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Databases by Type: Electronic Books

Databases for finding ebooks (electronic books)
Ebook platform/provider Acquisition model # Books          Chapter or book download software Access model Authentication method for access Limits on amount of book available to view or download, or time available to use Full book download possible Course pack and ereserves terms in license agreement Publishers libguide or help
Academic Complete Ebook Package on Ebook Central (ProQuest)
Subscription, Access only, no perpetual access
>200,000
Requires free Adobe Digital Editions software. Some titles allow full book download for authorized users, but on a title by title basis. All books allow at least a chapter download; some books restrict the number of pages that can be printed.
May be one user at a time, 3 users at a time or unlimited number of simultaneous users, depending upon title
Available to WPI faculty, students and staff, logged into Campus network or remotely via the VPN (https://www.wpi.edu/library/research/research-off-campus) ; additional personal account needed to download book
Access to book content may be limited by number of days to check out, number of pages available to be downloaded/printed, depending upon title
yes, for some titles and with a personal account
…"Customer may include durable links to articles or other works, (or portions thereof) contained in the service in electronic reserves systems, online course packs, and/or intranet sites as long as access to such materials are limited to authorized users"
https://proquest.libguides.com/ebookcentral/home
Cambridge University Press
Evidence Based Acquisition=Access to all titles, some titles that are used are purchased annually as perpetual access
>30,000
PDF
Unlimited number of simultaneous users
Available to WPI faculty, students and staff, logged into Campus network or remotely via the VPN (https://www.wpi.edu/library/research/research-off-campus) 
Content is delivered at chapter level as a PDF, but possible to click and request each chapter of the book and download all individual chapters of a book into zipped PDF.
yes
…"may incorporate links to the products in electronic course packs or management systems…"
https://www.cambridge.org/core/help/user-guides-and-videos
Early English Books Online (EEBO)/Proquest
Purchased collection as perpetual access
>100,000
PDF
Unlimited number of simultaneous users
Available to WPI faculty, students and staff, logged into Campus network or remotely via the VPN (https://www.wpi.edu/library/research/research-off-campus) 
Content is delivered as a full book facsimile PDF 
yes
…"Customer may include durable links to articles or other works, (or portions thereof) contained in the service in electronic reserves systems, online course packs, and/or intranet sites as long as access to such materials are limited to authorized users"
https://proquest.libguides.com/eebopqp
Ebook Central (ProQuest)
Purchased Individual Ebooks as perpetual access
approx. 1,000
Requires free Adobe Digital Editions software. Some titles allow full book download for authorized users, but on a title by title basis. All books allow at least a chapter download; some books restrict the number of pages that can be printed.
May be one user at a time, 3 users at a time or unlimited number of simultaneous users, depending upon title
Available to WPI faculty, students and staff, logged into Campus network or remotely via the VPN (https://www.wpi.edu/library/research/research-off-campus);  additional personal account needed to download book
Access to book content may be limited by number of days to check out, number of pages available to be downloaded/printed, depending upon title
yes, for some titles and with a personal account
…"Customer may include durable links to articles or other works, (or portions thereof) contained in the service in electronic reserves systems, online course packs, and/or intranet sites as long as access to such materials are limited to authorized users"
https://proquest.libguides.com/ebookcentral/home
Ebsco eBooks
Purchased Individual Ebooks as perpetual access
> 7,500
Most publishers offer chapter level viewing/download as a PDF, but may restrict the number of pages to print or download; To download full book, when available, user must create a personal account and use Adobe Digital Editions software
May be one user at a time, 3 users at a time or unlimited number of simultaneous users, depending upon title
Available to WPI faculty, students and staff, logged into Campus network or remotely via the VPN (https://www.wpi.edu/library/research/research-off-campus) ; additional personal account needed to download book
Access to book content may be limited by number of days to check out, number of pages available to be downloaded/printed, depending upon title
yes, for some titles and with a personal account
Can use ebooks in course packs and ereserves
https://ebsco.libguides.com/ebooks/basics

 

