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eBooks

Learn about finding and using eBooks at CSU Libraries

Setting Up Adobe Digital Editions

In many (but not all) cases you will have to use software called Adobe Digital Editions (ADE) in order to borrow and use a CSU Libraries eBook offline, or to transfer it to an e-reader. 

First, download a free copy of ADE to your personal computer (it will not work on Morgan Library computers.)  If you want to transfer borrowed eBooks to an e-reader, you will also have to set up an Adobe ID.

Borrowing and Downloading eBooks

Once you have downloaded Adobe Digital Editions (if needed), you are ready to borrow eBooks. From an eBook record, choose the option to borrow or download the entire book and follow the on-screen directions.

You might be asked to:

  • Pick how long to borrow the book
  • Set up or sign in to an individual account within the eBook collection
  • Complete other, similar steps

Borrowed eBooks will be downloaded directly to the "My Digital Editions" subfolder in your computer's "Documents" folder.  If an eBook is downloaded to a different folder, you can move it to "My Digital Editions" manually.  Once you open Adobe Digital Editions, you should see the borrowed eBook.

Loan periods for eBooks will vary, but are generally between 1 and 7 days.  For most eBooks with a loan period, the content will automatically become unavailable after the loan expires.

Transferring to an E-reader

You can use Adobe Digital Editions to read eBooks on your computer or transfer them to an e-reader.

First, check that your e-reader device and software are compatible with Adobe Digital Editions.  (As of April 2021, Kindles are not compatible.)

Then, if your e-reader and software are compatible:

  1. Connect your e-reader device to your computer's USB port
  2. Open Adobe Digital Editions - it should detect the device automatically
  3. Authorize the device to your Adobe ID when prompted
  4. Drag and drop the eBooks from the Adobe Digital Edition "Bookshelves" on the right to the "Device"on the left
  5. If, after transfer, you can't find the book on your device, look for it in a folder called "My Digital Editions"

For additional help, visit the Adobe Digital Editions instructions for transferring to an e-reader.

Using Springer eBooks: An Exception

No special software is needed to download books from the Springer eBooks Collection.  Simply download the entire book as a PDF and keep it as long as you need, since the PDFs do not have a loan period.

If you want transfer these PDFs to an e-reader, you can use Adobe Digital Editions.  Just save the PDFs to the "My Digital Editions" folder on your computer and follow the transferring steps above.

URL: https://libguides.colostate.edu/ebooks | Print Page