Sussex Library Online Reading Lists Guide

What is an "eTextbook"

It is a temporary, individual, student copy of a title, on the Kortext platform (usually) that’s accessed via Canvas for specific modules only. Like a textbook, but electronic.

An eTextbook is NOT an EBOOK

It does not appear on Library Search

It is not purchased or owned by the Library

It is not available to Library users

More info:

Etextbooks are ordered & paid for per student, so can be very expensive to acquire for a whole module. 

The admin is done by the Library, and we try to mention them on the appropriate reading lists, which is why queries sometimes come to us. 

They’re like textbooks -  students get given a copy each, for the year, on a 1:1 rental model (neither the Library or the students actually ‘own’ them).

They do have ‘enhanced functionality’ where users can highlight & make notes in their copy.

The majority of them are for the Business School or for ODL (Online Distance Learning).

How long do students have access to their Etextbook?

12 months (usually). We don’t buy them or own them. We only subscribe to the relevant number of copies for the year, for the students on that particular instance of the module.

Registering: How can I help students access their Etextbook for the first time?

If an Etextbook has been set up for a module, students need to access them via their Canvas module sites – they need to register through there & ‘redeem’ a copy.

Links on reading lists to Etextbooks will actually take students to the Canvas page – they access the Etextbook from there.

We need to check that students have redeemed their Etextbook correctly.  In the Canvas site, they should click on the Kortext Etextbook Bookshelf link in the left hand menu.

They will be prompted to REGISTER and create an account if it is their first time logging in – use the usual Sussex log in details for this.

Trouble shooting:  How can I help students with access issues?

If students have problems accessing Etextbooks after registering, there may be an issue with their browser or cookies.

In the first instance we recommend they use Chrome, as Safari and Microsoft Edge may cause problems.

Then ask them to try clearing their cache & cookies so that the log in is refreshed - a shortcut to do this is Ctlr+Shift+Del (Windows).

Once in the Etextbook, some help with downloading (if preferred) can be found on the Kortext support pages: kortext.com/support so that it can be read offline.

What else can I do if there’s an enquiry about Etextbooks?

Get in touch via the reading list inbox. We can check the existence of an Etextbook (being ordered, been cancelled etc) via our spreadsheets – they are not library resources, so do not appear on the catalogue. If they’re still having problems, let us know the details of any error messages they're getting and we can look into it. We can forward any technical issues to Digital Content, but we should take a look first.

Can a tutor request an Etextbook?

Tutors could *request* one, but shouldn’t expect one, as we would have to investigate any request using particular steps & criteria – even if they had one last year, or even if they have one on another module, it doesn’t mean they get another one.

Why is my Etextbook not working/appearing on my Canvas site? 

This sounds as if there was an Etextbook last year, but it wasn’t renewed this year. If the usage was low and/or there’s a suitable alternative title by traditional Ebook then it may not have been renewed. Yes, the tutors are informed about this, but sometimes there are last minute staff changes and people miss out on the communications.