Elsevier
Evidence Based Acquisition=Access to all titles, some titles that are used are purchased annually as perpetual access
>13,000
PDF
Unlimited number of simultaneous users
Available to WPI faculty, students and staff, logged into Campus network or remotely via the VPN (https://www.wpi.edu/library/research/research-off-campus) 
Can download entire ebook as a zipped file, but as individual chapter-level PDFs.
yes
An authorized user may "incorporate links to the Subscribed Products on the Subscriber’s intranet and internet websites"
https://tinyurl.com/855vtnac/
Gale Virtual Reference Library
Purchased Individual Ebooks as perpetual access
>50
These are reference e-books (encyclopedias mostly) and sections of the book are available as PDFs
Unlimited number of simultaneous users
Available to WPI faculty, students and staff, logged into Campus network or remotely via the VPN (https://www.wpi.edu/library/research/research-off-campus) 
Chapter level download as PDF
no
Assume fair use provisions; chapter level sharing
https://support.gale.com/training/videos/gvrl
JSTOR Ebooks
Demand Driven Acquisition
> 37,000
Chapter level download as PDF
Unlimited number of simultaneous users
Available to WPI faculty, students and staff, logged into Campus network or remotely via the VPN (https://www.wpi.edu/library/research/research-off-campus) 
Chapter level download as PDF
no
"Institutions and users may not: (a) Except as set forth in Section 2.1(e) and 3, provide and/or authorize access to the Books to persons or entities other than Authorized Users; (b) modify, obscure, or remove any copyright notice or other attribution included in the Books; (c) systematically print out or download Books to stock or replace print holdings; (d) incorporate Books into an unrestricted database or website; (e) reproduce or distribute Books in bulk, such as the inclusion of Books in course packs, electronic reserves, repositories, or organizational intranets...JSTOR encourages the use of links to facilitate access to the Books by Authorized Users 
https://guides.jstor.org/books
Knovel (Elsevier)
Subscription, Access only, no perpetual access
>4,000
Chapter level download as PDF
Unlimited number of simultaneous users
Available to WPI faculty, students and staff, logged into Campus network or remotely via the VPN (https://www.wpi.edu/library/research/research-off-campus) 
Chapter level download as PDF
no
Linking allowed for coursepacks, reserves and course management systems; content may be added to course management systems only with permission from Elsevier
https://service.elsevier.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/
13522/supporthub/knovel/related/1/
MIT Press Direct Ebooks Collection
Purchased annually as perpetual access + full archive of ebook content purchased
>3,000
Chapter level download as PDF
Unlimited number of simultaneous users
Available to WPI faculty, students and staff, logged into Campus network or remotely via the VPN (https://www.wpi.edu/library/research/research-off-campus) 
Chapter level download as PDF
no
May "use a reasonable portion of the licensed materials in the preparation of course packs and other educational materials."  May "place copies of limited exerpts from the purchased content…a single chapter or comparable quantity, in ereserves for the use of students in a particular course on a password-protected basis, provided that any material placed in ereserves will be deleted at the conclusion of the course to which it relates. Copyight and other identifying information attached to the material concerned may not be altered or obscured when the material is placed in ereserves." May "provide electronic links to the licensed materials from the licensee's web pages and course management systems."
https://direct.mit.edu/books/pages/User_Guides_and_FAQ
O’Reilly Books (Proquest)
Subscription, Access only, no perpetual access
>50,000
To interact with ebook content on O'Reilly platform, user must create a personal account with wpi.edu email. Chapter level viewing/download as PDF.
Unlimited number of simultaneous users
Available to WPI faculty, students and staff, logged into Campus network or remotely via the VPN (https://www.wpi.edu/library/research/research-off-campus) ; additional personal account needed to download book
Must use personal account with wpi.edu email. Chapter level download as PDF
no
…"Customer may include durable links to articles or other works, (or portions thereof) contained in the service in electronic reserves systems, online course packs, and/or intranet sites as long as access to such materials are limited to authorized users"
https://proquest.libguides.com/oreilly/home

 

