1. 1
Ebooks from the Libraries’ Collections and Beyond
Lauren Kehoe, Librarian – McEntegart Hall Library – lkehoe@sjcny.edu – 718-940-5877 –
http://www.sjcny.edu/Library
Ebooks come in many formats and from different locations. Some can be accessed for free on the Internet; others have to be purchased from publishers or
distributors. The Library subscribes to several ebook databases, giving you and your students access to quality academic materials. Some books have to be read
online, while others can be downloaded to devices using various apps and other software. As this technology continues to evolve, uniformity should become
more commonplace, but for the time being, we must learn how to use the various configurations available to us.
Ebooks can be used for:
Q. How can I use the Library’s ebooks in my course?
A.There are a variety of ways to incorporate the Library’s ebooks (as well as other ebooks from other locations) into your course. You can:
Embed links and portions of books in your Blackboard course **Remember! Since the library’s content is licensed, you will need to put the EZProxy URL
at the beginning of any link you use: http://access.sjcny.edu/login?url=
Link toebooks through the Library’s Ereserve system (contact a librarian for more details): http://ereserves.sjcny.edu
Encourage students to use ebooks when they are doing research for assignments
Q. What are the copyright considerations of using ebooks?
A.Fair Use, according to CUNY’s (C)opyright Center: “Section 107 provides that the Fair Use of copyrighted work for purposes such as criticism, comment, news
reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright.” Several factors must be taken
into consideration. More information can be found here: www.cuny.edu/libraries/services/copyright(For most of your purposes, Fair Use will apply).
Somebest practices to avoid copyright infringement are:
If the material comes from the Library’s databases (most offer a “share” or “permalink” feature), always do your best to link out to the original material
(i.e. providing a link to the database with the EZproxy – link provided above). If you are using a small percentage of the material—I’ve heard the figure
10% of the whole material as a guide, but there is no exact figure—then you can post a PDF or photocopy of that material on a password protected site
(like Blackboard or Ereserves), as long asyou put a copyright noticeand provide the appropriate bibliographic information (i.e. author, publisher, etc.)
In some circumstances, permission must be requested from copyright holder. For more specific guidance and additional questions, contact a librarian.
Some of the “free” books available are in the Public Domain (their copyright has expired, been forfeited, or is not applicable). These materials can be used, but
as a general practice, do your best to cite where the material comes from.
Research
Class Reading
Assignments
Personal
Enjoyment
and
Edification

2. 2
SJC Library EbookDatabases:http://ow.ly/l3ttC
Database:
Ebrary
ACLS Humanities
Ebook
Credo Reference
EbscoEbook Collection
Twayne’s Authors Series
Description:
Over 48,000 electronic books
covering all subject areas with
more added every month
Over 2800 full-text,
books in the field of
history and the
humanities
Reference books in a broad
range of topic areas, from
general reference to art to
technology
A small, yet growing,
collection of ebooks
Contains information on
American, English and
world authors
(tiny) URL: http://ow.ly/l3ucM http://ow.ly/l3uMi http://ow.ly/l3uGy http://ow.ly/l3uUa http://ow.ly/l3vqw
How to
search:
Catalog
Database (both
ebrary&Proquest)
Catalog
Database
Catalog
Database
Catalog (for some
books)
Database
Database
Features:
“Bookshelf” to save
books & annotations
(create folders to
organize)
Infotools like search
Google/Wikipedia/
Youtube
Print up to 60 pages of
the book
Search within the
book’s contents
Save citations
and
email/export
Permanent
URL link
Search within
the book’s
contents
Save citations and
email/export
Permanent URL link
Save citations and
email/export
Permanent URL
link
Save citations and
email/export
Permanent URL
link
Compatible
Devices:
Computer
iOs or Android
Tablet/Phone
PDF Download using
Adobe Digital Editions
(14 day loan)
Computer
PDF Download
(can be sent
to Kindle or
other app that
is PDF
compatible)
Computer
PDF Download (can
be sent to Kindle or
other app that is
PDF compatible)
Computer
iOs or Android
Tablet/Phone
PDF Download (can
be sent to Kindle or
other app that is
PDF compatible)
Computer
PDF Download(can
be sent to Kindle or
other app that is
PDF compatible)

3. 3
Q. Are Amazon’s Kindle, Apple’s iPad/iBooks, Barnes & Noble’s Nook, & Google Play the only providers of ebooks that are not available in the Library?
A.No. In fact, there are several different kinds of ebooks that are available on various devices and in various forms. Some free ebook sites include:
Internet Archive/Open Library http://archive.orgORhttp://openlibrary.org
HathiTrust (uMich) http://www.hathitrust.org
Project Gutenberg http://www.gutenberg.org
Public Library (depending on your library’s arrangements, access to ebooks will vary; remember, ebooksfrom the public library are treated like regular
books and may not be immediately available and will have to be “returned” after a set amount of time)
Also, several publishers and textbook providers (i.e. Barnes & Noble) offer students the options of renting ebooks&e-textbooks at a reduced rate.Lastly, there
are several other Ereaders on the market and more continue to develop. Your computer can be used as an “Ereader” as well!
Adobe Digital Editions
Some of the free & pay sites will require you to download and sign up for an account in order to access the content on a device. More information can be found
here: http://www.adobe.com/products/digital-editions.html
There are several apps available for different devices. Here are a few suggestions:
Kindle iBooks Ebscohost Ebrary Project Gutenberg Nook Google Play
Free Free
Free (must
authenticate first)
Free (must
authenticate first)
$0.99 Free Free
Kindle
Computer
Smart
Phones
Tablets
iPhone
iPod
Touch
iPad
Computer
iPhone
iPad
Android
Computer
iPhone
iPad
Android
iPhone
iPod Touch
iPad
Android
Nook
Computer
Smart
Phones
Tablets
Computer
Smart
Phones
Tablets
Important Instruction Links to book databases
Ebrary: http://support.ebrary.com/kb/sign-in-on-mobile-app/
Ebsco: http://support.epnet.com/knowledge_base/detail.php?id=5718
Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenberg:MobileReader_Devices_How-To