Morebooks: Home

Morebooks

Students can make recommendations for book purchases by emailing morebooks@st-andrews.ac.uk. 

  • You can request titles the Library doesn't have, or where we only have a print edition of a book and you need an e-book.
  • During the pandemic we will buy e-books where possible, print books can be requested where e-books aren't available.
  • You can have 5 requests at any one time.
  • You can submit further emails for more books if you need them after you have made use of any already purchased.
  • If requesting more than 1 book prioritise your list.
  • We aim to respond to requests within 2 working day.  In times of high demand we may send an automated reply if we anticipate a longer response time
  • Don't wait to the last minute!  E-books are normally supplied within a week, but can take longer.  Print books may take 2-3 weeks to arrive in the Library, longer if they are supplied from outside the UK.
  • If you only need a chapter from a book, try the Inter-Library Loans Service who may be able to obtain a scan of a chapter if we don't already have it, or use the request a scan option if the Library has the book in print format only.  Limits on the amount the Library can scan are determined by copyright law, the Library cannot scan more than is permitted.  If you need more than 1 chapter, use the Morebooks service.
  • Please don't request the same book through Inter-Library Loan and Morebooks at the same time.

Why can't the Library get an e-book?

Buying your own books

There may be cases where the Library isn't able to get an e-book for you, and you may decide you want to buy your own book.  You may find the following places worth checking.

For e-books / e-textbooks

As well as Amazon kindle, Apple e-books, and Google Play ebooks, you may want to try:

  • BibliU, Kortext or Vital Sources - students can buy an ebook, or pay to borrow an ebook for the duration of their course.  You can buy individual books.  May be less expensive that buying a print version of a textbook. BibliU, Kortext or Vital Source may have an exclusive license to sell the e-book, or may hold titles the Library cannot buy.
  • Perlego - a subscription service where students can pay either monthly (with the right to cancel at any point) or buy annual access to select any titles held on the platform.  Subscription costs range from £12 per month, cancel at any time, or £96 a year.  Before signing up you can check what titles perlego have access to.
  • Publishers will sometimes sell e-books directly, check their webpage to see if they offer e-books.

Print books

There are a wide range of places you can buy print books from, shop around for the best deals.

  • Blackwells in the University's approved book supplier, see their online shop.
  • Amazon offer new and used books and can be cheaper than some (but not all) bookshops.
  • If you're looking for second hand books, try Bookfinder - it will find available copies of new and second hand books, and allow you to compare prices, and anticipated delivery time, you can also change the currency to the currency you are paying in. 

When buying second hand books check the details to see if you can find information about the condition of the book before you buy, good suppliers will provide this information.