Digital Accessibility - Library e-resources

This guide provides information about the digital accessibility features of library e-resources. It is a developing resource which currently includes information about some of the Library ebook collections.

General features of the VLeBooks eBook platform

This page provides information about the online reader and the landing page for VLeBooks eBooks. It includes sections on the ease of use of the platform, navigation tips, download formats and available accessibility features. There is also information about accessibility features which can be applied to the VLeBooks platform and a video demonstrating the accessibility of the VLeBooks platform.

Below is a brief summary of accessibility features in the online reader. It is compiled as a standardised list of features, across all eBook license types (unlimited users and limited downloads, limited users and limited downloads). If you prefer an audiovisual guide to the accessibility features, a series of short videos (1-3 mins.) are also available. 

Saving and Printing VLeBooks 
Screen readers and text-to-speech software.

Recommended screen reading software?
  • If using a Mac, I would suggest using VoiceOver.
  • If using a Windows computer, I would suggest using Narrator.
Recommended inbuilt read aloud function?
  • I would not recommend using the inbuilt read aloud function in the online reader.
  • Screen readers are much more comprehensive.
  • However, if you are going to use in the inbuilt read aloud function, I would recommend using it on a Windows computer. 
VLeBooks' Accessibility Statement

Video: Accessibility features on the website

A video guide to using the online reader on the VLeBooks platform.
How to apply the accessibility features on the website.

Note: This video contains chapters and a downloadable transcript. Click the arrow at the bottom of the video to view the table of contents. Click on the three vertical dots to download the transcript. You can also click on the arrow next to the Closed Caption icon in the bottom toolbar to view and access the chapters and transcript in Panopto. 

Accessibility features that can be applied to the VLeBooks platform

Accessibility features on the VLeBooks platform:

There are also accessibility features that can be applied to the VLeBooks platform. 

It is useful to note that these changes will be remembered when you leave the platform.

Where to find and how to apply the accessibility features available?

1. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and click on the 'Accessibility Options' White text in capital letters that says 'Accessibility Options', on a black background link under the "Settings" section. 

2. Click the "On" button next to the available accessibility options that you want to apply to the platform.

Accessibility settings menu on the VLeBooks platform. There are options to make the font bigger, turn on high contrast, highlight links in yellow, underline links, turn on greyscale, to use dyslexic font and to prevent popup auto close. Next to these options, there are On and Off buttons.

3. Click on the "Save Changes" Green rectangle with slightly rounded corners. In the centre of the rectangle, there is white text which says 'Save Changes.' To the left of the whit text, there is a white tick symbol.  button to save your preferences.

eBook Formats in the Online Reader:

What eBook formats are available?

VLeBooks eBooks are available in PDF or EPUB format. The majority of eBooks will only offer either a PDF or an EPUB format as there are not many eBooks which offer both formats.

Where to find the available formats on the landing page?

The "Read Online" option is found in a section underneath the image of the eBook cover page. If both a PDF and an EPUB format are available, clicking on the down arrow in the "Read Online" button will allow you to choose your preferred eBook format.

Text Customisation (PDF): Changing the Font Size

A video guide to using the online reader on the VLeBooks platform.
How to change the font size in a PDF eBook.

Note: This video contains chapters and a downloadable transcript. Click the arrow at the bottom of the video to view the table of contents. Click on the three vertical dots to download the transcript. You can also click on the arrow next to the Closed Caption icon in the bottom toolbar to view and access the chapters and transcript in Panopto. 

Changing Font Size/Zoom:

Currently, only the text in eBooks in EPUB format can be re-sized in the online reader. The actual font size is dependent on your device but typically you can change your reading font size between four and thirty six. There is no option to do this in a PDF. Pages in an eBook in PDF format offer five different zoom levels and over twenty levels of magnification. These options can be identified by specific icons.

It is useful to note that only eBooks in EPUB format support reflowable text. This means that as text is enlarged, it will never spill off the page. 

Where to find the available font size/zoom options in the PDF and EPUB online reader?

