Using netLibrary eBooks--College of St. Catherine Libraries

NetLibrary is a service that allows access to CSC eBooks. eBooks, or electronic books, are digital versions of print books that are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week from a computer.

What are NetLibrary eBooks?

More than 5,000 eBooks are available through a service called NetLibrary. NetLibrary eBooks are page-for-page reproductions of the original printed books. But since eBooks are available on the Web, you can access them from anywhere, anytime--even when the CSC Library is closed. You can preview eBooks for 15 minutes for quick reference, or borrow and read them at your leisure. And you don't have to worry about returning them--eBooks are automatically returned at the end of your check out period.

What's in our NetLibrary eBook collection?

Most of our NetLibrary eBook collection consists of scholarly monographs or reference material. Our collection is a combination of titles purchased by the CLIC consortium and by MINITEX, as well as some free public domain titles.

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How do I access NetLibrary?

To access eBooks from NetLibrary, you will need to:

Go to the library's homepage: http://www.stkate.edu/library/
Go to Find Books and click on e-books
Click on Go to NetLibrary

Note: You can also access e-books from NetLibrary through CLICnet. Books that indicate CLIC E-Book will be available through NetLibrary. You will need to create an account in order to access these eBooks as well.

Connect to NetLibrary now.

How to create an account on NetLibrary

You can view any eBook on the computer, but in order to check out eBooks, make lists, or access netLIbrary from home you must first create an account for yourself using any computer on the CSC network.

Once you have done this, you will be able to login to NetLibrary from your home or office computer and access our collection of eBooks.

From a computer on campus, go to NetLibrary. You should see a blue and gold CLIC logo on the screen:

Use the option at the top of the screen to Create Free Account.
Enter your identifying information, including username, password, first and last name, and e-mail address. Your username and password are up to you; be sure to choose something you will be able to remember.
When you are finished, click on Create Account.

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Searching for eBooks on NetLibrary

Basic Search

Use the Basic Search to search for keywords, title, author, or words in the full text. Capitalization and punctuation are not necessary.

Advanced Search

Use the Advanced Search to formulate more complex searches and use Boolean searching. Advanced Search also allows you to limit by year, publisher, and language.

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Viewing and Checking Out eBooks on NetLibrary

Search results will list each title that matches your search. You can sort your search by using the choices at the top of the search results page. Sort by Top Matches, Newest First, Oldest First, Title, and Author. You can view, check out, and add eBooks to your list.

View: To view the text of the eBook, select View this eBook. You do not need to have an account or be logged in. You can view the eBook for 15 minute increments, as long as you are actively using it. The table of contents appears on the left-hand side and the text appears on the right. To go back to your search results, use the My Shortcuts option at the upper left of the screen and click on Search Results.

Show Details: Click Show Details to get publisher information, ISBN, and other information about the book. From this screen you can choose to View this eBook or Checkout (see below).

Add to my List: You will need to have an account with NetLibrary in order to use this feature. Clicking on Add to my List will store that eBook in a list. To view books in your list click on My List and Notes at the top of the screen.

Checkout eBooks: In order to view the eBook for longer period of time, you will need to check it out. You must have an account and log-in in order to check out eBooks (see above for information on setting up an account).

Log In: Log in by selecting Log In from the upper right-hand corner and then enter the username and password you have chosen. If you have forgotten your username or password, select NetLibrary's "Forgot your Username or Password?" feature on the log in screen.
Checkout: Once you are logged in, you can go to View this eBook. If you are not logged in, you can click on Check out for .... hours. You will then be prompted to log in.
Check in: eBooks will automatically be checked back in. You can also check in your eBook by clicking on My Checked Out eBooks from the upper right and selecting Check In.

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Getting Help

Use the Help tab on NetLibrary to find the answer to many technical questions. You can also ask a reference librarian for assistance. Stop by the Reference Desk or call us at 651-690-6652.

Download a printable version of this guide. You will need to use Adobe Acrobat Reader to view: Guide to NetLibrary

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