eBook formats
EBSCO's online reader provides books in two formats, PDF and EPUB. Many books are available in both formats, while others are available only in one format. Books may also be downloaded in PDF and EPUB format.
- PDF format books have distinct pages, which allow for page-level citations. They have a fixed page size that may not work well on all devices or screen sizes/zoom levels.
- EPUB books automatically resize to fit your screen, and are composed of HTML. This format works well with screen readers. Many EPUBs contain heading levels that can be used to navigate within the content.
- Most full book downloads require Adobe Digital Editions reader. These files have the .acsm extension. DRM-free downloads can be read using any PDF or EPUB reader. DRM-free files have the extension .pdf or .epub
- Partial book downloads (pages, chapters) may be read using any PDF reader tool
Information for Low Vision Users
- EBSCO interfaces have a responsive design that allows users with vision impairments to zoom in up to 200% without loss of functionality
- EBSCO’s company-wide design standards include requirements for minimum color contrast
- EBSCO’s eBook viewer has been tested with color inversion tools
- The online book viewer for EBSCO eBooks allows users to Zoom content in further than 200%. EPUB content is “reflowable” (meaning it adjusts to the screen size/zoom level) and works particularly well for users with vision impairments
- EBSCO’s eBook viewer has been tested with screen magnifiers such as ZoomText and MAGic
Information for Color Vision-Impaired Users
- EBSCO’s company-wide design standards include requirements for minimum color contrast, including for color vision impairments
- EBSCO eBooks’ software development process uses tools to validate color contrast
Information for users with vision who rely on the keyboard
EBSCO eBooks contains a Skip to Main Content link at the top of the ebook viewer page, which allows keyboard users to skip redundant navigation links. To access this, use the tab key from the top of the page. The Skip to Main Content link will come into view. Activating this link sends focus to the ebook viewer region, where a keyboard user can scroll content with the down arrows or easily reach the page navigation tools with the tab key.
Information for Users with Dyslexia
- EBSCO interfaces use web fonts that are known to work well for dyslexic users
- EBSCO eBooks works in a limited capacity with Text to Speech tools. Known limitations exist for books with copy/paste restricted by the publisher, where the Text to Speech tool requires selecting text. There are also known limitations with DRM-protected content. DRM readers such as Adobe Digital Editions may not work well with Text to Speech tools when content is downloaded
- Downloaded Books in EPUB format allow for changing fonts (using third party tools) that are optimized for dyslexia
Information for Users with Hearing Impairments
- EBSCO eBooks does not contain audio or video content so users with hearing impairments have access to the full range of content included in any EBSCO eBook
