What are Ebooks?
Ebooks (eBooks, E-Texts) are books in digital form. Some Ebooks are simple facsimiles of printed books; others incorporate features only possible in a digital environment, such as hyperlinks, interactivity, and audio-visual material. Some ebooks offer the pagination of the printed text; others do not. Different Ebook platforms, and their proprietary readers, offer different features such as print, copy/paste, note taking, citation management, and automated narration. Some do essentially the same thing but through different interfaces. Further, Ebooks can be read with several reader programs, all of which work a little differently. These include Adobe Digital Editions, Acrobat Reader DC, and Bluefire Reader, among others. Ebooks also come in different formats, each of which offers different possibilities; these formats include PDF, ePub, and html. For a discussion of some of the above considerations see the Ebook devices & downloading tab https://research.lib.buffalo.edu/using-ebooks/download .

Are Ebooks available from UB Libraries?
Yes, and the number is growing annually! There are many Ebook collections available through the UB Libraries, books from most can be downloaded and read off-line. While individual books that comprise collections are included in the catalog, there are often advantages to searching using the Everything link or directly in a given collection/database. The foremost advantage is the ability to do full text searching across all the titles of a collection. To learn about our major Ebook collections visit the tab Using Ebooks: Ebook usability chart.

All the Ebooks available through the Libraries are readable on computers or personal devices in the Libraries. Most can also be read both on and off campus on a diversity of devices. To download or read on your own computer or other device, you’ll need to sign on with your UBIT name and password. Some of our books are available in both digital and print format.

How do I find Ebooks?
Searching for our Ebooks should begin with the Everything link or the Catalog link.  After entering your search terms, you can limit your results to “Books” on the left under “Content Type”.  To limit only to Ebooks select “Available online” on the left under ‘Availability’.  If you don’t find the result you’re looking for, you may need to adjust your search terms and/or select “Expand My Results”.  Doing that will include resources the Libraries do not own, but may be available by request through the Libraries Delivery+ service.

How do I download or save/print Ebook chapters?
Most Ebooks provide the option to download individual chapters up to a specific number of pages from the full book. The limits are set by the publishers and can vary widely. Some books don't allow any downloads and others are completely DRM-free and allow downloading the entire text.

What are the requirements for downloading an entire Ebook?
To read an Ebooks on your computer or mobile device while you are offline, you can use the Download option. Several components are required before you will be able to download an ebook in most cases.
1.    Adobe Digital Editions must be installed on your computer. Download (free) from this Adobe link.
2.    Create an Adobe ID. You will be prompted to use it to authorize your computer if needed.
3.    If using an EBSCO Ebook, click here to create a personal account and sign in.
Note: When connected to the internet, you may also choose Read Online or PDF Full Text to read an ebook. Downloading is not required.

Who can use the Ebooks the Libraries have purchased?
All of our Ebooks can be used by current UB students, faculty, and staff; most without directly signing into the Ebook. Some require a UBIT username/password for access. In all instances, your privacy is protected through encryption. Most prominent among Ebooks requiring a UBIT username/password for access, even from on-campus, are those in ProQuest Ebook Central.

Many Ebooks are available to anyone from anywhere. These include open access books or books in the public domain, as well as books published by the United States and by other governments, including various intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. Many of these books can be located using the Everything link or the Catalog link.

Which devices (e-readers, tablets, smart phones, and computers) can I use with Ebooks?
Most of our Ebooks will load on a variety of devices. Kindles are most restrictive; but more will load on a Kindle than you might think. For guidance on downloading, see Ebook devices & downloading tab. Know that your device should offer the best advice – if you know the capabilities of your device you’ll know the formats it can handle.

Are there more open access Ebooks beyond what is in the catalog?
Yes, there are many open access (free) Ebooks and many will load happily on Kindles, Nooks, and other devices. Major sources of free open access Ebooks are Project Gutenberg https://www.gutenberg.org/, Google Books https://books.google.com/, and the HathiTrust Digital Library https://www.hathitrust.org/ among others.  

How do I cite Ebooks when I use them in a paper?
We suggest you refer to any citation examples that have been given to you or are standard for your department or discipline. Use the links below for further guidance.
https://research.lib.buffalo.edu/citingsources/books
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa6_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/reference_list_electronic_sources.html