

Going by freqency and variation, the most common question we are asked about EBSCOhost Ebooks is whether or not to download and what this entails. There are a few ways to answer the primary question of "To download or not to download?", but let's look at the advantages and disadvantages of each:

DownloadRead Online
Pros
  • You can read it offline
  • You can load it to your [Adobe Digital/etc compatible] Device
  • You can check it out 7 days without interruption
  • Online features include note-taking and searching
  • Can "print" a certain number of pages to PDF
  • Accessible pretty much anywhere you have a compatible browswer
Cons
  • Does not add printing
  • Does not play well with reading the book on multiple devices
  • No way to check the book back in early
  • Someone else reading the book prevents you from also reading (including if someone checks it out)
  • Cannot be read offline

Really, it comes down to personal preference. If you are planning to intensely read the book over a couple of days, then download it might be better. If you are going to "thumb" through the book, take some notes, and stew upon it for a week or two, then reading it online might be better. In the future, these two features will likely drift closer together as the online version gets more advanced, but for now the flavor of the two is different enough that it is recommended you try them both out and work with the one you prefer.

Downloading eBooks on EBSCOhost - Tutorial

Step one, you need to make an EBSCO account and sign in...

Step Two: Click the Download (Offline) Link

Step Three: Choose the number of days for which you want to check out the book

How do I create a My EBSCOhost Account?


To create a My EBSCOhost account:

  1. Click the Sign In link in the top toolbar of EBSCOhost.

  2. From the Sign In to My EBSCOhost Screen, click the Create a new account link.

  3. The Create a New Account Screen displays with Personal Account entered in the Account Type field.

  4. Fill in the fields on the Create a New Account Screen. When you have completed the fields, click Continue.

  5. If all the information was accepted, a message appears that provides your user name and password. Click OK. You will be automatically logged in as a personal user. You should note the user name and password you created so you can log in at a future session.

Notes:

  • When you set up a personal account, we ask for your name, e-mail address, a unique login name, password, and password validation. This information is only used to identify you at log in so your searches are not viewed or used by anyone else. We do not share this information.

  • Passwords should be five or more characters, with a mixture of upper and lower case letters and numbers, for example: PeterP301.

  • Due to EBSCO Publishing's privacy policy, we are unable to obtain and give out user ID and password information. You should record your user name and password immediately after you create it.

See also: Ebsco's QuickStart Account Guide (PDF)

What is Adobe Digital Editions?

It's eBook reader software available for PC and MAC. It supports the PDF and EPUB formats.