Library Services |
FAQs Contact Us Site index |
|
|
You're here:
Home
Collections
Books
Books
Search for electronic books (ebooks):The OU Library provides access to many collections of electronic books. You will find some electronic books using the search box below.
The Library does not list all available eBooks in its catalogue, so please make sure you browse the ebooks providers' websites. For help in finding resources see How to Find Books and Theses, and for help with our ebook collections see How to Use Ebooks. Search for printed booksFor details on borrowing books see the Borrowing services section or How to Borrow, Return, Renew. You are reminded that photocopying of print material is limited by Copyright restrictions.
|
| ABC-CLIO eBook Collection | A collection of over 600 ebooks in the history, politics, law, education, science, technology, the environment, religion and geography. Helpsheet available |
| Academic Library | Over 300 titles covering anthropology and development studies, cultural and media studies, history, politics and international relations, with a collection of classic texts in political economy. Also contains a collection of over 150 classic fiction titles. |
| ACLS Humanities ebook Collection | A fully searchable collection of over 1700 high-quality ebooks in the humanities which have been reviewed and recommended by scholars. The Project is a collaboration of 12 learned societies, 95 publishers and librarians at the University of Michigan's Scholarly Publishing Office. |
| African writers series | Key works from Heinemann's African Writers Series. This series provides works from the canon of African literature of the twentieth century, covering such authors as Steve Biko, Ama Ata Aidoo, and Buchi Emecheta. Trial access to 28th November 2009 |
| African writers series | Key works from Heinemann's African Writers Series. This series provides works from the canon of African literature of the twentieth century, covering such authors as Steve Biko, Ama Ata Aidoo, and Buchi Emecheta. Trial access to 28th November 2009 |
| AMS books online | Around 30 free e-books published by the American Mathematical Society on a range of mathematical topics, including analysis, differential equations, mathematical physics, logic and number theory. In PDF format - Adobe Acrobat required. |
| ArchSearch | A Freely available catalogue from the Council for British Archeaology which contains records of over 1 million archaeological sites and monuments. Archived data includes fieldwork projects and lab-based studies which can be downloaded and analysed off line. |
| ASM handbooks online | Searchable complete content of the 20 ASM handbooks and ASM Desk editions. |
| Astronomical Society of the Pacific conference series | Electronic access to all titles published after 2003 in the ASP conference series |
| Bartleby.com | Freely available collection of modern reference books, and historical anthologies of poetry, fiction and non-fiction titles. Browseable and searchable |
| Bible in English | This database contains 21 different versions of the English Bible, including 12 full Bibles, five New Testament texts, two versions of the Gospels only, and William Tyndale's translations of the Pentateuch, Jonah, and the New Testament. Trial access to 28th November 2009 |
| Bible in English | This database contains 21 different versions of the English Bible, including 12 full Bibles, five New Testament texts, two versions of the Gospels only, and William Tyndale's translations of the Pentateuch, Jonah, and the New Testament. Trial access to 28th November 2009 |
| Bible.com | A freely-available gateway to the Bible online. Contains links to various different versions and translations of the Bible in numerous languages available on the Internet |
| Bibliomania | Thousands of free eBooks, poems, articles, short stories and plays. Also study guides, dictionaries, biographies, religious texts, and popular non-fiction. American site. Searchable |
| Blackwell Reference Online | Full text of Blackwell reference books in the arts and social sciences. |
| Cambridge collections online | A cross-searchable library of subject based collections. Comprises the Complete Cambridge Companions, the Cambridge Companions to Literature and Classics, and the Cambridge Companions to Philosophy, Religion and Culture, and the Shakespeare Survey. Each collection is updated with new Companions on publication. |
| CHEMLIBnetBASE | The full texts, cross-searchable, of handbooks in all areas of chemistry Helpsheet available |
| CHEMnetBASE | Searchable reference works include: Combined chemical dictionary, Dictionary of chemical compounds, Dictionary of drugs, Dictionary of inorganic and organometallic compounds, Dictionary of natural products, Dictionary of organic compounds, Handbook of chemistry & physics, Polymers - a property database, and Properties of organic compounds. |
| CivilENGINEERINGnetBASE | The full texts, cross-searchable, of over 160 handbooks in civil engineering Helpsheet available |
| Combined chemical dictionary | A chemical database containing over 500,000 substances formerly available in CRC dictionaries of analytical reagents, carbohydrates, inorganic and organometallic compounds, natural products, organic compounds and drugs (PharmaSource). |
| Complete dictionary of scientific biography | Provides information on the history of science through articles on the professional lives of scientists. All periods of science from classical antiquity to modern times are represented. |
| Cornell University Library historical monographs collection | Selected monographs with expired copyrights chosen from a variety of disciplines. These were monographs that were brittle and decaying and in need of rescue. |
