LibGuides: Information sources: Ebooks

Searching for ebooks

More and more of the ebooks you need for learning and research are being made available online. As well as our impressive print collection, we are committed to developing our online ebook library.

The information in this guide will detail our main ebook collections, how to find and use them, and point you towards some of the best places to get hold of free ebooks.

How do I search for ebooks?
If you're looking for a particular ebook, or want to search for ebooks by keyword, the easiest way to start your search is by using the Library search from the homepage:

From the Library Homepage, enter your keyword(s) in the 'Search All' box
On the results page, select ‘Book/eBook’ under Content Type
Select ‘Full Text Online’ under Refine your search

This will refine your search to books available online, ie ebooks

Like journals, ebooks come from many different publishers and the look and functionality can vary from publisher to publisher.

Some of our collections contain general content, often found on reading lists, and other are more subject orientated.

EbookCentral is by far the biggest, and growing, general collection of ebooks at Brunel Library, with other supplied from Dawsonera and Ebscohost. All titles can be read online, and more and more are being made available to download.

Search Library
Our search tool will find books, journals and more in one quick simple search

Artech Access

Provides access to 20 ebooks on electronic and computer engineering published by Artech House.

Ebook Central

ProQuest Ebook Central provides access to over 10,000 authoritative ebooks covering a wide range of subjects. They can be read online and, where permitted, a section of the ebook may be downloaded. Many of them are titles that have been included on reading lists. Ebook Central is designed for patrons with accessibility needs. For more information see: https://proquest.libguides.com/ebookcentral/home.

Can I download books?
Sometimes, yes. If, when you open a title, you see a link ‘Add to Bookshelf for Download’, then the title can be downloaded.

Instructions will vary depending on your operating system and what type of device you’re using. You should be able to download a chapter and open the PDF with Adobe Acrobat Pro DC. For guidance, see: https://proquest.libguides.com/ebookcentral/download

What if it can’t be downloaded? What are my options?

You can read it online, dipping in and out as often as you wish.
You can download pages/a chapter, within Copyright Law. Look for the download icon just above the book cover and select your page range. Once downloaded, this download is yours to keep and can be read like a standard PDF.
You can print pages/a chapter, within Copyright Law. Look for the print icon just above the book cover and select your page range.

NOTE: if reading online and you are turned away, this means that the maximum number of readers has been reached. Just keep trying until you get back in. More than 8,000 MyiLibrary ebooks migrated to this new platform during April 2018.

EBSCOhost E-book Collection This link opens in a new window
EBSCO offers high-quality eBook and audiobook titles from leading academic publishers.
Alternative link (if main link doesn't work)

VLeBooks

There are over 1,000 ebook titles in the VLeBooks collection (formerly this collection was hosted by Dawsonera which was bought by Askews and Holts) covering a wide range of subjects. They can be read online or downloaded for a short loan. Many of them are titles that have been included on reading lists. We recommend that you check if Adobe Reader is set to open content inside the browser so that you can read online. See the VLeBooks help page and LibAnswers for guidance if the ebook does not open correctly. Please note that VLeBooks uses digital rights management (DRM) software: you are advised to ensure you are using at least version 4.0.1 of Adobe Digital Editions when you read an e-book on your computer or portable device.

SAGE Research Methods

SAGE Research Methods is a research methods tool created to help researchers, faculty and students with their research projects. It provides access to over 175,000 pages of SAGE’s book, journal and reference content with advanced search and discovery tools. Since SAGE Research Methods focuses on methodology rather than disciplines, it can be used across the social sciences, health sciences, and beyond. For guidance see SAGE's LibGuide and methods map.

Alternative link (if above doesn't work)

Ebook collections

Drama Online This link opens in a new window
Drama Online provides access to over 650 full-text plays by both new writers as well as established names in playwriting history. Search by playwright, genre or time period. Additional tools include ‘Character Grids’ showing which characters appear in what scenes and which lines they speak. This newly launched site contains primary and secondary content. The collection features the pre-eminent theatre lists of Methuen Drama, the Arden Shakespeare and Faber and Faber as well as production photos from the Victoria and Albert Museum and will be continually updated.
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e-Duke Books This link opens in a new window
Access to more than 1,400 scholarly frontlist e-books published by Duke University Press in the humanities and social sciences.
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Literature Online This link opens in a new window
Provides over 4200 authoritative profiles of authors, works and literary and historical topics. Lists more than 20,000 works by date, country and genre.
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Twentieth-Century Drama This link opens in a new window
Twentieth-Century Drama contains over 1,900 published plays from throughout the English-speaking world, covering the history of modern drama from the 1890s to the present day. The final version will contain 2,500 plays.
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Oxford Handbooks Online This link opens in a new window
Oxford Handbooks Online includes access to in-depth, high-level articles by scholars at the top of their field. Each handbook offers thorough introductions to topics and a critical survey of the current state of scholarship. The chapters in the handbooks are useful for finding background and theories, and for references to other sources – great for identifying key articles.

Brunel provides access to current and historical business and management handbooks, and to older, but still relevant, handbooks in economics and finance, criminology and music. After searching, use the filters at the left of the results page to limit to handbook chapters that are free or purchased.
Emerald Ebooks This link opens in a new window
Emerald e-Book series offer a breadth of relevant, quality content featuring high impact, topical research in the areas of Business, Management, Economics, Social Sciences and Transport. These comprehensive collections provide access to more than 1000 volumes across 130 series titles.
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SAGE Knowledge: Business and Management Collection This link opens in a new window
SAGE Knowledge is an e-book platform where you will find a range of SAGE e-book and e-reference content including encyclopaedias, handbooks and major works which, as part of SAGE Navigator, show the key readings in a research field over decades. Access is provided to a selection of the business and management collection, totalling 480 e-books.
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Lecture Notes in Computer Science This link opens in a new window
Full text of all electronically available volumes. All volumes from vol. 1 (1973) onwards. For a short while you may need to access the archives on "old SpringerLink" from the new Springer Link via the link under the Brunel logo.
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IEEE Electronic Library (IEL) This link opens in a new window
Provides access to all IEEE journals, magazines and conference proceedings published since 1988, plus IEEE standards. Also to Wiley-IEEE and MIT Press ebooks. The database and journal collection are updated weekly.

Please note, since 2021 IET Journals are no longer available on IEEE Xplore. IET Journal articles published from 2013 to date are freely available on the IET Hub at Wiley Online Library and (IET Journals flipped to Gold Open Access from 2021. IET journal articles published prior to 2013 are not accessible on Wiley Online Library, or on the IET Digital Library, but you may request an article via our Interlibrary loans service).
Alternative link (if main link doesn't work)

Lecture Notes in Mathematics This link opens in a new window
Full text of all electronically available volumes. All volumes from v. 1 (1964) onwards. For a short while you may need to access the archves on "old SpringerLink" from the new Springer Link via the link under the Brunel logo.
Alternative link (if main link doesn't work)

LibSmart Point

Opening hours

Academic Liaison Librarians are available between 1pm-4pm, Monday to Friday term-time to discuss queries about using library resources and referencing.

Outside of these times, you can use the Library chat service and your query will be picked up by another member of Brunel Library staff or our friendly co-op support staff, who provide us with 24/7 chat coverage.

Library service status

Current status of Library services

You can check the current status of services managed by Brunel Library below. To view the status of services managed by the Computer Centre, please visit their service status page.

Free ebooks

Project Gutenberg
One of the largest collection of e-texts, all from public domain editions, and as such might not be appropriate for scholarly use.
Google books

Information sources: Ebooks