The zoom in and zoom out buttons are found in the toolbar at the top right of the page on larger devices, and in the toolbar on the right on smaller devices.

Zoom in - A grey magnifying glass with a grey plus sign in the middle of the circle. The background behind the magnifying glass is black. The magnifying glass is pointed towards the top left corner.

Zoom out - A grey magnifying glass with a grey minus sign in the middle of the circle. The background behind the magnifying glass is black. The magnifying glass is pointed towards the top left corner.

Text Customisation (EPUB): Changing the Font

A video guide to using the online reader on the VLeBooks platform.
How to customise the font type, size and colour, how to apply bold text, and how to alter the line spacing in an EPUB eBook.

Note: This video contains chapters and a downloadable transcript. Click the arrow at the bottom of the video to view the table of contents. Click on the three vertical dots to download the transcript. You can also click on the arrow next to the Closed Caption icon in the bottom toolbar to view and access the chapters and transcript in Panopto. 

Text Customisation (EPUB): More Accessibility Options

A video guide to using the online reader on the VLeBooks platform.
How to apply high contrast, dyslexic font, a reading ruler, and how to adjust line, word, and character spacing in an EPUB eBook.

Note: This video contains chapters and a downloadable transcript. Click the arrow at the bottom of the video to view the table of contents. Click on the three vertical dots to download the transcript. You can also click on the arrow next to the Closed Caption icon in the bottom toolbar to view and access the chapters and transcript in Panopto. 

Changing Font Type and Other Useful Tools:

In the online reader, eBooks in EPUB format have more customisable features available than eBooks in PDF format. eBooks in EPUB format allow you to change the font type, enable a reading ruler, translate the page into a different language, adjust line, word and character spacing. eBooks in PDF format do not offer any of these features. 

It is important to note that any changes made in the online reader will not be saved when you leave the eBook. Therefore, if you come back to the same eBook later on, you will have to apply the changes again.

Where to find the different font types in the EPUB online reader and how to apply them?

In the online reader, eBooks in EPUB format allow you to choose between three Serif fonts, three Sans-Serif fonts and two monospace fonts. Below are the steps to apply this.

1. Click on the Settings A solid grey cog with a circle in the middle, on a dark grey background. icon found in the toolbar at the top right of the page on larger devices, and in the toolbar on the right on smaller devices.

2. The online reader should automatically open to the 'Fonts' menu. 

3. Click on the dropdown menu on the right side of the menu under 'Font Style' and select the font that you want to apply.

A screenshot of the font style menu. The background is pale grey and there is a paler grey-white dropdown menu. Above the dropdown menu, there is bold text that reads 'Font Style.'

4. Click on the 'Apply'  A blue rectangle with rounded corners. In the centre of the rectangle, there are the words 'Apply' in white. button at the bottom right of the menu to save your choices.

Where to find the OpenDyslexic font in the EPUB online reader and how to apply it?

VLeBooks also offers OpenDyslexic font which can only be applied to text in the online reader for eBooks in EPUB format. Below are the steps to apply this.

1. Click on the 'Accessibility' A grey eye with the pupil facing towards the top left corner. There is a grey backslash running through the centre of the eye and it extends past the eye's borders. On the bottom left of the eye, there are two diagonal lines facing in the same direction as the backslash. These two diagonal lines do not extend past the borders of the eye. The eye is on a dark grey background. icon found in the toolbar at the top right of the page on larger devices, and in the toolbar on the right on smaller devices. 

2. The online reader will automatically open the 'Accessibility' menu.

3. Click on the 'Dyslexic Font' A screenshot of the Dyslexic Font toggle switch. There is text that says 'Dyslexic Font.' Below the text is a toggle switch where you can enable or disable the feature. The background is light grey. button on the right side of the menu, underneath the 'High Contrast Mode' button to enable it. 

4. Click on the 'Apply'  A blue rectangle with rounded corners. In the centre of the rectangle, there are the words 'Apply' in white. button at the bottom right of the menu to save your choices.