| Credo Reference | Access to a selection of 169 reference books including encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri and books of quotations; also a range of subject-specific titles in a range of disciplines. Helpsheet available |
| Early English books online | Early English Books Online (EEBO) is an online version of more than 125,000 early printed books. Includes Pollard & Redgrave's short-title catalogue (1475-1640), Wing's short-title catalogue (1641-1700), and the Thomason Tracts (1640-1661). Helpsheet available |
| Early English prose fiction, 1500-1700 | A representative collection of fictional prose works from the 16th and 17th centuries; many of these important texts are difficult to obtain elsewhere. Trial access to 28th November 2009 |
| Early English prose fiction, 1500-1700 | A representative collection of fictional prose works from the 16th and 17th centuries; many of these important texts are difficult to obtain elsewhere. Trial access to 28th November 2009 |
| Eighteenth century collections online | Provides access to the digital images of every page of 150,000 books published during the 18th Century, in the fields of history, literature, religion, law, fine arts, science and more. With full text searching. Helpsheet available |
| Eighteenth century fiction | A collection of 96 complete works of English prose from the period 1700–1780 by writers from the British Isles. Trial access to 28th November 2009 |
| Eighteenth century fiction | A collection of 96 complete works of English prose from the period 1700–1780 by writers from the British Isles. Trial access to 28th November 2009 |
| ElectricalENGINEERINGnetBASE | The full texts, cross-searchable, of over 300 handbooks in electrical engineering Helpsheet available |
| Electronic literature directory | An extensive database of listings for electronic works, their authors, and their publishers. The descriptive entries cover poetry, fiction, drama, and non-fiction that make significant use of electronic techniques or enhancements. Among the new forms of writing represented here are hypertexts and other interactive pieces, animated poems, multimedia works, generated texts, and works that allow reader collaboration. Searchable |
| Electronic Text Center | 10,000 publicly available texts including history, literature, philosophy, religion, and history of science. Languages include Latin, Apache, Japanese, and Chinese. 164,000 related images, including rare books, manuscripts, and book illustrations |
| Encyclopaedia Britannica | Provides simultaneous searching of Encylopaedia Britannica, Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary and Thesaurus, Britannica Book of the Year, and an internet directory that includes more than 300,000 links to web sites selected, rated, and reviewed by Britannica editors. With world atlas and time lines. |
| Encyclopedia of astronomy and astrophysics | EAA is a dynamic reference resource that is updated weekly. Search or browse over 2,500 entries by subject. With links to new and revised articles. |
| Encyclopedia of energy | The Encyclopedia draws together all aspects of energy, covering areas throughout the natural, social and engineering sciences. |
| Encyclopedia of life sciences | Online encyclopedia regularly updated. Articles are grouped by level of complexity. Introductory articles which are useful for undergraduates and non-specialist readers needing basic concepts in a given subject. Secondary articles which are useful for advanced undergraduates and graduates with material equivalent to graduate level texts. Special essays include a number of articles covering "hot topics" and controversial issues written by eminent scientists. |
| Encyclopedia of religion | The second edition of a resource that is considered a standard reference in the field. Presents a cross-cultural approach that emphasizes religion's role within everyday life and as a unique experience from culture to culture. The original 2,750 entries have been retained, many heavily updated, and approximately 600 entirely new articles have been added by an international team of scholars and contributors. |
| ENGnetBASE | The full texts, cross-searchable, of OVER 260 handbooks in a range of engineering disciplines Helpsheet available |
| ENVIROnetBASE | The full texts, cross-searchable, of over 180 handbooks in the environmental sciences Helpsheet available |
| EScholarship editions | More than 1,400 free electronic editions of academic books published by eScholarship Editions, mainly in the humanities, religion, history, literature, arts and social sciences |
| FOODnetBASE | The full texts, cross-searchable, of over 120 handbooks in the food sciences, including microbiology, product safety, packaging, and biotechnology Helpsheet available |
| FORENSIC/LAWENFORCEMENTnetBASE | The full texts, cross-searchable, of over 180 handbooks in the forensic sciences, law enforcement, counterterrorism and criminology Helpsheet available |
| Glasgow Digital Library ebooks | A collection of freely available eBooks on the history of Glasgow and Scotland |
| Google Books | Google's searchable and browseable ebook database. |
| Grove art online | Internet version of the multi-volume encyclopaedia, the Grove Dictionary of Art. Searchable database and web links to images from museums, galleries and art collections from around the world. Accessed from within Oxford Art Online, Grove content alone may be searched by choosing Advanced options and selecting Grove Art Online. Helpsheet available |
| Grove music online | The complete text of the multi-volume New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd ed., covering all aspects of classical, ancient, world and popular music; includes full text search, notated musical examples, and links to images, digital sounds and related sites. Incorporates the New Grove Dictionary of Opera. Accessed from within Oxford Music Online, Grove content alone may be searched by choosing Advanced options and selecting Grove Music Online. Helpsheet available |
