The best way to search for eBooks owned or licensed by the Bishop Payne Library is to use OneSearch on the Bishop Payne Library home page at library.vts.edu. OneSearch is the library's discovery system. Select OneSearch to search holdings of materials owned by VTS, whether online or in print. Please note that remote ebook access is limited by license only to members of the VTS community.
VTS subscribes to a number of eBook collections. Our main main ebook vendors are EBSCOHost and ProQuest.
EBSCOHost
- eBook Academic Collection
The eBook collection contains a large selection of multidisciplinary eBook titles representing a broad range of academic subject matter. Titles are searchable from VTS OneSearch and the EBSCOHost eBook platform.
- eBook Religion Collection
This collection contains thousands of e-books covering a broad range of religious subjects to help readers explore religious beliefs, faith, cultural systems and world views.
ProQuest
- ProQuest Ebook Central
VTS selectively licenses e-book titles from Ebook Central. Titles are searchable from the ProQuest platform and in OneSearch.
Directory of Open Access Books
DOAB is a discovery service that points to Open Access books. Search the description of books and download books from the site of the publisher. All books in DOAB have a full OA license, making them 'free to share'. All publishers in DOAB are screened for their peer review procedures and licensing policies.
GlobeTheoLib
The Global Digital Library on Theology and Ecumenism (GlobeTheoLib) is a multilingual online library offering access free of charge to full-text articles, journals, books and other resources on theology, intercultural and interreligious dialogue, ethics, and ecumenism in World Christianity. Participants also have the possibility to contribute their own documents to the library.
HathiTrust Digital Library
A repository of scanned books contributed from academic institutions across the United States, including UCLA. Books still in copyright are scanned and searchable, but the full text scans will not become available online until their copyright expires.
Open Access Digital Theological Library
The Open Access Digital Theological Library (OADTL) collects content in religious studies without regard for theological or confessional perspective. OADTL collections are composed primarily of books and articles. The collections are ecumenical, global, and interreligious and include materials in all languages (as long as that content meets the criteria listed).
Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg is a repository of more than 33,000 texts on a variety of subjects. Most of the books are in the public domain because their copyright has expired.
The Biship Payne Library offers e-books in PDF and EPUB formats. Choosing the better format depends on the type and size of device used to view e-books and the type of content in the e-books.
Most Common Formats
PDFs
- Better viewing experience for books with many illustrations or when layout is important.
- Look and layout of content will always stay the same, regardless of the application used, device type or screen size.
- Can be viewed in all popular browsers.
- File sizes are usually smaller than EPUBs.
- Majority of books available to download from UCLA LIbrary are in the PDF format.
- Text can become too small to read on smaller screens.
EPUBs
- Text is easier to read on smaller screens, such as on mobile devices, since text reflows (instead of changing size) as screen size changes.
- Works with most types of software. (Does not work on Kindle E-Readers.)
Access to eBooks on Mobile Devices
Most mobile devices with a web browser and internet access will be compatible. To access e-books on your mobile device, open your web browser and click the link to the eBook. The majority of VTS eBooks are available via PDF. This means you can either read them directly from your web browser or favorite PDF reader. Also, depending on the Library's agreement with the publisher, you may be able to download an e-book to your mobile device.