Skip to Main Content

Finding & Using Ebooks: Learn More About Ebooks

Finding Ebooks

Use the Library Catalog

Use the Catalog's Basic Search

By default, the Library catalog searches many of the Library's ebook collections. When doing basic catalog searches, your results will include many ebooks that you can access online. If you are searching from off campus, you'll be prompter to login with your COD credentials if you have not already done so.

Image of the "Available Online" scope in the Library catalog

Image of ebook filters in the Library catalogIf you want to see only ebooks in your results:

  1. Make sure you have selected the "Available Online" search scope (see above)
  2. Select "Books" under "Resource Type" from the limiter list (see right)

Use the Catalog's Advanced Search

Image of the Library catalog advanced search showing how to search for ebooks

Searching Ebook Collections Directly

Not all of our ebook collections are searchable using the Library catalog. This is especially true for some our smaller and more specialized collections. To access ebooks in those collections, you'll need to search those collections directly:

  1. Visit our ebook collections gateway.
  2. Choose the collection you'd like to search.
  3. Use the collection's search tool to search for titles.
  4. You'll be prompted to login with your COD credentials if you have not already done so.

Reading Ebooks Online

Most ebooks in the Library's academic ebook collections can be read directly within any popular web browser on any established device with an internet connection. In addition to reading content within your browser, you can generally copy and paste ebook content and cite content without any additional software. However, if you want to save content to your device and read content offline, you may need special software. See below for more information.

Downloading Ebooks for Offline Reading

To read and manage ebooks offline, on your own device, generally requires you to download additional software. Adobe Digital Editions is the most commonly used software. The majority of newer mobile devices (like iPads and Kindles) are set up to allow reading of PDF files as well as special ebook formats like ePub. However, it may be necessary to download special software depending on the ebook format you're trying to download and read.

See below for more information about using specific ebook formats and reading devices, or see our Ebook FAQ page.

ePub Format (.epub)

ePub is an industry standard ebook format. In many cases, you'll need to download a small application called Adobe Digital Editions (or the Bluefire Reader for Apple devices) to use Library ebooks in the ePub format. This software allows you to download ePub books in their entirety and read them offline, manages your check-outs of ebooks from the Library, and protects the book from being copied illegally.

Kindle Format (.azw)

Amazon's Kindle format is proprietary. While the Library does not collect scholarly book material in the Kindle format, you can download and read .azw materials from Amazon.com and you can download content for your Kindle from the Library's Overdrive collection. Learn more by visiting Library's OverDrive information page.

PDF Files (.pdf)

If your computer, ereader or portable device can read .pdf files, then you can download chapters, sections and pages of most the Library's ebook collection. If your device can't open .pdf files, you may need to download Adobe reader.

  • URL: https://library.cod.edu/ebooks
  • Last Updated: Mar 16, 2021 10:51 AM
  • Print Page