The Libraries offer more than 2 million electronic books and monographs - : both electronic versions of print titles as well as "born digital" editions that have no paper version.
Some e-books may be used by many people simultaneously. Others are limited to only 1 or 3 users at one time.
Most e-books allow printing and downloading of a section or chapter. The downloaded chapter can generally be read with a PDF reader like Adobe Reader. Some services allow you to "check out" an e-book for a limited number of days to read offline.
This guide is designed to help you locate and use our e-book collections.
While the Libraries own many ebooks outright, you will also find thousands of books that are part of subscription packages.
Books in subscription packages can drop out after a period of time; for instance, the publisher may no longer contract with Ebsco or ProQuest or the database may drop titles published before a certain date.
In addition, the Libraries participate in several "try before you buy" programs where we can offer trial access to e-books for a period of time before they are purchased.
Read more about ownership models for e-book collections.
Pro Tip: Because e-book packages can change over time, it is important to verify our ownership of a title before assigning it to your class. To do that, Ask Us or look for the "MAIN Purchased Title" note on e-books in OneSearch.
In certain databases, especially Ebsco and ProQuest, publishers enforce "digital rights management" or impose limitations on the number of pages that can be downloaded or printed. Full book "check outs" or downloads may be limited to a short period of time, just like a physical book.
As with a physical book, some e-books are limited to only 1 or 3 users at one time. You will often see the number of users noted in OneSearch.
Pro Tip: Need more users so that you can assign the book to your class? Contact our Course Reserves unit by completing the reserves form.
Some platforms, including Ebsco Ebooks or ProQuest Ebook Central, require the use of special software to read a downloaded book. This software enforces digital rights management, so that you are not able to retain a personal copy of the entire book permanently.
Pro tip: Unless you need to read the entire book, it is often much easier to read the item online and download only the chapter or pages you need.
Most library e-book databases will not allow you to download entire books directly to your Kindle or Nook without additional software. Most of our e-books will work well on tablets and even smartphones.
OverDrive books are an exception; most of these can be downloaded to your ereader.
Unlike the selection of popular fiction or audiobooks from your local public library, our e-book collection primarily consists of nonfiction and scholarly works to support university instruction and research.
Pro Tip: If you are looking for lighter fare, residents of Fayetteville are eligible for a Fayetteville Public Library card.
UofA collections that include popular reading i:
Our e-books can be found in OneSearch and in a number of ebook databases.
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