E-Book Resources

Horn Library eBook Frequently Asked Questions

Finding eBooks - 

To which eBook platforms/publishers do I have access through Babson?

• Ebook Central is an aggregator of eBooks from many key commercial and some academic publishers and is our preferred platform..

• JSTOR Books focus primarily on academic presses and some nonprofit publishers.

• EBSCO eBooks carries older titles and eBooks we’ve purchased on request if license availability was more favorable.

• Business Expert Press offers practical, concise e-books covering specific areas of business and can be downloaded readily into your Canvas courses as PDFs -- no linking necessary.

• Edward Elgar Business & Management Collection features cutting-edge research eBooks from the last couple of years by leading scholars in the field. 

• Gale eBooks, formerly Gale Virtual Reference Library, has specialized reference titles, especially in business. 

• Overdrive, through the Libby app, makes thousands of mostly popular books, audiobooks, and book summaries available. They also offer the unique ability to provide access to a title for a class for a limited time period, if the publisher has given permission.  Ask your liaison librarian to find out about specific titles for use in a course. 

How can I search Horn Library to see all available eBooks?

• Use the Power Search bar on the library website to search by the title of the book.  Since that will also bring up book reviews and other matches, use the “Content Type” filter in the left-hand column and select “Book/eBook.” 
  • Note: When selecting the “Book/eBook” filter in Power Search there is no additional filter to select only eBooks. eBooks will show “eBook Full Text Online” with the appropriate link. Books available in print/hardcopy will show a call number.  Overdrive titles are not included and need to be searched separately.

Can I use WorldCat to find eBooks to which Babson has access?

• Yes. Just remember to select “Babson College” under “Held by Library” in the left column. 

Why can’t I find an eBook we just purchased by using Power Search or WorldCat? I have the link to the eBook, so I know it’s available.

• It can take up to a week for the knowledge bases that underlie Power Search and WorldCat to be updated with new content.  Check back in a few days and you’ll likely see the new title as part of the search results.

I don’t see the eBook I am looking for on Horn Library’s site. What should I do now?

• Reach out to your Horn Library divisional liaison to find out whether the book is available as an eBook and with what types of licenses. If feasible, the library will purchase the ebook.

Are there eBook versions of all the books and textbooks I use in my courses?

• Most likely not for all. Please ask your liaison librarian to find out. Textbooks are generally not available on library platforms at a reasonable price, as compared with rentals of eTextbooks on Amazon or purchase of paperback copies which are usually very affordable by comparison.
• Even non-textbooks can be pricey with an unlimited user license when either the paperback or Kindle eBook is priced very low. In some cases it would generally not present a hardship for students to acquire a copy of a required book from Amazon or other commercial seller.
• In addition, publishers determine available user licenses which range from one user at a time to unlimited simultaneous users, so a book may be available as an eBook but not with a license that is suitable for classroom use.

I’ve used a specific eBook in the past for my course, but now I can’t find it.  What happened? 

• The publisher has withdrawn the title from the platform. 

Why are you saying a title isn’t available as an eBook when I can see on Amazon that it’s available for the Kindle? 

• In those cases, the publishers have not released the digital edition for use on academic eBook platforms. 

Using eBooks

Do students have to pay to access eBooks?

• No, Horn Library has paid for the ebooks. 

Will students abroad be able to access the eBooks?  

• Yes -- eBooks on library platforms are accessible online 24/7 from anywhere.

How do I link to an eBook? Can I just use the URL of the webpage? 

• Please do not use the URL because it often contains specific session details and won’t work for your students.  Look for a permanent link.  In Ebook Central, for example, this can be found when clicking on “Share Link to Book.”  Copy that link.
• There is a second step to ensure that the eBook can be accessed from off-campus: Paste the permanent link into the Link Generator box on this page in the Canvas Help guide.  Follow the directions to generate a proxied link that enables students anywhere to access the eBook.  Paste that link into your Canvas course.

What is the difference between single user, 3 user, and unlimited user licenses? 

• These levels refer to how many people can access a title at the same time and/or how many downloads of the title are available. 

• For course use, we always aim for an unlimited user license but it isn’t always available.
• For textbooks, the pricing of these licenses often do not represent a prudent investment of college funds. 

Can I request a single user or 3 user license be expanded to unlimited user?

• Yes, please ask your liaison librarian to find out whether the publisher makes a higher-level license available and if so, the library will upgrade the title to that license, if feasible. 
• If we know ahead of time that a title will be used in a course, we try to purchase the highest-user license available.

What is the advantage of using eBooks?

• EBooks are accessible online 24/7 from anywhere; users need not be on campus. 
• If the license is for unlimited simultaneous users, there are no disadvantages.
• EBooks have already been paid for by Horn Library.

Technical Issues

I found an eBook on the library website that I wanted to use for my course, and I know it’s there, but my students say they are getting a message that it’s not available and they should request it from the librarian.  What’s going on?

• This indicates that the license for this title is single-user only, meaning only one person at a time may access the book, or one user has downloaded the book which makes it unavailable for others, just like a physical book.  Depending on availability, the library can upgrade the title to allow for more users to access it.  
• If the title cannot be upgraded from the current license, faculty and students need to be aware to not download the book, but rather to quickly download only the required chapters, then close out of the book to make it available for other students. 

Some of my students complain that they cannot get to assigned eBook readings through the links I post in my Canvas course. Why is this happening?

• The link may not be configured properly -- ask your liaison librarian to check whether the link is correct/proxied.
• With a single user or 3-user license, faculty and students need to be aware to not download the book, but rather to quickly download only the required chapters, then close out of the book to make it available for other students. 
• Some eBooks have a license based on number of uses during a specific time period, e.g. 100 days.  Once the uses have been used up, a new license has to be purchased.  During that transition time, students may get the message that the title is not available and they should request it from a librarian.  The librarian monitoring this tries to avoid any lapse in availability.
• Students usually all want to access the ebook at the same time the night before or directly before assignments are due and this works only if there’s an unlimited user license; otherwise, it creates a situation that many students cannot access the ebook when they need it most urgently. The solution is to encourage your students to download the required readings early, well before reading assignments are due.

Whom can I contact should I have any questions about eBooks or anything else library-related?

Please contact your library liaison or email research@babson.edu.