A-Z Databases: VLeBooks

You can access VLeBooks by selecting the link below.

A range of access options will appear. Select 'Shibboleth'.

Enter your student/staff email address and password when prompted.

Note: if following a 'View Online' link in OneSearch, you will be automatically directed to a UWS login page.  The 'Organisation ID' will display as 'University of the West of Scotland'. Enter your student/staff email address and password when prompted.

In the search box, enter keywords from book titles, e.g. leadership, to generate relevant e-books in the UWS collection. 

For quicker access to known titles, combine an author's surname with keywords from a book title, e.g. Peate nursing.

Alternatively, select 'Advanced Search' to search specifically by author, title, keyword or series.

Select 'Read online' to read the full text immediately, in your browser.

Use the sidebar to:

• See remaining copy & print allowance;
• See or navigate by contents (sections, chapters and sub-chapters);
• Search for specific words or phrases within the book - results are displayed in a list for easier navigation;
• Scroll through the entire book with the thumbnails;
• Check for definitions of terms with in-built dictionary;
• Manage your 'Annotations' - any bookmarks and/ or notes you have added to specific pages.

Also explore the top navigation bar to ensure the best reading environment, or to have the content read to you via the the 'Read Aloud' option. 

Here, you can navigate by page number, select a different background colour, choose page resize options, rotate pages and more. Print options are here too.

Select the ? Help icon on the menu bar for a complete list of options and guidance.

If you'd rather read an eBook when offline, choose the Download option.  Book downloads are for 1 day - eBooks are still regarded as library books for loan.

Firstly, ensure that relevant e-reader software is installed on your device. 

• Laptops and PCs: Adobe Digital Editions is required. 
• Mobile devices: VLeBooks' own e-reader or Bluefire reader and an Adobe ID apply.

If you don’t have an Adobe ID you will need to register. You can sign up here https://accounts.adobe.com/

For more details, see VLeBooks digital downloads guide.

Many features to enhance accessibility are integrated into the VLeBooks site. 

Examples include:

• Read aloud.
• Large font.
• Choice of background colours.
• Page rotation.
• 20 levels of magnification.

See the site's Accessibility Statement for a full listing.

• Access to some books is restricted by the publisher to a set number of users so you may not be able to 'Read Online' the first time you try.
• Image crossing two pages?  From the top menu bar, select 'Page Layout' then 'Cover Page' for a clearer display.
• You can save entries in the Bookshelf option for quick access next time.  
• Your notes from other books can also be shared and managed via the Annotations option in the sidebar.
• You can browse recently added titles at any time on the site homepage.

Accessibility Statement

This work in this guide is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.