Where to find the spacing options in the EPUB online reader and how to apply them?

VLeBooks offers several spacing options for eBooks in EPUB format which can be applied to text in the online reader. Below are the steps to apply them.

1. Click on the 'Accessibility' A grey eye with the pupil facing towards the top left corner. There is a grey backslash running through the centre of the eye and it extends past the eye's borders. On the bottom left of the eye, there are two diagonal lines facing in the same direction as the backslash. These two diagonal lines do not extend past the borders of the eye. The eye is on a dark grey background. icon found in the toolbar at the top right of the page on larger devices, and in the toolbar on the right on smaller devices.

2. The online reader will automatically open the 'Accessibility' menu.

3. Click on an option (number from 1-5) underneath the spacing that you want to change, on the right side of the menu to apply your spacing preferences. 

  • 1 = Change line spacing.

A screenshot of line spacing options. On the top left, there is bold grey text that says 'Line Spacing.' Below the text, are the numbers one to five and to the right of each number is a button where you can select your line spacing preference. The background is light grey.

  • 2 = Change character spacing.

A screenshot of character spacing options. On the top left, there is bold grey text that says 'Character Spacing.' Below the text, are the numbers one to five and to the right of each number is a button where you can select your character spacing preference. The background is light grey.

  • 3 = Change word spacing.

A screenshot of word spacing options. On the top left, there is bold grey text that says 'Word Spacing.' Below the text, are the numbers one to five and to the right of each number is a button where you can select your word spacing preference. The background is light grey.

4. Click on the 'Apply'  A blue rectangle with rounded corners. In the centre of the rectangle, there are the words 'Apply' in white. button at the bottom right of the menu to save your choices.

Where to find the reading ruler in the EPUB online reader and how to apply it?

VLeBooks offers a reading ruler for eBooks in EPUB format which can be used in the online reader. Below are the steps to apply it.

1. Click on the 'Accessibility' A grey eye with the pupil facing towards the top left corner. There is a grey backslash running through the centre of the eye and it extends past the eye's borders. On the bottom left of the eye, there are two diagonal lines facing in the same direction as the backslash. These two diagonal lines do not extend past the borders of the eye. The eye is on a dark grey background. icon found in the toolbar at the top right of the page on larger devices, and in the toolbar on the right on smaller devices. 

2. The online reader will automatically open the 'Accessibility' menu.

3. Click on the 'Reading Ruler' A screenshot of the reading ruler toggle switch. There is text that says 'Reading Ruler.' Below the text is a toggle switch where you can enable or disable the feature. The background is light grey. button on the right of the menu, underneath the 'Dyslexic Font' button to apply it.

4. Click on the 'Apply'  A blue rectangle with rounded corners. In the centre of the rectangle, there are the words 'Apply' in white. button at the bottom right of the menu to save your choices.

Page Customisation (PDF & EPUB): Changing the Layout

A video guide to using the online reader on the VLeBooks platform.
How to change the page layout of PDF and EPUB eBooks.

Note: This video contains chapters and a downloadable transcript. Click the arrow at the bottom of the video to view the table of contents. Click on the three vertical dots to download the transcript. You can also click on the arrow next to the Closed Caption icon in the bottom toolbar to view and access the chapters and transcript in Panopto. 

Page Layout:

There are different page layout options available in the online reader depending on whether the eBook is a PDF or an EPUB. These options can be identified by a specific icon. 

Where to find the page layout options in the online reader?

The page layout options are found in the toolbar at the top right of the page on larger devices, and in the toolbar on the right on smaller devices.

What page layouts do PDFs offer in the online reader?

Page layout menu - 

Single Page, Cover Page and Double Page - Rectangle with a white background. There is text on the left of this rectangle. The text at the top of the rectangle says 'Single Page', the text in the middle says 'Cover Page' and the text at the bottom of the rectangle says 'Double Page.'

