UT Libraries buys ebooks from many providers, including individual publishers as well as aggregators. This is why our ebooks do not have a single, common platform or interface, and the number of simultaneous users varies.
Many publishers, like Cambridge University Press or Elsevier, do not apply digital rights management (DRM) or user restrictions to their titles. We prefer to buy these models of ebooks, when they are available. When ebooks are purchased through an aggregator, restrictions may be applied to printing, downloading, and number of simultaneous users. (See the eBook Platforms tab at left for details.)
Things to keep in mind:
- Not all titles are available as ebooks. Your subject librarian can check availability, or you can Suggest a Purchase to us.
- Illustrations and photographs may not be included in the ebook, depending on the use agreement.
- If you get a message that an ebook can be accessed for five minutes only, this means that the maximum number of simultaneous readers has been reached (think of this as all copies of the ebook being checked out). Try again at a later time.
- Amazon Kindle editions are intended for personal/retail market, not academic library collections. (Kindle ebooks are not available to be purchased by libraries.)
- Notes and bookmarks made on an ebook may not be available to you once an ebook loan expires. When in doubt, take notes in a separate document.
- If you are having difficulty with an ebook, check Help or FAQs from the provider, or ask a librarian.