| Historical Association classic publications | The Historical Association are digitising all their publications and pamphlets going back 100 years, adding new ones each month. |
| Historical Association classic publications | The Historical Association are digitising all their publications and pamphlets going back 100 years, adding new ones each month. |
| Historical math monographs : Cornell University Library | A collection of 512 selected monographs with expired copyrights chosen from the mathematics field. These were monographs that were brittle and decaying and in need of rescue, so were digitally scanned. |
| History Reference Online (Now ABC-CLIO eBook Collection) | A collection of over 600 ebooks in the history, politics, law, education, science, technology, the environment, religion and geography. Helpsheet available |
| InfoSECURITYnetBASE | The full texts, cross-searchable, of over 50 handbooks in the field of information and computer security, data protection, computer privacy and computer crime Helpsheet available |
| Internet sacred text archive | A freely-available archive of non-copyrighted religious and mythological e-texts. The site focuses primarily on English translations of material from African, Australian and North American indigenous cultures, Asian traditions (particularly those from South and East Asia) and Neo-Pagan and Occult traditions |
| Keesings record of world events | Keesings is the monthly digest of worldwide political, diplomatic and economic affairs. Published continuously since 1931, it covers significant events for every country as well as the major international organizations, presented in detailed yet concise reports. Search by country, region, organization, time-frame, or keyword. |
| Knovel | A searchable collection of full text eBooks in engineering, materials and technology. To search available full text content change the search option from 'Entire Knovel Library' to 'My Subscription'. Helpsheet available |
| KnowUK | The full texts of over 70 reference books; covers people (e.g. Civil Service Yearbook, Who's Who), community (Voluntary Agencies Directory), almanacs, statistics (e.g. Regional trends), government (Municipal Year Book), health (Binley's), Blue Guides, and Which? guides. |
| Lecture notes in computer science | A large selection of these lecture notes on all aspects of computers and computing, from 1997. Searchable. Adobe Acrobat required Helpsheet available |
| Literature online (LION) | A fully searchable library of more than 330,000 works of English and American poetry, drama and prose, plus biographies, bibliographies and key criticism and reference resources. Helpsheet available |
| MATHnetBASE | The full texts, cross-searchable, of a range of handbooks covering Applied Mathematics, Numerical Analysis and Mathematical Computation, Differential Equations, Mathematical Modelling, Mathematics for Engineering Helpsheet available |
| MechanicalENGINEERINGnetBASE | The full texts, cross-searchable, of over 200 handbooks in mechanical engineering Helpsheet available |
| MyiLibrary | Collections of eBooks from several publishers and organisations (mainly in health and medicine). Also general reference books (dictionaries, directories, biographies) and information sources, such as travel, weather and broadcasting. Helpsheet available |
| National Academies Press | Freely available collection of reports issued by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine, and the National Research Council. The NAP publishes on a wide range of topics in science, engineering, and health. Many titles are in digital PDF format. |
| NetLibrary | The OU library subscribes to a collection of over 550 titles via NetLibrary, covering religious studies, general reference, business and IT. NetLibrary also includes more than 4,000 freely available eBooks. Helpsheet available |
| NEUROSCIENCEnetBASE | The full texts, cross-searchable, of over 60 handbooks in the neurosciences, including neurology, neuropathology, behaviour studies, brain, and nervous system disorders Helpsheet available |
| Nineteenth century fiction | All major novelists are represented, including Austen, Dickens, the Brontës, Eliot, Gaskell, Thackeray, Trollope, and Scott. Alongside the classic fiction of the period are many examples of hugely popular but critically neglected novels of the day. 1786 to 1837. Trial access to 28th November 2009 |
| Nineteenth century fiction | All major novelists are represented, including Austen, Dickens, the Brontës, Eliot, Gaskell, Thackeray, Trollope, and Scott. Alongside the classic fiction of the period are many examples of hugely popular but critically neglected novels of the day. 1786 to 1837. Trial access to 28th November 2009 |
| OCLC Ebooks | A catalogue of over 665,000 electronic books cataloged by OCLC member libraries. Note that not all will be available as full-text |
| Oxford art online | Oxford art online is a gateway into art research and the access point to Grove Art Online and Oxford art reference titles. Grove content alone may be searched by choosing Advanced options and unticking other materials. |
| Oxford dictionary of national biography | 50,000 biographies from the earliest times to the year 2000. Searchable by person and text. Includes 10,000 images. Helpsheet available |
| Oxford English dictionary | Online version contains the 20-volume second edition of the Oxford English dictionary plus the complete contents of the three additions volumes published between 1993 and 1997. Updated quarterly. |
