eBook Formats in the Online Reader:

What eBook formats are available?

When using the online reader, ACLS Humanities eBooks are available in either PDF or EPUB format. Which format is available differs from title to title, but no one title will be available in both formats. 

There are two different types of EPUBs available on ACLS Humanities eBook: EPUBs created by reformatting print to digital and which include page scans and uncorrected OCR text, and EPUBs created by reformatting print to digital and which include reflowable, structured text. There are some key differences between these two types of EPUB.

Page scans and uncorrected OCR version

• Can be downloaded, but only in PDF format.
• Has built in zoom features in the online reader.

Reflowable, structured text version

• Cannot be downloaded
• Has built in text size options in the online reader.
• Has built in display options in the online reader.

Where to find the available formats on the landing page?

There are slight differences between the landing pages for books in PDF format, and each of the varieties of EPUB format. Whilst not obvious, these differences are the quickest way of telling which format a book is available in.

PDF

The landing page for a book in PDF format opens directly onto the table of contents, and each of the chapter titles will have a button next to it labelled 'Download'. There will only be two tabs above the table of contents: one labelled 'Contents', and the other 'Stats'.

Page scans and uncorrected OCR version

The landing page for this type of EPUB will open onto a tab labelled overview. When viewing the landing page's table of contents, each of the chapter titles will have a button next to it labelled 'Download'. There will be three tabs below the 'Read Book' button: one labelled 'Overview', one 'Contents', and another 'Stats'.

Reflowable, structured text version

The landing page for this type of EPUB will open onto a tab labelled overview. When viewing the landing page's table of contents,there will be no download options. There will be three tabs below the 'Read Book' button: one labelled 'Overview', one 'Contents', and another 'Stats'.

Changing Font Size/Zoom:

Font Size:

Font size can be changed in the online reader when using an EPUB, specifically the reflowable, structured text version. To change the font size, first open the 'preferences' menu by clicking the cog icon in the top right hand corner of the reader.

With the preferences menu open, use the slider in the 'Text Size' box to adjust the text size to your liking. Make sure to click the 'Save Changes' button in the bottom left corner of the window to confirm your settings.

Zoom:

With PDFs and Page scans and uncorrected OCR version EPUBs, zoom can be changed instead of font size, but it is accessed in a very similar way. Again, open the 'Preferences' menu by clicking the cog icon in the top right hand of the online reader.

The 'Zoom In/Out' box provides a variety of options for changing the zoom percentage of the online reader. 

Changing Font Type

Although there is no built in option to change the font type within the ACLS Humanities eBook online reader, any changes to the font type in your web browser's settings will be reflected in the online reader when using the Reflowable, structured text version EPUB format. 

Page Layout Options:

Page layout options are only available when using Reflowable, structured text version EPUB format.

Changing Page Layout

To change page layout, first open the 'preferences' menu by clicking the cog icon in the top right hand corner of the reader.

Within the preferences menu, the display box allows you to toggle between two different options for page layout: 'Page to Page', and 'Scroll'. Don't forget to click the 'Save Changes' button in the bottom left hand corner of the menu to confirm your choices. 

Page to Page

Page to page displays two pages at once and turns horizontally. Pages can be turned between using either the onscreen arrows, or the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard.

Scroll

Scroll uses a continuous vertical display. Pages can be moved between using the mouse scroll wheel, or by using either the onscreen arrows, or the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard.

Changing background/text colour:

Currently, there is no built-in option to change the colour of the background or text within the ACLS Humanities eBook online reader. In cases where colours can be changed in the browser's settings, the changes will be displayed when using all formats in the online reader.

Keyboard Navigation:

The ACLS Humanities eBook website can be navigated using a keyboard through using the tab key to move between links, and the enter button to follow a link. The arrow keys can then be used to scroll up and down a page.

The website features a 'Skip to Main Content' button which appears in the upper left hand corner of the screen when first pressing the tab key on any page. Pressing the enter key when this button is highlighted will skip the website's headers and move directly to the book's content. Within the online reader, this option is replaced with 'Skip to Contents', which will skip directly to the book's table of contents. 

Drop down menus do not open automatically when selected using the tab key. To open a drop down menu, press the enter key when the correct menu has been selected. This function makes it quicker to move past less relevant menus. 

Using the Table of Contents:

How do I access the table of contents from the landing page?

The table of contents is displayed directly on the landing page of ACLS Humanities eBooks. Ensure you have the 'Contents' tab selected, and then click on the title of the chapter you wish to read to open that chapter in the online reader. 

Accessing the Table of Contents from within the Online Reader

With the online reader open, a table of contents can be accessed by clicking the icon displaying thee horizontal lines, located in the top left hand corner of the reader. 

Clicking on this button will open a menu display the book's chapter titles. Clicking on a title will navigate to that chapter within the reader. With books in EPUB format, it is also possible to use the table of contents within the book itself to navigate.

Save and Print options for ACLS Humanities eBooks

What download options are available?

Download options for ACLS Humanities eBooks depend upon the format which the book is available in. Books in the reflowable, structured text EPUB format cannot be downloaded. Books available in PDF format or the page scans and uncorrected OCR EPUB format can be downloaded, but both only as single chapter PDF downloads. There is no limit to the number of chapters which can be downloaded per book. 

Chapters can be downloaded from the landing page. When the the 'contents' tab has been selected, there will be a button labelled 'Download' present next to each chapter title in the table of contents. Clicking this button will open the chapter as a PDF, which can then be downloaded using the downloaded button in your chosen PDF reader.