netLibrary

WPI eBook Collections

Search our electronic book collection by title, author, or subject keyword in the Library Catalog. More

A collection of electronic books, which you can search the full text of and read online.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute Owned eBook Collection: Currently includes about 50 titles purchased by the library for WPI use only.
Nelinet Shared Collection: 5,528 e-books on a wide range of topics of interest to academic libraries. Shared with all other Nelinet library users.
Boston Public Library Shared Collection: 3,000 e-books on general interest topics, such as computer how-to books, consumer info, self help, sports coaching and how-to, travel, etc. Shared with other library users in Massachusetts.
Public Collection: over 3,500 classics and other public domain e-books. Free access to anyone on the Internet.

Connect to netLibrary at http://www.netlibrary.com.
Search for books using the form on the main page. This searches the WPI, Nelinet, and Boston Public Collections by default. You can add the Public Domain Collection to your search by checking the box Include publicly accessible books. Click on Search Tools tab at the top of the main page for more search options.
Your Search Results list will display. Click on a book title.
The eBook Summary Page displays with the following options:
- Browse this eBook Online
- Check Out and Read Online
To check out the book to your account, enter your netLibrary username and password. If you don't have one, you will be prompted to create one.
Check out periods vary: 4 hours (Nelinet Shared Collection); 24 hours (Boston Public Library Shared Collection); 4 weeks (WPI Owned Collection). Books in the Public Collection have no checkout period and are available for unlimited use.
Click on Check Out and Read Online again. The Online eBook Reader page will open. The book displays a page at a time in the right panel. Use the left panel to search the book or display the table of contents.
Click on ebookshelf to see which books you have checked out and how much time is remaining for that checkout period.
You can print a page at a time using your browser's print option.

Click on create an account at the netLibrary home page.
Please note that you must create your account while connected to netLibrary from a computer on campus (i.e., one in the WPI IP address range 130.215). Once you have created it, you can use your account anywhere. Just login with your netLibrary username and password when you want to access netLibrary from home or elsewhere off campus.

There are direct links from the Library Catalog to the books in the WPI Owned Collection and to the Nelinet Shared Collection.