Q. Are all my books available electronically?

You'll find a wealth of eResources available while studying and researching at LJMU. We hold over 600,000 eBooks, most of which are retrievable via Library Discover search and are embedded within your Canvas Reading Lists. There are numerous reasons why the Library is not able to purchase everything electronically. Below, we try to dispel some of the commonly held myths/misunderstandings about eBooks, which should help you to access the material you need while at LJMU. 

Myth 1: Isn't every book available as an e-book? 

Unfortunately not. Many academic books are not published as eBooks. Publishers become worried about their revenue and for this reason often do not make core textbooks available. Research from GOBI Library Solutions shows that approximately only 62% of titles were published simultaneously in print and eBook editions, with differentiation across subject areas. So you cannot rely on all titles being available electronically. 

Myth 2: The library always has access to the eBook where one exists

LJMU has an e-first policy, so wherever possible we will buy an electronic copy of a text as default. However, not all eBooks are available via the specific suppliers that we work with, or in some cases the cost of the eBook is too prohibitive to buy. 

Myth 3: Every book is available as an eBook and is cheaper than a printed book

Unfortunately this is not true. eBooks are often only available via expensive subscription models/as part of premium subscription packages. Subscription costs are usually made up of a unit cost multiplied by the number of students needing to use the book, and in some cases the costs are recurrent each year. This can make the most high use texts the most expensive.  

Myth 4: Multiple users can access an eBook at the same time 

This depends - licences and associated costs for eBooks vary considerably. The main types of licence include: 

• Single user licence (only one concurrent viewer)
• 3 user licence (up to 3 users can view the book concurrently)
• Unlimited user licence (any number of users can view the book concurrently)
• 'Seat credit' model where the library is charged for every student who views the book online

Costs can vary widely (even for a single user licence). Acquiring multiple user accesses inevitably means paying more and can very quickly become costly, so our Digital Content Services team evaluate the usage need and value for money.

Myth 5: If there is a version for Kindle or similar, the Library can purchase and make this version available

No – Kindle books or eBooks via similar personal devices are licensed for individual purchase to be used on that specific device. The Library can only purchase and make available eBooks with an institutional licence via University authentication (single sign-on). Not all books for Kindle or other devices are also available with an institutional licence.

Myth 6: eBooks available via the Library can be downloaded or printed

Not necessarily – copyright exists to protect the revenue and intellectual property of the author or publisher, and most eBooks are subject to 'digital rights management'. This means that only sections of an eBook can be downloaded or printed, for example, a chapter or a page range. There are some exceptions to this rule and it depends on the individual publisher and eBook title.

Please note: Collaborative partner access to library resources varies from partner to partner and resource to resource. Collaborative Staff and Students (Collaborative Partners) may not have access to all library resources.