You can access VLeBooks directly or via your module reading list or Library Search.
You will then need to sign in with your University account through the Shibboleth link.
All the e-books that we have access to can be found via Library Search.
To see what's available, simply:
Copyright applies to e-books too!
You can print and copy from most e-books on the VLe platform within certain limits set down by copyright law and our license agreements. These are usually between 10 and 20 percent.
Some publishers use DRM (digital rights management) technology to limit the amount you can print and copy. The limits are shown underneath the image of the book on the VLe platform.
This feature enables you to set your own preferences for reading books on the platform e.g. font and contrast. The options are applied permanently or until you make a change. Access the feature via the ‘Edit Accessibility Settings’ tab under the ‘Home’ area of the platform
You can use the inbuilt reader by choosing ‘Read Online’ to access features such as:
The online reader is compatible with screen readers that provide OCR functionality, such as Read and Write Gold and eBooks downloaded to eReader software such as Adobe Digital Editions can be read by most other software.
Download the e-book to Adobe Digital Editions to enable this software to perform. This is not compatible with the online reader.
E-books will either be PDF or EPUB3 format
There's further accessibility guidance for e-books on the VLe platform
E-books on VLe have different user access definitions. For e-books with limited access, you may be asked to enter your email address to join a waiting list. You will receive an email when the e-book is ready for you and you will need to access it within three hours of the email being sent, or the reservation will pass to the next person in the queue.
To download e-books from VLe you will need to have Adobe Digital Editions installed on your device. The software is free to download. You may need to create an Adobe ID and any email address and password can be used to do so.
VLe’s download page provides the following guidance:
PC: vlebooks.com/vleweb/Help/DigitalEditions
Mac: vlebooks.com/vleweb/Help/iOSHelp
Android: vlebooks.com/vleweb/Help/AndroidHelp
Most e-books can be downloaded for a set number of days at a time (usually 1 or 3 days). The e-book then 'expires' so it cannot be read after the expiry date, but can be re-downloaded. A small number of e-books are not available for download.
To read online you need a web browser
The online reader will timeout after 2 hours of inactive use
You can add books to your VLe Bookshelf for easy access. You can then access your Bookshelf from the top of the page. VLe will automatically save your ten most recently read e-books.
VLeBooks can also be read on mobile devices. Download the free app from the apps store.
