LJMU Library purchase ebooks with a range of different licences. Depending on the licence, access to an ebook may be limited according to the number of concurrent users, the total number of times it can be accessed, or the length of time it is made available (for example one year).
In line with our efirst policy, LJMU Library seeks to purchase ebooks with the most generous licences where feasible. Ideally, these are Digital Rights Management (DRM) ebooks purchased in perpetuity. However this might not always be possible in instances where such a licence is prohibitively expensive or simply unavailable. Instead, the Library may choose to increase access by purchasing multiple limited-access copies of the same ebook, or supplement online access with physical copies of the book. These different copies appear on Discover as “Available in the Library” for print or “Available online” for ebook copies. 
In instances where access to an ebook is limited by its licence, for example where access is only permitted for one concurrent user, those wishing to consult the book may be denied access temporarily. We would encourage users to attempt to access as this will show as a ‘turnaway’. The Library reviews 'turnaway' data from publishers to ensure our purchases reflect the needs of users.
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.