Ebooks help: Ebsco eBooks Help

Some, (not all) of our Ebsco eBooks are available to Download so that you can read them while offline. Books with links that say "3 concurrent users" will most likely be Downloadable.

• If you choose Download, the file you download will expire, depending on the loan period available - usually 1 - 7 days. You then need to Download the file again. Use Download  if you want to read while not connected to the internet.

• In many ways, Read Online is the simplest choice. You will be able to print pages up to the limit imposed by the book's publisher via Read Online.

To Download, you need:

• A "My EbscoHost" personal account:
  • How to Create a My EBSCOHost account
  • Login to Ebsco EBooks & create account

• An Adobe Digital Editions ID
• Create an Adobe Digital Editions Account / ID

• If downloading to a computer or laptop, Adobe Digital Editions needs to be installed. See the Adobe Digital Editions tab for help.

• If downloading to a device, install BlueFire reader, or  the Ebsco Ebooks app

Using a laptop or computer:

• On a computer or laptop, when you click the Download This eBook (Offline) button, you will be prompted to sign into / set up your My EbscoHost account.

• Once you have logged into it, a pop up message will tell you if the book is available to Download and read offline. If it is, simply follow the prompts.

• More about Checking out and Downloading EBSCO eBooks

Using the Ebsco eBooks app:

• On a device, if you have installed the Ebsco Ebooks app, you will first be prompted to sign in with your Adobe Digital ID.

• Click the Find books icon at the bottom of the screen, and drill down in the Library Locator to University of Sydney (on about page 9 of the library list)

• When you find a title you want to read on your device and click to Download it, you will be prompted to sign in with your My EbscoHost personal account details, to find out if the title is download-able.

Using Bluefire Reader app:

With Bluefire, locate the book you want via a web browser, and start the Download process from there as when using a laptop or computer. You may choose Bluefire during the Download process.

• How can I download Ebsco eBooks to an Android device and read them with Bluefire Reader
• How can I download Ebsco eBooks to an Apple device and read them with Bluefire Reader

• How can I place a Hold on an Ebsco eBook which has been checked out or is being used?

To Read Online, open the eBook by clicking the PDF Full Text icon, the Table of Contents, or the blue Read Online button

The pages should open in an eBook Viewer window in your browser. If using Firefox, & each single page opens up in a new Acrobat window, try a different browser.

• Only one page at a time displays. Use vertical scrolling, the Table of Contents, or the left and right arrows at the bottom of the eBook reader to move through the book.
• Pages which are blank in the hard-copy of the book display as blank pages in the eBook.
• Click the Search icon to the right to search the book's text.

There is a timeout of 30 - 35 minutes in EbscoHost.

• If you click the eBook Full Text link to read an eBook online, the eBook is considered checked out for a period of time that typically expires after 30 minutes of inactivity. You can keep the session alive while reading online by periodically changing the page, etc.

• Find out more about the duration of Online Reading sessions.

• You may print, or email as a PDF, up to 100 pages. Click the small print / email icons on the right of the eBook Viewer to do this. (The number of pages permitted in a session varies depending on the limits specified by the book's publisher).

• To read away from your computer, such as on your mobile device, for simplicity we recommend using the email icon to email PDF chapters / sections to yourself and then opening them in your favourite reader app.

• There are no clear "Logout" links in EbscoHost.

• To logout / properly close a single eBook and make it available to other users, click the Result List, New Search, or Back links in the top left hand corner of the eBook Viewer.

• If you've been searching in eBooks @ EbscoHost, New Search and Back at the top of your search results will also logout of any open eBooks.

• To logout of EbscoHost completely, click the University logo in the top right hand corner. Closing your browser does not close your session in EbscoHost.

For more help, including help for Macs, go to Ebsco Ebooks support, and the eBooks user guide.