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Instructor Guide to CUE Library Services & Resources

Sharing Library ebooks with Your Classes

Want to share ebooks with your classes? Here are a few things to keep in mind when sharing CUE Library ebooks.


  1. Not all books are available as ebooks. 

Sometimes publishers simply don’t make certain titles available electronically. 

  1. Some ebooks can’t be purchased by libraries.

 Publishers often sell their ebooks to individuals only, either through their own websites or through large ebook purchasing platforms like Kindle or Kobo. Textbook publishers – like Pearson, Cengage, McGraw Hill – only make their publications available to individual students, not  libraries.

  1. Some ebooks can’t be bought individually.

Sometimes publishers only make their ebooks available in expensive bundles. An example of this is the DSM-V, which is bundled with other titles that would cost CUE Library thousands of dollars per year to license

  1. Some ebooks are tied to specific online platforms that CUE Library doesn’t have.

Some ebooks are only available on platforms that CUE Library doesn’t have  – such as Freading or Hoopla. Our partnership with Edmonton Public Library gives students, staff, and faculty access to these ebook platforms when they register for a free L-Pass.

*  Please note that linking directly to ebooks from EPL  requires the student to first register for an L-Pass and then to sign in with their L-Pass information before they can access the ebook. 

  1. Some ebooks limit the number of people reading them at one time.

Publishers  determine the number of simultaneous users who can access an ebook. Common ebook licenses include: 

  • 1-user: only one person can read the ebook at a time 
  • 3-user:  only three people can read the book at one time
  • unlimited user: any number of people can read the ebook at a time
  • non-linear user: only a certain number of uses are allowed within a calendar year

Not all of these options are available for every ebook and licenses for multiple users typically cost more than a license for a single user. The choice of license will depend on factors such as the anticipated usage levels, what licenses are available, and at what price.

If you are planning to assign readings from a library ebook or if you would like us to try to  purchase a specific title for your course, please email Myrna Dean (myrna.dean@concordia.ab.ca).

While Myrna cannot choose the ebooks for your courses, she can:

  • determine if an ebook is available for the library to purchase
  • discuss any restrictions on specific ebooks that the library already owns or licenses