The Sheridan Libraries

E-books

Finding and using electronic books from the JHU libraries..

General Information

See these Wikipedia pages for more information:

Adobe Digital Editions (ADE)

  • TO DOWNLOAD DRM-PROTECTED BOOKS. Use ADE software to download or transfer copy-protected (DRM) e-books to and from your  computer/laptop to other devices like e-readers
  • ADE supports industry-standard e-book formats, including PDF and EPUB
  • NOTES: (1) This software is required to read public library books and some JHU e-books. (2) On iDevices, ADE and the BlueFire app (see below) *must* use the same Adobe ID.

Adobe PDF Reader

  • Adobe Reader software is the global standard for electronic document sharing
  • It is the only PDF file viewer that can open and interact with all PDF documents

Calibre: e-book Manager and format converter

Calibre is FREE software that will sync to your e-device and convert, organize, and generally help you to manage your e-book collection.

It allows you to convert e-book formats to read on different e-reader devices (but it does *not* remove DRM protection).

Here is the Calibre FAQ (ignore the ad at the top of the page).

Devices, Apps, and Software

For example: iPad, iPhone

For your iOS devices, use apps to get JHU's e-books.

Reader apps are available on iTunes.

Apps for iOS devices include:

  • Bluefire Reader - You should have this app if you want to download those JHU books with DRM software, or books from your public library, which also have DRM
  • iBooks
  • Kobo
  • Nook app
  • Kindle app - This app only stores your Amazon books so that you can read them; you cannot search Amazon through the app

This article (May 2016) describes reading apps for iOS devices.

Best iPad and iPhone book-reading apps you should be using in 2018

For example:  Google Nexus, Samsung Galaxy, HTC One

For your Android devices, use apps to get JHU's e-books.

Reader apps are available at the Google Play Store.

Apps for Android devices include:

  • Aldiko
  • Bluefire Reader - You should have this app if you want to download those JHU books with DRM software, or books from your public library, which also have DRM
  • Moon+ Reader
  • Nook app
  • Kindle app - This app only stores your Amazon books so that you can read them; you cannot search Amazon through the app

 

This article (May 2016) describes reading apps for Android devices.

15 best eBook reader apps for Android

For example:  Nokia Lumia 920; Windows Phone 8X by HTC; Samsung ATIV Odyssey

For your Windows mobile devices, use apps to get JHU's e-books.

Reader apps are available at the Windows Phone Store.

For example:  Nook Classic, Nook Color, Nook Tablet, Nook HD, Nook HD+

To get JHU's e-books: You must have a Nook model that has web capability. On the Nook's web browser, go to the library home page (www.library.jhu.edu) and search for books in the catalog, just like you always do.

NOTE: Some e-books cannot be downloaded. To see more details about the book that you want, go to this page of our E-books Guide, and look at the book's collection name (e.g., Springer).

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To get e-books from your public library: Most public libraries get their e-books either from Overdrive or 3M Cloud Library, or both.

  • First, get a library card from your public library (in the city or county where you live)!
     
  • Use your Nook's web capability to go to your public library's site. Search their catalog for a book that you want, and see whether there is an e-book version of it.
     
  • If so, follow the instructions for "checking out" that e-book. (This is where you will need to enter your library card information.) Part of the process of checking out these e-books also includes the free download of the apps for "Overdrive" and/or "Cloud Library" (formerly "3M"), which will then sit on your Nook.

Your local public library staff can help you with this process, so take your device along when you go to get your library card if you need help.

After you get the Overdrive and/or the Cloud Library app on your Nook, it's easy to check out public library books. Just use your Nook's web browser to go to your public library site, find the book that you want, and click "check out." Go the app and open it, download the book, and you're ready to read!

For example:  Kindle, Kindle 2, Kindle DX, Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Fire, KindleFire HD

To get JHU's e-books: Kindles only allow limited access to non-Amazon books.

All models of Kindle will allow downloading of e-books in these formats:

  • .azw [Amazon's private format]
  • .doc and .docx
  • .mobi
  • .PDF
  • .prc
  • .txt

The KindleFire HD allows these and also the .HTML5 format.

To move non-Amazon e-books onto your Kindle:

  1. Download the book from Amazon onto your computer
  2. Move it to a USB/"thumb" drive
  3. Download the book to your Kindle from that drive
  4. Save the e-book to the "book" folder on the Kindle

Here is an Amazon page with more information.

Bluefire Reader - You should have this app if you want to download the JHU books that have DRM software (such as EBL), or books from your public library, which also have DRM. Bluefire is available for the Kindle Fire.

Free E-book Sites: Some of the free e-book sites offer books in several formats, some of which Kindle accepts. For example,

Some E-book Formats

  • Last Updated: Mar 21, 2022 5:01 PM
  • URL: https://guides.library.jhu.edu/e-books
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