Page resize menu - Four grey arrows pointing diagonally outwards from the centre, arranged to form an "X" shape. The bottom of the arrows meet in the middle. There is a dropdown arrow to the right of the full screen icon. The background is black.

Fit to height and Fit to width - Rectangle with a white background. There is text on the left of this rectangle. The text at the top of the rectangle says 'Fit to height' and the text at the bottom of the rectangle says 'Fit to width.'

What page layouts do EPUBs offer in the online reader?

It is important to note that Horizontal Scroll only works when your internet browser is in full screen. If you have a smaller screen, I would recommend viewing the eBook in Vertical Scroll as it works much better.

Page layout menu - A grey double page icon with a dropdown arrow to the right, on a dark grey background.

Vertical Scroll and Horizontal Scroll - Rectangle with a white background. There is text on the left of this rectangle. The text at the top of the rectangle says 'Vertical Scroll' and the text at the bottom of the rectangle says 'Horizontal Scroll.'

Using In-Built ReadAloud (PDF)

A video guide to using the online reader on the VLeBooks platform.
How to use the in-built text-to-speech function in PDF eBooks.

Note: This video contains chapters and a downloadable transcript. Click the arrow at the bottom of the video to view the table of contents. Click on the three vertical dots to download the transcript. You can also click on the arrow next to the Closed Caption icon in the bottom toolbar to view and access the chapters and transcript in Panopto. 

Using In-Built ReadAloud (EPUB)

A video guide to using the online reader on the VLeBooks platform.
How to use the in-built text-to-speech function in EPUB eBooks.

Note: This video contains chapters and a downloadable transcript. Click the arrow at the bottom of the video to view the table of contents. Click on the three vertical dots to download the transcript. You can also click on the arrow next to the Closed Caption icon in the bottom toolbar to view and access the chapters and transcript in Panopto. 

Inbuilt Text-to-speech:

Both PDFs and EPUBs offer an inbuilt text-to-speech option in the online reader which will read the text on the page aloud to you. It is important to note that the inbuilt read aloud option will not describe any images, graphs, tables or diagrams.

Where to find and how to apply the read aloud option in the PDF online reader on a Mac and on a Windows PC?
  • The ReadAloud menu needs to be open in order for the text to be read.
  • To skip to a section in a page, move the audio slider backwards or forwards then press the play button. 
  • The forward and the rewind button skips the audio forwards and backwards by ten seconds. 
  • To quit the ReadAloud menu, press the X in the top right corner or the ok button in the bottom right corner.
  • To have the online reader read aloud another page, just go to the page that you want read aloud and it should automatically start reading it from the beginning.
  • The ReadAloud menu on a Windows PC allows you to download an audio file of the page recording and adjust the speech volume.
  • Below are the steps to enable the inbuilt read aloud option.

1. Click on the read aloud A grey, solid speaker icon with three sound waves pointing towards the right. The background is black. icon found in the toolbar at the top right of the page on larger devices, and in the toolbar on the right of smaller devices.

2. The online reader will open the 'ReadAloud' menu and will automatically start reading the text on the page from the beginning.

A screenshot of the ReadAloud menu in the online reader. There is an embedded recording slider with a play button at the top. There is a tickbox where you can turn autoplay on and off. At the bottom, there is a rewind, forward and play button. This is the ReadAloud menu on a Mac.

A screenshot of the ReadAloud menu in the online reader. There is an embedded recording slider with a play button at the top. To the right of the embedded recording slider, there is a black speaker icon where you can adjust the speech volume. Next to the black speaker icon, there are three black vertical dots where you can download an audio file of the page recording. There is a tickbox where you can turn autoplay on and off. At the bottom, there is a rewind, forward and play button. This is the ReadAloud menu on a Windows PC. 

