Ebooks at Massey University Library
Important: Licensing, usage and access restrictions apply to ebooks. See more.
How to Find Ebooks
Search the Library Catalogue (Classic or Encore) to find ebooks available at Massey University Library.
Find a Specific Ebook
Either:
- Type the title of the ebook into the Classic Catalogue and select the Search by: Title option or
- Type the title of the ebook into the Encore search box.
More information on Getting Hold of Books
Find Ebooks on a Topic
Either:
- Type your topic keyword(s) into the Classic Catalogue search box and use the right-hand drop down menu to select Electronic Resources
or
- Type your topic keyword(s) into the Encore search box, and from your search results screen use the Collection facet to limit results to Electronic Resources.
Note that your search results may include other electronic material (reports, journals, reference works) as well as books.
- Once you have found an ebook in the Classic Catalogue click on the book title. To access the full text click on the View Online link.
- From your Encore results list click on Show library holdings and then select the View online link.
- In many cases you will be taken directly to the supplier of the resource and be able to read a PDF. In other cases, you will be able to preview the book online for a limited time, and then “loan” or download the book for more detailed reading.
Search Massey University Library's Ebook Collections
Massey Library subscribes to full-text ebook collections as well as to individual ebooks.
You can search a collection to discover content in all the ebooks across that collection. Many of these collections are subject-based e.g.FOODnetBASE, PsycBOOKS.
Browse Massey University Library's full-text ebook collections.
Many free ebook collections can also be found by a Google search for ebooks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between academic ebooks and other ebooks?
Academic ebooks are subscribed to by libraries, and are controlled by publishers' licences and digital rights management (DRM). These licences and DRM restrict loan periods, offline viewing, and printing.
Other ebooks --non-academic or "popular" ebooks-- such as those from Amazon or Whitcoulls, you own outright and can download to your ebook reader. Many public libraries are now also offering downloading or borrowing of popular ebooks to members.
Can I load the Library’s ebooks onto my ebook reader?
You should be able to view sections and chapters of most of our ebooks on your ebook reader.
However, academic ebooks are covered by licences which often prohibit them to be downloaded in full onto ebook readers. The exception is Ebook Library, which allows you to download entire books to your laptop or reader for up to three days.
Can I download ebooks to Massey computer lab computers?
Ebook Library and Ebrary Ebooks cannot be downloaded to Massey University Library Information Commons or other campus lab computers. However, they may be read online in these environments.
Are my textbooks available as ebooks? If not, why not?
The Library makes every effort to purchase electronic copies of textbooks. However, to protect their revenue streams, textbook publishers worldwide have been slow to make textbooks available online for libraries to purchase. In many cases, students can purchase their own copies of etextbooks by visiting publishers' websites.
Can I search for chapters from ebooks?
Yes, Massey's ebook collections are fully searchable. Not only will you be able to search chapter headings, your keywords will be found anywhere in the book. This is one of the main advantages of ebooks over print books.
Why has my ebook disappeared?
One of the Library's collections, Ebook Library, has a loan period of up to fourteen days --you choose when you download the book. Once that time is up, the book disappears and you will need to download it again.
Can I print pages from the Library’s ebooks?
Yes, you can print pages from all of our ebooks. Some publishers, such as Safari, only allow you to print one page at a time. Publishers are able to monitor printing on their servers, and may suspend all University access if they think excessive printing has occurred. Other publishers limit the number of pages that can be printed. For example, Ebrary permits only 40 pages or one chapter to be printed.
Why can’t I print the whole ebook?
Publishers put digital rights management (DRM) technology in place in order to protect their copyright interests.
