E-books at UCLA

This section provides step-by-step instructions for using two of UCLA Library's e-book vendors:

Most of the links on these pages go to subscription sources which are accessible from any computer on campus. UCLA students, faculty, and staff can access these sites from off-campus using either the Proxy Server (a simple setting in your browser) or the VPN Client (a program you install on your computer).

For mobile devices: VPN is currently only compatible with iOS and Android enabled devices. Proxy server is not mobile compatible.

UCLA 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.
 

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.)