How to apply the read aloud option in the EPUB online reader on a Mac and on a Windows PC?
  • The Read Aloud menu needs to be open in order for the text to be read.
  •  The online reader will continue reading aloud to the next page when it has finished reading the current page.
  • The read aloud menus on Windows and on Macs are the same, except they offer different voice options. 
  • As it is reading the text aloud, it will highlight the paragraph that it is reading in yellow.
  • If you adjust any of the options such as the auto-start reading on page navigation, the voice, speed or pitch options while it is reading the text aloud, you need to press the restart page A blue rectangle with rounded edges. In the middle is white text which says 'Restart Page.' To the left of this text, is a white undo arrow. icon found in the bottom left of the menu to apply the new settings.
  • Below are the steps to enable the inbuilt read aloud option.

1. Click on the read aloud A grey, solid speaker icon with three sound waves pointing towards the right. The background is black. icon found in the toolbar at the top right of the page on larger devices, and in the toolbar on the right of smaller devices.

2. The online reader will open the 'ReadAloud' menu. To get it to start reading, you need to press the 'Start Reading' button in the bottom left of the menu. 

A screenshot of the read aloud menu. There is a link which takes you to the 'Advanced Settings' where you can change the voice, pitch and speed. Below this link, there are buttons to start reading, resume and pause speaking and stop speaking. There is a red border around the options to guide you what to click on. This is the ReadAloud menu on a Mac and a Windows PC.

3. Clicking on the 'Advanced Settings' link will expand the menu and you have the option to turn on and off the auto-start reading on page navigation and change the voice and adjust the speed and the pitch.

A screenshot of the expanded read aloud menu. There is a toggle switch near the top of the menu where you can turn on and off auto-start reading. In the middle, there is a dropdown menu where you can change the voice, sliders where you can adjust the speed and pitch. At the bottom of the menu, there are options to start reading, resume and pause speaking and stop speaking. There are red borders around these options to guide you what to click on. This is the ReadAloud menu on a Mac.

A screenshot of the expanded read aloud menu. There is a toggle switch near the top of the menu where you can turn on and off auto-start reading. In the middle, there is a dropdown menu where you can change the voice, sliders where you can adjust the speed and pitch. At the bottom of the menu, there are options to start reading, resume and pause speaking and stop speaking. This is the ReadAloud menu on a Windows PC.

Page Customisation (PDF & EPUB): Changing the Background Colour

A video guide to using the online reader on the VLeBooks platform.
How to change the background or page colour in PDF and EPUB eBooks.

Note: This video contains chapters and a downloadable transcript. Click the arrow at the bottom of the video to view the table of contents. Click on the three vertical dots to download the transcript. You can also click on the arrow next to the Closed Caption icon in the bottom toolbar to view and access the chapters and transcript in Panopto. 

Changing Background/Text Colour and Text Customisation:

There are options available to change the colour of the background and customise the text in an eBook in the online reader. There are eight dyslexia friendly background colours available. Text can also be customised with bolding or high contrast mode. It is important to note that eBooks in PDF format only have the option to change the background colour. The rest of the features are limited to eBooks in EPUB format only. These options can be identified by specific icons.

Where to find the background colours in the PDF online reader and how to apply them?

The background colours are found in the toolbar at the top right of the page on larger devices, and in the toolbar on the right on smaller devices. Below are the steps to apply background colours.

1. Click on the palette Grey palette icon with four small holes at the top, on a black background.  icon. 

2. The online reader will open the 'background colours' menu. 

3. Click on the background colour that you would like to use.

Screenshot of the background colours menu. There are eight coloured squares with rounded corners on top of a rectangle with light grey background. Each square has a solid black capital letter A in the middle. The colours from left to right are: white, pale yellow, grey, blue, pink, purple, green-yellow and green.

4. Click on the ok A grey rectangle with rounded corners. In the centre, it says Ok. button at the bottom right of the menu to save your preferences.

Where to find the background/text colours and text customisation options in the EPUB online reader and how to apply them?

The options to customise background/text/hyperlink colours and to customise the text format are found in the toolbar at the top right of the page on larger devices, and in the toolbar on the right on smaller devices. Below are the steps to apply pre-set background colours.

