About this Guide
Read library ebooks on your smartphone, tablet, computer, or e-reader, anytime, any place!
Access ebooks FREE from the databases and collections below.
Don't hesitate to contact the library at any time with questions!
Log into the Databases from Home
To access the library's resources off-campus, log in with your
NetID (hcs, hce or hcf#) and password.
Additional Resources
- Open AccessScholarly information freely available to everyone - no logins required!
- eJournals A-ZSee if the library has access to a specific journal, issue, or article.
Get free, partial access to thousands of books from Google
Search and preview millions of books from libraries and publishers worldwide using Google Book Search below. Find out more.
eBooks
What's the big deal about e-books?
It is always a good idea to include a variety of information sources in your research. Books can provide a more thorough picture of a topic than a journal article or credible website. You often will not need to read the entire book - just a few chapters/sections will often have the information you need.
What's great about e-books is that you can access them at any time, from anywhere! Paper due tomorrow and the library's closed? No problem!
Additionally, you can easily browse the book by chapters, OR you can search within the full text of an e-book to find the keywords you're looking for. Nearly every e-book collection to which the library has access allows full-text searching of e-books. Try that with a regular, print book!
Search the catalog here for only e-books:
(Some ebooks can only be searched in their database).
- Early English Books Online This link opens in a new window
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Access digitized copies of virtually every work printed in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and British North America and works in English printed elsewhere from 1473-1700. - eBook Collection (EBSCO) This link opens in a new windowFull-text ebooks that can be viewed online or downloaded.
- Ebook Central This link opens in a new window
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Full-text access to over 150,000 electronic books from multiple disciplines. - Eighteenth Century Collections Online This link opens in a new window
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Full-text searchable digitized versions of books published in the UK and the Americas during the 18th century (1700s).
- HathiTrust Digital LibraryCollection of millions of titles digitized from libraries around the world.
- Internet Archive Books to BorroweBooks in this collection can be borrowed for two weeks. Read them in your computer browser or download Adobe Digital Editions (link on page).
- MontanaLibrary2Go This link opens in a new window
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Download popular ebook and audiobook titles compatible with most tablets, smartphones, e-readers, and Kindles.
- Open LibraryA worldwide library catalog of books, with links to libraries holding books, as well as links to any books that can be read or downloaded for free.
- O'Reilly (formerly Safari Books Online) This link opens in a new window
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Technology, digital media and business books online.
- Project GutenbergProvides access to thousands free e-books, available in EPUB and kindle formats and can be downloaded or read online. These e-books are free in the United States because their copyright has expired.
- Springer eBooks This link opens in a new window
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Full text academic ebooks covering medicine; physical and applied sciences; engineering; and mathematics. Make sure the box for "Include Preview-Only content" is NOT checked. - University Press Scholarship Online This link opens in a new window
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More than 600 ebooks covering biology, forestry, ecology, humanities, and social sciences.
Library Staff
Helena, MT 59601
Donaldson Campus 140
Airport Campus
Read E-Books on Your Phone or Tablet
If you want to read e-books on a smartphone or tablet, many of our e-book databases have free apps that can help you do this. Many are also compatible with other apps, such as iBooks or Google Books.
Feel free to bring your device into the library (or contact us) for help accessing ebooks!
- Overdrive Media ConsoleDownload Libby to use with MontanaLibrary2Go. This app can be installed on iOS, Android, Windows, Kindle, and Nook devices to read and listen to e-books & audiobooks on the go.
- EBSCO eBooksDownload and read or listen to EBSCO e-books and audiobooks on nearly any mobile device.