Different e-book platforms have different restrictions and features. The goal of this page is to clarify what is allowable on our main e-book platforms. The Library will always seek to purchase from the most permissive platform we can, but we are not able to influence what platforms and publishers allow. For the most up to date information about e-books on each platform, please visit the platform's website. This page is updated regularly, but information may become out of date due to external changes.
What are e-books?
E-books are digital versions of books. They may be digital editions of print books or born-digital titles created exclusively in electronic format.
Are all books available as e-books?
Not always. Publishers decide whether a title is available as an e-book and which platforms, purchasing options, or licence models can be used.
Some e-books, such as those sold exclusively through Amazon Kindle or Kobo, are not available for libraries to purchase. In addition, some e-books include Digital Rights Management (DRM), which may affect how long you can access a title, whether you can download it, or which devices and applications you can use to read it.
E-books access models
Different e-books come with different licence types. These determine how many people can use a title at the same time. E-book licences generally fall under one of the following:
Single-user e-books can only be accessed by one person at a time. This is like only having a single print copy in the Library for a person to borrow. When the borrower returns the book, it will then be available for another user.
Like single-user e-books, multi-user e-books have a limited amount of people who can access the title at one time. These often come in licences of 3, 5, or 10 concurrent users.
E-books that are unlimited can be used any number of students at once.
What happens when all copies of a limited user e-book are in use?
If all available licences for an e-book are being used, you may see a message indicating that access is temporarily unavailable. If a title is temporarily unavailable, please try again later, as access is automatically restored when another user finishes
When a title is in high demand, the Library will explore whether additional licences can be purchased. However, this is not always possible, as availability depends on the options offered by the publisher.
To facilitate access for all, please ensure that you close out of e-books when you are finished with them. Alternatively, you may choose to download a chapter as PDF where possible. Find more information about reading e-books on different platforms below.
If you are experiencing difficulties accessing an e-book please contact us at library@warwick.ac.uk
What can I do with an e-book?
Many e-books allow you to download, print, copy, highlight, annotate, or bookmark content, although the options available vary by platform and publisher.
When using e-books, please ensure that you follow:
The Library provides both individually purchased titles and several e-book packages on EBSCOhost.
Features on EBSCOhost include the ability to bookmark and export citations. You can view content on EBSCOhost online or download according to the permissions provided.
You can:
Read books online using the built-in reader
Search within the book
Bookmark pages
Export citations
Download content, depending on the permissions available
To learn more about how to use EBSCOhost, please watch the following tutorial:
Kortext is an e-textbook platform that hosts a variety of main texts for courses. Kortext e-textbooks can be read online or one mobile devices and tablets using the Kortext App. With Kortext, you can:
To read more about accessibility at Kortext, please visit their Accessibility page on their website (https://kortext.com/accessibility/ ) or watch the video below:
Oxford Academic hosts several packages the Library has access to, including but not limited to very short introductions, Oxford Scholarship Online, and Oxford Handbooks Online. On OUP Academic, you can:
Read books online using the built-in reader
Download content, depending on the permissions available
Export citations
Optional: Create an account to save bookmarks and highlight content
Oxford Academic Accessibility
Oxford Academic has several accessibility features. On Oxford Academic you can:
The Library subscribes to Cambridge Core, a collection of e-books from Cambridge University Press, which includes Cambridge Books Online, Cambridge Companions Online, Cambridge Histories Online, Shakespeare Survey Online etc.
E-books on Cambridge Core can be read by downloading a PDF of the content.
Sage Knowledge provides access to e-books, videos, encyclopaedias, dictions, and other reference content across a range of social science topics. On Sage, you can:
Read books online using the built-in reader
Download content, depending on the permissions available