1. Click on the Accessibility A grey eye with the pupil facing towards the top left corner. There is a grey backslash running through the centre of the eye and it extends past the eye's borders. On the bottom left of the eye, there are two diagonal lines facing in the same direction as the backslash. These two diagonal lines do not extend past the borders of the eye. The eye is on a dark grey background. icon.

2. The online reader will open the 'Accessibility' menu.

3. Click on the background colour that you would like to use. The background colour options are found at the very bottom of the 'Accessibility' menu.

A screenshot of the background colour options. There are eight coloured circles at the bottom of the menu. The options are on a light grey background. The colours from left to right are: white, pale yellow, grey, blue, pink, purple, green-yellow and green.

4. Click on the 'Apply'  A blue rectangle with rounded corners. In the centre of the rectangle, there are the words 'Apply' in white. button at the bottom right of the menu to save your choices.

Below are the steps to apply custom background, page and hyperlink colours.

1. Click on the Settings A solid grey cog with a circle in the middle, on a dark grey background. icon found in the toolbar at the top rights of the page on larger devices, and in the toolbar on the right on smaller devices.

2. Click on the 'Colours' A screenshot of the Colours link in the Settings menu. There is grey text that says 'Colours.' To the left of the text is a solid grey palette with four small holes at the top. The background is light grey. link in the left of the menu and press the button to enable 'Custom Colours' A screenshot of the Custom Colours toggle switch. There is text that says 'Custom Colours.' Below the text, is a toggle switch where you can enable or disable the feature. The background is light grey. at the top of the right of the menu.

3. To change the colour, you can either enter a Hex into the text box, or click on the dropdown menu next to the coloured square to the right of the text box. See 5. to see the different customisation option menus that can be accessed through the dropdown menu to the right of the coloured square. 

A screenshot of the colours menu. There are boxes where you can manually customise the font, page and hyperlink colour. The first box says 'Font Colour.' The second box says 'Page Colour.' The third box says 'Hyperlink Colour.' Below each title is a text box where you can enter the Hex of a colour. To the right of the text box is a coloured square and to the right of the square, is a dropdown arrow where you can further customise the colours. The background colour is light grey.

4. Click on the 'Apply'  A blue rectangle with rounded corners. In the centre of the rectangle, there are the words 'Apply' in white. button at the bottom right of the menu to save your choices.

5. These are the different ways that you can manually customise the font, page and hyperlink colours. 

A screenshot of the basic colour customisation menu. In the left column of the menu, from the top of the menu to the bottom, there are small coloured squares with the name of the colour to the right. To the right of the text, each colour has a slider. The colours from top to bottom are: white, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple and black. A screenshot of the saved colours customisation menu. There are small coloured squares. To the right of each coloured square is the hex of the colour. A screenshot of the advanced customisation menu. There are four sliders, stacked vertically. Above each slider is text, describing what the slider does. The first slider is a rainbow 'Hue' slider. The second slider is a 'Lightness' slider. The third slider is a 'Saturation' slider. The fourth slider is a 'Preview' slider.

Below are the steps to apply bold text.  

1. Click on the Settings A solid grey cog with a circle in the middle, on a dark grey background. icon found in the toolbar at the top right of the page on larger devices, and in the toolbar on the right on smaller devices.

2. The online reader should open in the 'Fonts' menu. Click on the 'Bold Text' A screenshot of the Bold Text toggle switch. There is text that says 'Bold Text.' Below the text, is a toggle switch where you can enable or disable the feature. The background is light grey. button on the right of the menu, underneath the 'Font style' drop down menu.

3. Click on the 'Apply'  A blue rectangle with rounded corners. In the centre of the rectangle, there are the words 'Apply' in white. button at the bottom right of the menu to save your choices.

Below are the steps to apply high contrast mode.

1. Click on the Accessibility A grey eye with the pupil facing towards the top left corner. There is a grey backslash running through the centre of the eye and it extends past the eye's borders. On the bottom left of the eye, there are two diagonal lines facing in the same direction as the backslash. These two diagonal lines do not extend past the borders of the eye. The eye is on a dark grey background. icon found in the toolbar at the top right of the page on larger devices, and in the toolbar on the right on smaller devices.

