Northern Kentucky University

Downloading and Reading E-Books

Steely Library subscribes to several e-book collections. The EBSCO eBook Collection and the Ebrary eBook Collection allow users to download books to computers, tablets, and smartphone devices. The directions below illustrate how to download a library book from the EBSCO eBook Collection onto an iPad.

If you're using a device running on the Android system, consult this link for additional steps and information: http://support.ebsco.com/knowledge_base/detail.php?id=5738.

If you're using an iPhone or iPod Touch, consult this link: http://support.ebsco.com/knowledge_base/detail.php?id=5706.

1. Download the free app, BlueFire Reader, from the iTunes store
2. When you open the app, you will be prompted to "Authorize" the app with an Adobe ID. If you don’t have an Adobe ID, create a free one at: https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/membership/index.cfm?nf=1&nl=1&loc=en_us.
   
3. Use the Safari browser to navigate to the library's website and use the "Quick Links" to connect to "Articles and Databases." Select the letter "E" to connect to the EBSCO eBook Collection.
4. Search for a book on a specific topic or browse books by category.
   
5. Select "Download (Offline)"
   
6. Sign in with your "My EBSCOhost" account. If you’ve never created an account, click on "Create a New Account" to create a username/password.
7. You will be presented with a checkout screen. Select the number of days you’d like to check out the item (days will vary by item). Then select "Checkout & Download"
   Note: Only one person at a time may check out a book. You can’t return the book early, so be mindful of how long you need the item.
8. If you downloaded the Bluefire Reader app in Step 1, you can immediately "Open in Bluefire Reader."
   

As mentioned above, iPad users can also download books from the Ebrary eBook Collection, also using the BlueFire Reader app. However, several titles can only be viewed by chapter. For instructions to download an item in this collection onto the iPad, consult this link and scroll to the bottom of the page: http://support.ebrary.com/category/english/download. The link will also provide information about downloading eBooks onto your computer so that you may transfer them to supported devices, such as a Nook.

For general information about finding e-books in Steely's collection, connect to this tutorial: Finding and Using E-Books