VitalSource
Many textbook publishers have partnered with VitalSource to make their e-textbooks freely available through the end of May. In order to access, faculty and students work through VitalSource’s Bookshelf to create an account using their Illinois State University email. Books available through VitalSource will not show up when searching the Milner Library catalog. Individuals will need to go through Bookshelf to see if books they want to access are available.
Any VitalSource title can be downloaded by multiple students with no limit on the number of simultaneous users. The only drawback is that each student can only download a maximum of 7 titles total during this grace period.
Directions for Creating an Account and Accessing Free eTextbooks
Access VitalSource at this URL: https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/
Create a (free) account.
You will receive an activation email to your email. Follow those steps to activate your account.
Make sure you’re “Signed In” and can see your account information on VitalSource.
Search for the title of the book you need for your class – with correct spelling and no abbreviations.
You should see an option to download the book, if available, through 5/24/2020.
Any title can be downloaded by multiple students with no limit on the number of simultaneous users. The only drawback is that each student can only download a maximum of 7 titles total during this grace period.