Oxford University Press
Individual ebooks are purchased as perpetual access; annual subscription to reference books
500
Chapter level download as PDF
Unlimited number of simultaneous users
Available to WPI faculty, students and staff, logged into Campus network or remotely via the VPN (https://www.wpi.edu/library/research/research-off-campus) 
Chapter level download as PDF
no
"The licensees may allow links from its ereserve system to licensed works…using secure means."
https://oxford.universitypressscholarship.com/page/take-a-tour
Project Muse ebooks
Purchased Individual Ebooks as perpetual access
>1,000
Chapter level download as PDF
Unlimited number of simultaneous users
Available to WPI faculty, students and staff, logged into Campus network or remotely via the VPN (https://www.wpi.edu/library/research/research-off-campus) 
Chapter level download as PDF
no
"use a persistent URL, or durable URL, to an ebook chapter for courses of instruction offered by the Purchaser, where access is restricted to students enrolled in the course, to instructors, and to library staff maintaining the link, and such access is limited to the duration of the course.  Each item should carry an appropriate acknowledgment of the source, copyright, and publisher, and the links to such items shall be deleted by the Purchaser when they are no longer required for such purpose."
https://about.muse.jhu.edu/resources/help-overview/
SPIE Digital Library, Ebook collection
Purchased annually as perpetual access + full archive of ebook content purchased
500
Chapter level download as PDF
Unlimited number of simultaneous users
Available to WPI faculty, students and staff, logged into Campus network or remotely via the VPN (https://www.wpi.edu/library/research/research-off-campus) 
Chapter level download as PDF
no
"Authorized Users are permitted online access to the Licensed Material, and may download, save, or print text, search results, or other information from the Licensed Material solely for use in research or education. Authorized Users may only use this online access in a way that conforms to all applicable laws and regulations. Portions of the Licensed Materials may be used for the purpose of creating and storing course packs or training materials and making them available to Authorized Users."
None
Springer
Purchased annually as perpetual access, 7 STEM-related subject collections
>85,000
Chapter level download as PDF
Unlimited number of simultaneous users
Available to WPI faculty, students and staff, logged into Campus network or remotely via the VPN (https://www.wpi.edu/library/research/research-off-campus) 
None
yes
"Licensee and authorized users may use a reasonable portion of the licensed materials in the preparation of course packs and other educational materials, including print outs, e-reserves and access- controlled websites, with all rights notices duly presented as set forth in this agreement."
https://youtu.be/hxkVN4QN4bw
Taylor & Francis/CRC Press
Evidence Based Acquisition=Access to all titles, some titles that are used are purchased annually as perpetual access
>25,000
Authorized users can download whole book or chapters as PDF
Unlimited number of simultaneous users
Available to WPI faculty, students and staff, logged into Campus network or remotely via the VPN (https://www.wpi.edu/library/research/research-off-campus) 
None
yes
The licensee may not incorporate all or any part of the Licensed Materials in course packs or in the Licencee's electronic reserve without the prior written consent of the publisher…a link (either via uniform resource locator, digital object identifier,or equivalent),  to the licensed materials may be incorporated in the licensee's electronic reserve."
None
Wiley
Evidence Based Acquisition=Access to all titles, some titles that are used are purchased annually as perpetual access
>22,000
Chapter level download as PDF
Unlimited number of simultaneous users
Available to WPI faculty, students and staff, logged into Campus network or remotely via the VPN (https://www.wpi.edu/library/research/research-off-campus) 
Chapter level download as PDF
yes
"Authorized Users who are members of the Customer’s faculty or staff may download and print out multiple copies of material from Licensed Electronic Products for the purpose of making a multi-source collection of information for classroom use (course-pack) or a virtual learning environment, to be distributed to students at the Customer's institution free of charge or at a cost-based fee. Material from Licensed Electronic Products may also be stored in electronic format in secure electronic data files for access by Authorized Users who are students at the Customer’s institution, as part of their course work, so long as reasonable access control methods are employed such as user name and password."
https://www.wiley.com/customer-success/wiley-online-library-training-hub-for-online-books/how-to-download-online-book-chapters-and-full-books-in-pdf

 

Below is a PDF version of the chart.