Library Guides: Researching from Off Campus Library Guide: Find an eBook

About

Were you planning on checking out a book from Howie-T but didn't have time before the closure? Have you identified print books relevant to your research but don't know how to access them?

Below is a checklist of different methods that you can try to locate an e-version of a print book in our stacks. Many publishers are making ebooks temporarily available during the COVID-19 crisis. Librarians can also look into purchasing an ebook to add to our collections accessible to Tulane affiliates.

1. Check the TU Library Catalog

Tulane Library Advanced Search Search the title of the book you are looking for to see if there is an ebook version available in the catalog.

2. Search the Book Title in Quotes in Google

If we don't already own the ebook version of the print title you're looking for, a good next step is to search the title of the book in quotation marks in Google.

Example: "Culture of class: radio and cinema in the making of a divided Argentina, 1920-1946"

This kind of search is likely to show you whether a PDF or ebook version is available online.

Keep in mind:

many results will be e-versions and PDFs of book reviews
some results will be e-versions and PDFs that just include the table of contents or one chapter
some results may be on authors' Research Gate and Academia.edu pages and technically be in violation of copyright
some results may prompt you to login--if so see there is an institutional sign-in for Tulane or email us for help

Google Search
Make sure to search the book title you're looking for in quotes, i.e. "[book title]"

3. Check Databases: Best Bets

Below are some of your best bets to search for ebooks if steps 1 and 2 fail.

JSTOR Advanced Search This link opens in a new window
A trusted archive of scholarly journals, primary sources, and books. Content spans many disciplines, primarily in the humanities and social sciences. The most recent 3-5 years of journals are generally not available; this is known as a "moving wall."
HathiTrust Digital Library This link opens in a new window
A partnership of academic & research institutions offering a collection of millions of titles digitized from libraries around the world. Note: not all titles are available as full-text.
NOTE: Tulane University has switched to using a new method for logging in to HathiTrust. Researchers that have previously built a personal collection in HathiTrust will need to take action to recover access to that collection before December 1, 2024. Instructions for collection recovery can be found at https://www.hathitrust.org/tulane-university-login-changes-september-2024/
Project MUSE This link opens in a new window
Access full-text, high-quality scholarly content (journals and books) in the humanities and social sciences as published by select leading university presses and scholarly societies.
eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) This link opens in a new window
This collection offers a wide selection of academic e-books from top publishers and presses. Search and view the full text of eBooks as offered via EBSCO’s collection of titles.
ProQuest Ebook Central This link opens in a new window
Authoritative, full-text eBooks in a wide range of subject areas: History, The Arts, Social Sciences, Literature & Language, Health & Medicine, Business, and Science & Technology. NOTE: Tulane users must create a personal Ebook Central account from on campus in order to sign in on-site or remotely. Sign-in is required in order to download content.

4. Check Publisher Websites

Many academic presses are making their publications temporarily available online. Check the website of the publisher of the book you're looking for and/or consult these lists of publishers responding to the COVID-19 crisis:

Expanded Access by Publisher for COVID-19
This guide is being continually updated with expanded access acquired by TU Libraries during the COVID-19 closure.
Public Books COVID-19 List
List of academic publishers offering expanded access during COVID-19.

5. Ask a Librarian!

You can ask a librarian at any point in your search process to ask for assistance finding an ebook. In some cases, we may also be able to purchase an ebook for you.