2. The online reader will open in the 'Accessibility' menu. Click on the 'High Contrast Mode' A screenshot of the High Contrast Mode toggle switch. There is text that says 'High Contrast Mode.' Below the text, is a toggle switch where you can enable or disable the feature. The background is light grey. button at the top of the right side of the menu. 

3. Click on the 'Apply'  A blue rectangle with rounded corners. In the centre of the rectangle, there are the words 'Apply' in white. button at the bottom right of the menu to save your choices.

Keyboard Navigation:

What keyboard shortcuts are available for eBooks in PDF?

Control + shift + 3 - Cycle through Single Page, Double Page, Cover page view.

Control + shift + 2 - Add a page note to the current page

Control + shift +  6 - Zoom to fit to page 

Control + shift + 7 - Zoom to fit to width 

Control + shift + 8 - Rotate current page 

Control + shift + K - Copy text from current page

Control + shift + E - Export annotations 

Control + shift + S - Show annotation share code popup 

Control + shift + Y - Import annotation share code

What keyboard shortcuts are available for eBooks in both PDF and EPUB?

Control + shift + home - Go to page 1

Control + shift + end - Go to last page 

Control + shift + pageUp - Scroll down a page

Control + shift + pageDown - Scroll up a page 

Control + shift + 1 - Set focus on page number input box

Control + shift + 4 - Bookmark this page 

Control + shift + 5 - Go to next bookmark 

Control + shift + 4 - Bookmark this page

Control + shift + P - Print dialog

Control + shift +  Z - Zoom in 

Control + shift + X - Zoom out 

Control + shift + F - Toggle sidebar

Control + shift + Q - Cycle page background colour 

F1 - Link to help document 

Control + shift + 1 - Allowance summary 

Control + shift + F2 - Table of contents. use the → ↓ ↑ ← keys to navigate chapters, sub-headings, and sections.

Control + shift + F3 - Search 

Control + Shift + F4 - Thumbs 

Control + shift + F5 - Dictionary 

Control + shift + F6 - Annotations 

Control + shift + [ - ReadAloud start/pause 

Control + shift + ] - ReadAloud restart current page 

Control + shift + @ - Read aloud dialogue popup

Using eBook Table of Contents:

Using the table of contents on the landing page?

The table of contents on the landing page contains clickable chapter links. Clicking on a link will automatically take you to the chapter in the online reader. If there are both PDF and EPUB formats available, the EPUB format will be opened in the online reader. If there is one format available, only that format will be opened in the online reader.

Are there any differences between the PDF and the EPUB table of contents in the online reader?

There are two tables of contents in the online reader. There is a table of contents within the eBook, and another one which is generated by the online reader. Although the organisation of the table of contents might differ between the two, the contents within them are virtually the same. Both tables of contents can be clicked.

The table of contents in the eBook are different for PDFs and EPUBs. The table of contents in EPUBs are clickable, whereas the one in a PDF is not. To skip to a particular chapter in a PDF, you will have to use the one generated by the online reader, which is found in the Table of Contents menu found on the toolbar to the left of the screen.

Saving and Printing Options (PDF & EPUB)

A video guide to using the online reader on the VLeBooks platform.
How to save and print text from PDF and EPUB eBooks.

Note: This video contains chapters and a downloadable transcript. Click the arrow at the bottom of the video to view the table of contents. Click on the three vertical dots to download the transcript. You can also click on the arrow next to the Closed Caption icon in the bottom toolbar to view and access the chapters and transcript in Panopto. 

Saving and Printing Options for VLeBooks

Save and Print options for VLeBook ebooks

VleBook titles have varying save and print options.  Restrictions on how much you can save or print will display in the Ebook landing page, you'll see the information below the image of the book cover, and beneath the access options.  Typically you should be able to print or save at least 10% of the ebook, and there is a separate 'copy' function which will allow you to copy and paste pages or sections of pages.

