Commonwealth Honors College: Getting Started With Library Research

Discovery Search is a good place to find what ebooks are available for access from UMass Amherst and the Five College (UMass, Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke and Smith).

Please click on the Discovery Search page on the left side bar to find out how to effectively use Discovery Search.

Please click on the link below to use Discovery Search.

TIP: Once you've done your search in Discovery Search, remember to use Format filter on the left and select eBooks to show just results that are eBooks.

If we have the book available electronically, the record will have UMass: Link to resource above the Location field.

Example:

Once you have clicked on the link, you may be prompted for your NetID and password. We purchase ebooks from many vendors and the interfaces work differently.

Please note that if the Status field is Internet and the UMass: Link to resource is not showing, it means that we do not have electronic access to the book.

There are ebooks in the catalog that have a Location of Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke or Smith. Those ebooks are only available remotely to the faculty, staff, and students of Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke or Smith. This is due to vendor licensing restrictions. You can go to those libraries and use one of their public terminals to access the ebook.

If we do not have an electronic version of the book, please submit an interlibrary loan request for the book using the link below and indicate if you'd like an electronic or print version of the book.

eBooks that have a location of Amherst, Mount Holyoke or Smith are not available to UMass patrons. This is due to licensing restrictions. This means that book is is only available to the faculty, staff and students at that college.

For these eBooks, you can either:

• Visit that college's library and use a public computer to access the eBook if you are in the Amherst area.
  • Depending on the platform the ebook is on, you may be able to download the entire book or a specific number of pages.
• Request the book through Interlibrary Loan (ILL). If you have not used ILL previously, please see the section on the left titled "Borrowing from Other Libraries." You will be able to select if you want the print or electronic version of the book.

We purchase eBooks from many different vendors. In some cases, you can directly search an eBook collection that's focused on a particular set of topics.

The easiest way to find these collections is to use the Databases A-Z List. Use the link below to go the list.

Click on the Types filter and select the eBooks filter and then click Search. You'll then see all electronic resources that have eBooks.

You can also use the Subjects filter to narrow down the subject. If you do use the Subjects filter, make sure to click on Clear Filters before switching to another subject.

The Boston Public Library (BPL) eCard provides access to all BPL online resources.

You can register for an eCard if you live in Massachusetts for most of the year while attending school in-state or if your primary residence is in Massachusetts.

Online resources at the BPL include eBooks, magazines and journals, streaming and downloadable media, newspapers, and language learning resources.

The BPL online resources are particularly good for popular fiction, graphic novels, comic books, and children's books.

You may also consider applying for a card at your public library. Public libraries have online resources and collections of eBooks. You might be able to find an eBook with availability with your public library card.

Use Google to search for your public library's page and look for information about getting a library card.