Here are some notable features about the Ebsco platform:
- Ebsco e-books are purchased, so we have perpetual viewing rights.
- Most titles in the collection are "single user," meaning only one person at a time can read the e-book. A book becomes available again when the web browser for the current reader is closed, or the session has been idle for 30 minutes.
- Publishers (not Ebsco) determine the ability to save, email and print a limited number of pages, so you may see different options for different books.
- Books can be read online in a web browser, as EPUB FULL TEXT or PDF.
- You don't need to create an Ebsco User Account to read online, but it is recommended if you want to take advantage of some of the e-book features:
Create an Ebsco User account: (this is not your SUNY Potsdam Campus Computer Account (CCA) email account).
- If you don't already have an Ebsco account, you can create one. This account is not the same as your CCA, so you should create a unique username and password. This account is persistent across all Ebsco databases such as Academic Search Complete.
- You can save your favorite books to folders
- You can add notes to specific pages (e.g. make a note to mark where you stopped reading so you can return later).
Note that the Ebsco interface will let you save a book to a folder, and write notes, even if you are not signed in. These activities will NOT be saved after your current session. You must be signed in for your activities to be retrievable in a subsequent session. Best practice would be to create an Ebsco personal user account and sign in before reading so you can take advantage of these features.
- Downloading requires Adobe Digital Editions software and user account registration.
- Downloading the e-book requires installation of Adobe Digital Editions software plus creating accounts in EbscoHost and with Adobe. Steps to do this can vary depending on your platform.
- Loan periods are 3 hours.
There are still many e-books that are searchable on the Ebsco platform have been made available as part of the free COVID resources we got last Spring. Access to these COVID e-books could disappear at any time. Books purchased as part of this Diversity and Social Issues Collection have been purchased into perpetuity, so you can count on the titles you find in the collection.
