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Ebooks

An introduction to how to find E-books in the library

AU Library Search for Ebooks

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Notice - Some of our Ebooks are Moving

On July 2nd, several thousand of our ebooks will move from the ProQuest Ebook Central platform to the EBSCO and Taylor & Francis platforms. Links accessed through the Library website will be updated and remain functional. If you have bookmarked any links to items directly on the ProQuest platform, please repeat a search in the Library’s online catalog to find and access those items moving forward. For further information or assistance, please send us an email at aulibrarysearch@american.edu.

Will the Library stop using ProQuest completely? 

As of July 2nd, while many ebooks will be moved to EBSCO and Taylor & Francis, there are still items (ex. Academic Complete ebooks) that will remain on ProQuest and available for access through the Library. 

Will I have to pay to use EBSCO or Taylor & Francis ebooks? 

Ebooks and other materials provided by the Library through EBSCO and Taylor & Francis will continue to be available at no cost just like they were while on Ebook Central.

I had saved the link to an ebook on ProQuest, but now when I click it I can’t access the resource anymore. What should I do? 

Search for the ebook in our catalog in the sidebar on this page or on the library homepage.

What do I do if I have a question about the transition from ProQuest to EBSCO and Taylor & Francis and can’t find the answer anywhere? 

Send us an email at aulibrarysearch@american.edu for further information or assistance related to ebook access and usage. 

Things to Keep in Mind about Ebooks

  • Not every print book in our collection is available as an ebook.
  • Most library ebook collections are presented in formats that are intended for viewing in a browser. Consult the help section on each platform for details and instructions. 
  • The ebook collections that the library subscribes to tend to be scholarly books rather than popular books.
  • Many of the ebooks and ebook collections that we subscribe to have restrictions on access and use. These restrictions are most often created by the owner of the content whether it be the publisher, author, or another party who maintains rights over the digital product. The conditions often determine who can access the ebook, whether more than one person can access it at the same time, how it can be accessed or used, or if it can be downloaded or printed. The following article provides a good overview of Digital Rights.
  

General Information about ebooks at American University

American University Library subscribes to a number of ebook collections. Remote access to most of the resources in this guide is restricted to current AU students, faculty, and staff.

If you are looking for a particular ebook, search for the title or author in the 'AU Library Search' box on this page or in the library's Catalog by to see if we have access to it. If you are looking to browse or search for ebooks on a particular topic, take a look at some of the general or subject-specific ebook collections that we have available.

How can I read an ebook?

Virtually all the library's ebooks can be read in a browser. Many ebooks can be downloaded in whole or in part as PDFs. Some ebooks can be downloaded in EPUB format (requires an Adobe Digital Editions account or a compatible app).