This guide is intended for students, faculty, and staff to use ebooks in the course of their studies and research. It will include practical tips about finding, using, and citing ebooks as well as accessibility considerations.
Ebooks available at CSUN have a range of different access options (licenses). Many can be used by any number of people at the same time, while some can only be used by a limited number, e.g. one, two, or three. This will usually be shown both on the database and the ebook page.
Downloading and Adobe Digital Editions
While there are platforms (e.g.: Rittenhouse R2 Digital Library) that can be only viewed online, you can download ebooks from most ebook platforms. To do that, you will need to register for an Adobe ID in order to download ebooks from EBSCOhost. After that, you will need Adobe Digital Editions to download ebooks to a computer or device for a limited amount of time (a loan). It is compatible with Windows PCs and Macs. An app version is available for mobile devices and tablets, both iOS and Android. Check out the below video to learn how to do this.
Citing eBooks
To create citations of ebooks, you usually need to find accurate page numbers. This can be challenging depending on the format and platforms you are accessing the ebooks. When in doubt, always contact your instructor and/or a librarian for further help.
Some examples:
APA 7th edition: Carl V. Gisolfi, & Francisco Mora. (2000). The Hot Brain : Survival, Temperature, and the Human Body. A Bradford Book
MLA 8th edition: Carl V. Gisolfi, and Francisco Mora. The Hot Brain : Survival, Temperature, and the Human Body. A Bradford Book, 2000. EBSCOhost, search-ebscohost-com.libproxy.csun.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=48938&site=ehost-live
PDF
ebooks in the PDF file format are the best to use as almost all retain the original layout and pagination of the print copy.
EPUB, Kindle, and other eBooks Readers
Many ebooks in the EPUB and Kindle file formats do not retain the page numbers of the print version.
If no pages are available in an ebook, you should use reasonable paragraph numbering instead. Be aware that this will entail counting the paragraphs from the beginning of that chapter.
Web-based (HTML)
Some ebooks are only available to view in a web browser. While some platforms have embedded the print page numbers within the text, some do not contain page numbers, in which situation you should use reasonable sectional numbering instead, e.g. ch. 5 OR §2.1
