Ebooks Guide

An eBook is a book in digital format. Throughout history, books have been hand scribed texts, mass-printed with movable type, read aloud as audio books, photocopied, purchased, borrowed, annotated and indexed. And now books can be read online on a wide variety of devices anywhere, anytime!

CCH eBooks provide access to hundreds of eBooks in a variety of subject areas. You can access e-books wherever and whenever you need them.

To see the eBooks available via your specific library, you’ll need to be registered for online access. Once logged in, you’ll be able to browse the range of eBooks available using the search bar, browse books panel and search filters, in the same way as print titles.

eBooks are easy to read online using a computer or a mobile device such as an eBook reader, tablet or smart phone. CCH eLending includes the option of searching for keywords or phrases within the book, and some content has enhanced features such as hyperlinks and inbuilt dictionaries.

To read an eBook online, usually all you need is:

• a computer with an Internet connection
• an up-to-date web browser.

Reading eBooks via CCH eBooks and your browser reader offers users a rich and immersive reading experience.

There is no need for additional software, there are many ways to customize how eBooks are displayed, and your eBooks are available even after you’ve disconnected from the internet.

To read an eBook you have selected through the browser reader, just follow these simple steps.

1. Borrow your desired eBook in the usual way
2. Click the ‘Read’ button
3. Begin reading through your web browser

The browser reader offers a growing variety of features for users, including:

• Highlighting sections of text
• Adding notes to sections of text
• Dictionary to look up the definitions of words
• Thesaurus to look up synonyms of words
• Links to Google search results for selected words
• Bookmarks

 

Why read through the browser reader?

Here’s why we recommend reading eBooks through the browser reader.

1. No need for additional software

The browser reader has been designed to not require an Adobe ID, which is needed when reading a downloaded book.

In order to have an Adobe ID a user must be at least 13 years old, and Adobe has recently looked to validate this by implementing a change to the sign up process requiring users to enter their date of birth when signing up. No such steps are required with the browser reader.

2. Read your own way

You’ll have almost full control over how your eBook is displayed when read using the browser reader.

Don’t like the fonts or background colour used? Find the character or line spacing too tight? Just use the customisable settings to change them to your own preferences.

Background colours, font sizes and styles, and spacing between lines and characters can all be changed to best suit readers.

Once within the eBook click the right hand tab labelled “Settings” to change your view. Your settings will remain the same across all the eBooks you use.

If you’ve been reluctant to read because of poor eyesight or reading challenges like dyslexia, the ability to customize your eBooks will help you to re-discover the joy of reading. Research-based recommendations are available in ePlatform to offer some guidance on which fonts and styles are most suitable.

3. Your eBooks are available even after you’ve disconnected from the internet

When you use the browser reader the entire eBook is cached. That is, as soon as you open the book it begins downloading into a type of ‘History’ on your computer or device.

Within a matter of seconds the entire book will be cached, and you’ll be able to happily read the entire book even if you’re offline.

4. Browser friendly

Regardless of your preferred browser, the browser reader will happily work with them all, meaning you can read eBooks via recent versions of Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer, Firefox and more, even Silk (on the Kindle Fire)

5. Search and Table of Contents

Click on Contents to use the ‘Search’ functionality and use the Table of Content to navigate.

CCH eLending platform allows borrowers to borrow the eBook for up to 60 days.

Copyright applies to eBooks

CCH permits the copying/printing of 10% of each eBook (standard fair use). For eBooks and journal articles the Copyright Act considers it 'fair' to copy/print a reasonable portion which is defined as 10% or one chapter if the work is a published edition of 10 pages or more; or 10% of the words if the work is in electronic form. This is automatically applied to the eBooks.

Printing

Click on the print button within the browser:

        

 

Highlight/Annotate/Copy

To add a new highlight or Copy text, select a word (or sentence or paragraph) by holding and dragging your finger/cursor across the text. In the popup menu, select Highlight, then add notes or change the colour as desired. Press Save when complete. Any previous Highlights or Annotations can be reviewed by clicking on Bookmarks.

To Copy text follow the above procedure, click on Copy in the popup menu.

 

 

Check out your bookmarks/annotations at a later date by using the Bookmarks tab.

eBooks must be referenced and citation correctly if you refer to them.

Use the Referencing Style specified for your course or School, and follow the examples available from the Library's Referencing Guides.