What if I need an eBook that the UGA Libraries doesn't have access to?
If the UGA Libraries currently don't have an eBook that you need, we may be able to purchase an eBook for your class readings, papers, or projects. Please fill out the Request a Purchase form. Some e-textbooks and other eBooks are excluded from purchase by libraries.
What does one simultaneous user only mean?
That means that only one user can download the title at a time. You should still be able to read the book online, even if it is currently "checked out" by another user.
What is DRM?
DRM is Digital Rights Management. According to the American Library Association, "The purpose of DRM technology is to control access to, track and limit uses of digital works. These controls are normally imbedded in the work and accompany it when it is distributed to the consumer. DRM systems are intended to operate after a user has obtained access to the work. It is in this “downstream” control over consumer use of legitimately acquired works that DRM presents serious issues for libraries and users." Basically, DRM controls whether you can download an eBook and how you can use it, similar to licensing.
What about copyright?
According to the US Copyright Office, users may not make changes to eBooks. This includes changing the format from, say, ePub to PDF. If you change the formatting to open an eBook on a device for which it was not designed, please understand that you do so at your own risk and that we will be unable to assist you with this process.
Just because you can copy many pages from an eBook, it doesn't mean you are legally allowed to. What guidelines should you follow when saving material? How can you find out what is legal and what isn't? The University System of Georgia's Board of Regents has a page to answer these questions.
Need more help?
Ask a librarian by chat, by email at ask@uga.libanswers.com, or in person at the desks at the Main or McBay Science libraries.
