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How to: Find & Use Ebooks

About this Guide

The Holy Cross Libraries offer several specific e-book collections:

Each publisher/e-book collection has different functionality and rules for annotating, reading, downloading and printing. Choose a collection from the tabs below for more details. 

Library E-Book Collections & Functionality

ACLS HUMANITIES:

 Accounts:

There are no personal account options for ACLS Humanities E-Books.

  Viewing: 

Click the Read Book button, the Read button next to an individual chapter, or the title of any individual chapter to open the online e-book reader. 

undefined Downloading:

You can download one book chapter at a time in PDF format. Go to the chapter/section headings listed under the “Table of Contents” tab. The “Read” button will take you into the e-reader; clicking on the “Download” button generates a PDF of the chapter.

 Printing:

You are permitted to print one chapter at a time. To print, follow the steps to "Download" a chapter to generate a PDF, which you can then print. 

E-BOOK CENTRAL: 

  Accounts:

You can create a personal Ebook Central account  which allows you to annotate and highlight text. You can also save titles to your Bookshelf. More information about Ebook Central accounts

  Viewing: 

Click the Read Online button for any book in order to read online. More information about reading online 

undefined Downloading:

Options for downloading e-books to a computer for offline access:

  • You can download a PDF of a page range or specific chapter by clicking on the printer icon toward the top of the page. More information about searching, finding, and using Ebook Central books. 

  • You can download an e-book for temporary access using Adobe Digital Editions or, beginning in Summer 2025, the Ebook Central Reader App. Both are free software programs; note that neither are accessible on the Kindle. More information about the Ebook Central Reader App. 

  • The Ebook Central Reader App allows you to download ProQuest e-books in EPUB or PDF format to an Apple or Android device. You can connect up to 6 devices at once to your account. Ebook Central Reader FAQs

 Printing:

To print, select the Printer icon from the top navigation menu. You must first print to PDF, after which you can send the PDF to a printer. Note that most e-books will have a publisher-established limitation on the number of pages that can be printed from your account. 

EBSCO: 

 Accounts:

Create a My EBSCOhost Account to save notes, store e-books in your personal folders, and more. This account is the same across all EBSCO databases including CrossSearch. More information

  Viewing: 

Click the PDF Full Text link for any book in order to read online. More information

undefined Downloading:

  • You can download an Ebook to your computer for offline reading. You will need to have Adobe Digital Editions, a software program that can be freely downloaded. To download an Ebook, click the Download (Offline) link for the book you'd like. Then click the Checkout & Download button.
     
  • If your Apple device does not have a wireless connection available, eBooks can be downloaded from EBSCOhost and read using the Bluefire reading app available for free from iTunes. Use the following steps if your device does not have a wireless connection and you will be using your computer to transfer the eBook. If your device does have a wireless connection avaiable, it is recommended you use the new EBSCO eBooks available from the iTunes App store. More here.

    Install the Bluefire Reader Version 1.2 onto your device. Bluefire is available for free from iTunes at the following link:Bluefire Reader via iTunes
     
  • You can download up to 60 pages of an Ebook (The number of pages varies depending on publisher restrictions). Once you've clicked on the eBook Full Text link to open a book, you can go to the first page of the section of pages you would like to print and click the Print icon on the right side. Then you will see the Print menu where you can select to print the page you are currently viewing, the current Page and the next XX pages, or the Section you are viewing. 
     
  • You can also download EBSCO Ebooks to many different types of portable devices: More information about downloading

 Printing:

You can download up to 60 pages of an e-book for printing. The precise number of pages varies depending on publisher restrictions). Once you've clicked on the PDF Full Text link to open a book, you can go to the first page of the section of pages you would like to print and click the Print icon on the right side. Then you will see the Print menu where you can select to print the page you are currently viewing, the current Page and the next XX pages, or the Section you are viewing. 

GALE:

 Accounts:

There are no personal accounts for Gale E-Books. However, you can use the Highlights and Notes feature to annotate an e-book while you are working with it. Be sure to send, download, or print your Highlights and Notes before closing out of the e-book or your internet browser. More information about annotations

 

  Viewing: 

All Gale e-books can be read online by simply clicking on the book. You have the option of reading each book in either text mode (i.e., as HTML text) or in book mode (as a digitized image). Highlights and Notes are only available in text mode. You can toggle between modes using the top navigation bar. 

undefined Downloading:

Most Gale e-books allow you to download a page or section/article to PDF by simply clicking the Download option in the top toolbar. Downloads can be initiated from either text or book mode, and you can download from text mode to preserve any annotations you have made. You can also download to Google Drive. 

 Printing:

There is no limit to the number of pages that can be printed from Gale e-books. Please consider copyright laws and the environment before printing large sections of an e-book.

OXFORD ACADEMIC: 

 Accounts:

There are no personal accounts for Oxford Academic Ebooks. However, you can create annotations and highlights on some books by signing up for a Hypothes.is account. Sign-up for a Hypothes.is account; you can also use the Sign-up/Log-in link in the Oxford Academic annotations panel. To open the annotations panel, use the Annotate icon which appears between the title and abstract of each chapter. 

 

  Viewing: 

All Oxford Academic e-books can be read online by simply clicking on the book. Each e-book is segmented into chapters, which must be opened individually. You have the option of reading each chapter in either the default text mode (i.e., as HTML text) or as a PDF. Highlights and annotations are only available in text mode. You can toggle between modes using the icons which appear between the title and abstract of each chapter. 

undefined Downloading:

Most Oxford Academic e-books allow you to download a page or section/article to PDF by simply clicking the PDF option which appears between the title and abstract of each chapter. There is no way to download your annotations, but you can view them anytime in your Hypothes.is account. 

 Printing:

There is no limit to the number of pages that can be printed from Oxford Academic e-books. Please consider copyright laws and the environment before printing large sections of an e-book.

SPRINGER:

 Accounts:

There are no personal account options for Springer e-books. 

  Viewing: 

Springer e-books can be read online in the SpringerLink reader. Click Enter Fullscreen to view the book in the fullscreen mode. Use the + and - buttons to zoom in and out. PDFs of each chapter are also available.

undefined Downloading:

Most Springer eBooks allow for full download in PDF as well as EPUB formats (for Adobe Digital Editions). 

 Printing:

There is no limit to the number of pages that can be printed from Springer e-books. Please consider copyright laws and the environment before printing large sections of an e-book.