VLeBooks is one of the main e-book platforms. The titles on VLeBooks have been selected by Academic Liaison Librarians to support subjects taught at the College.
The VLeBooks platform now includes titles which we had previously bought for the Dawsonera e-book platform. Dawsonera is no longer accessible due to the parent company going into administration in June 2020.
There are two reading options - Read Online or Download.
It is recommended that books are read on the VLeBooks platform using the ‘Read Online’ option, as this has many features available, which enhance and support the reading experience.
By choosing ‘Read Online’ you can access features such as:
There is also a full user guide within the reader itself or accessible at the following
web address https://www.vlebooks.com/vlereaderhelp.pdf
Reading e-books on your IOS devices
Many iOS devices (iPad, iPhone, Macbook) automatically block pop-ups, so you will need to disable this to allow VLebooks to open up in a new window.
You can do this in Safari by:
To enable pop-ups on the Google Chrome browser
Once you have done this, the Read Online function should work normally.
You can also download the e-books on the VLeBooks platform by choosing ‘Download’ and read on your preferred device.
You can use the help topics on Downloading, Android or iOS that are available from the ‘Help’ option on the VLeBooks platform.
Full instructions are also provided on the e-book’s download page.
To download the e-books, you will need a device which is compatible with Adobe Digital Editions.
This can be downloaded for free here:
https://www.adobe.com/uk/solutions/ebook/digital-editions.html
The VLeBooks App is available free of charge and once installed on your mobile device allows a downloaded e-book to be read with all the advanced functionality you would expect of a modern eReader App.
To install and set up your App, and download your first book, follow the steps below.
Assistive Technology
The VLeBooks reader has inbuilt text-to-speech, available through ‘Read Online’ which can be used from both desktop and mobile views. The Read Aloud feature enables the user more freedom to roam desktops or browsing devices where traditional assistive software would
have been required. Read aloud is a core feature built into the VLeBooks platform allowing for wider audience access to audible facilities where assistive software may not have been possible or practical.
eBooks downloaded to eReader software such as Adobe Digital Editions can be read by most other software. Common software tools and their compatibility are as follows:
Read & Write Gold
This software has Optical Character Recognition (OCR) capability which enables the e-book to be read via the platform or via download through Adobe Digital Editions.
JAWS, NVDA
This is not compatible with the online reader. Download the eBook to Adobe Digital Editions to enable this software to perform. We recommend accessing the software manufacturers’ own user guides for further information.
Magnification
VLeBooks have over 20 levels of magnification using the built-in zoom function, available when reading via the platform, which is operated through the universally recognised zoom icons. Windows & iOS magnifier can also be used.
The zoom function is designed to work as both a reduction and a magnification tool. The actual font size is dependent on device but typically a reading font size of between 4 to 36 is achievable.
Contrast and Colours
VLeBooks has options to change the page background colour, and some books have additional options such as High Contrast mode, dyslexia font, adjusting line, character and word spacing, and adding a reading ruler.