| Oxford music online | Oxford music online is a gateway into music research and the access point to Grove Music Online and Oxford music reference titles. Grove content alone may be searched by choosing Advanced options and unticking other materials. |
| Oxford reference online | Oxford Reference Online brings together 100 language and subject dictionaries and reference works - containing well over 60,000 pages - into a single cross-searchable resource. |
| Oxford scholarship online | A cross-searchable library containing the full text of over 850 Oxford books in the areas of economics and finance, philosophy, political science, and religion. Around 200 new books are added each year. Helpsheet available |
| Oxford text archive | The Archive holds several thousand electronic texts and linguistic corpora, in a variety of languages. Includes online versions of works by individual authors, standard reference works such as the Bible and mono/bilingual dictionaries, and a range of language corpora. Searchable by author or title. |
| POLYMERSnetBASE | The full texts, cross-searchable, of over 80 handbooks on polymers Helpsheet available |
| Project Gutenberg | A collection of over 13,000 freely-available eBooks. Searchable, with list of "top" authors and titles. |
| PsycBOOKS | PsychBOOKS is a full text database of books and chapters primarily published by APA. It also includes 1,500 entries from the APA/University of Oxford Press Encyclopedia of Psychology as well as a number of classic books from the early 1900's. |
| Routledge encyclopedia of philosophy | A resource of over 2000 articles in philosophy and related disciplines. |
| Routledge politics and international relations online | A collection of reference titles in the field of politics and international relations. |
| Routledge religion resource | A collection of reference titles in the field of religion, including religious encyclopedias and directories. |
| RSC e-book collection | A cross-searchable library of 700+ books covering 40 years in the chemical sciences. Titles are digitised and made available as pdf files. Continually updated |
| Safari Books online | The full text of a range of books for IT professionals and business on management, computer science, programming, e-commerce, software engineering, etc. Users can search across the whole collection. 281 titles are available at one time. Existing titles can be swapped for others by emailing the Library Helpdesk, mailto:lib-help@open.ac.uk. There is a limit to the number of users allowed in at one time, so please log out when you have finished. Be aware that if you use the private notes system, your notes will be available to all users. Helpsheet available |
| Science Direct | The full texts of over 1000 scientific, technical, medical, mathematical, management and social science journals. 1995 onwards. Provides e-mail 'alerts' to update searches and announce the arrival of latest journal issues. 'Cited by' facility lists papers that have cited any article displayed on the screen. Includes access to selected full-text encyclopedias. Helpsheet available |
| Shakespeare survey | Full-text of this series, from volume 1, 1948. Each volume is devoted to a theme, or play, or group of plays; each also contains a section of reviews of that year's textual and critical studies, and of the year's major British performances. |
| Stair Memorial Encyclopaedia | A comprehensive and authoritative narrative treatment of the law of Scotland. The encyclopedia is arranged in an alphabetical title scheme of over 120 titles. |
| Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy | Includes editorial and copyrighted information, as well as a site search engine. Offers an alphabetical index to the philosophical entries and information on individual philosophers and their beliefs. |
| STATSnetBASE | The full texts, cross-searchable, of a range of handbooks covering general tables and formulae, SPC, reliability, quality control, statistical theory and methods, statistics and computing, statistics for engineering and physical science. Helpsheet available |
| Taylor & Francis e-book collection | The full text of over 180 titles published by Taylor & Francis across a range of subject areas including arts, business, social sciences, health and science. The e-Copy facility is not available as part of our subscription. Helpsheet available |
| TELECOMMUNICATIONSnetBASE | The full texts, cross-searchable, of handbooks in all areas of telecommunication Helpsheet available |
| Thesaurus linguae Graecae | A digital collection of most of the literary texts written in Greek from Homer to the fall of Byzantium in AD 1453. You must set up your own individual login account. Greek fonts must be installed on your PC to view the Greek characters |
| Twentieth century drama | 2,500 plays in English from around the world from the 1890s to 2003. The database features mostly copyright texts unavailable elsewhere in electronic form including many out-of-print works that are difficult to obtain. Trial access to 28th November 2009 |
| Twentieth century drama | 2,500 plays in English from around the world from the 1890s to 2003. The database features mostly copyright texts unavailable elsewhere in electronic form including many out-of-print works that are difficult to obtain. Trial access to 28th November 2009 |
| Wiley Interscience | Full text of over 900 ejournals and 190 ebooks. From July 2008 this collection will include content formerly on Blackwell Synergy. Helpsheet available |
| WorldAlmanac | Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia and four almanacs : the World Alamanac and Book of Facts, the World Almanac of the USA, the World Almanac of US politics, the World Almanac for kids. Includes biographies, encyclopedia entries, facts, statistics |
Books to buy