How to print or save

  1. Open the ebook using the Read Online option located under the image of the book cover, this opens the ebook reader
  2. From the table of contents or by scrolling through the book find the pages you want to save or print
  3. Take a note of the start and end page for the chapter or section you want to save or print
  4. Choose the Printer icon which is located on the right in the dark grey banner near the top of the screen.
  5. A pop up window will open which displays: 
    • the number of pages you can save or print from the ebook
    • two options to choose the current page, or to select a page range.  If you want to print a page range enter the first page number in the first box and the last page number in the last box.  
    • Click the Print button
  6. A print preview will display, to print select the printer and print.  To save rather than print in the Destination dropdown page choose Print to PDF.

How to download a VLebook

VLebook ebooks can be downloaded in full on a temporary basis.  We only recommend the download option if you are needing to use the ebook and you won't have reliable internet access, in most cases you should use the read online function.

Important information: If you download a VLebook Ebook:

  • The download will be available for 24 hours
  • You will need to have Abode Digital Editions installed on your device.  Abode Digital Editions is different from Adobe Reader, it is free to download.
  • The download will be read only, you can't print from, save or annotate the downloaded ebook.

To Download:

  • Choose the Download option this is located under the image of the book cover.
  • You are asked how many days you want to loan the title for, there's only one option, for 1 day.  
  • Click the green Download button.
  • Once the download has completed a Click here to download option will show on the screen, click to access the download.
  • The ebook will download, normally to you downloads folder in your device
  • Open the ebook from the download location, it will automatically open if you have Adobe Digital Editions on your device.
  • After 24 hours you will not be able to open the ebook, you would need to download it again.

Using screen readers and text-to-speech software with VLeBooks eBooks

Screen Read Compatibility with VLeBooks:

Note: Whilst this section will give an overview for which screen readers work with the above platform, there are many variables which can impact screen reader performance:

  • Browser - Different browsers may not function identically with certain screen readers like Read Aloud only being available with specific browsers. In general, this guide tested books using Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Safari. 
  • Software - When using downloaded content, the software chosen to open documents such as PDFs and EPUBS can impact on the functionality of screen readers. In general, this guide tested books using Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge's built in reader's for PDFs, and Calibre and Apple Books for EPUBS.
  • Document preparation: As eBook providers host titles from a variety of publishers, there can be significant differences in screen reader compatibility from title to title. For example, older PDFs are less likely to have OCR text, meaning it cannot always been highlighted or read by a screen reader. In general, this guide tested multiple eBooks for each provider.
Are the screen readers compatible with eBooks in PDF format?

NVDA (Windows) - No

Narrator (Windows) - No

VoiceOver (MacOS) - No

Read Aloud (Windows) - No

Are the screen readers compatible with eBooks in EPUB format?

NVDA (Windows) - No

Narrator (Windows) - Yes - More information on using Narrator

VoiceOver (MacOS) - Yes - More information on using VoiceOver

Read Aloud (Windows) - Yes - More information on using Read Aloud

Highlighting, Annotating, and Copying Text (PDF)

A video guide to using the online reader on the VLeBooks platform. 
How to highlight, annotate, and copy text in PDF eBooks.

Note: This video contains chapters and a downloadable transcript. Click the arrow at the bottom of the video to view the table of contents. Click on the three vertical dots to download the transcript. You can also click on the arrow next to the Closed Caption icon in the bottom toolbar to view and access the chapters and transcript in Panopto. 

Highlighting, Annotating, and Copying Text (EPUB)

A video guide on to using the online reader on the VLeBooks platform. 
How to highlight, annotate, and copy text in EPUB eBooks.

Note: This video contains chapters and a downloadable transcript. Click the arrow at the bottom of the video to view the table of contents. Click on the three vertical dots to download the transcript. You can also click on the arrow next to the Closed Caption icon in the bottom toolbar to view and access the chapters and transcript in Panopto. 

Searching the Text (PDF & EPUB)

A video guide to using the online reader on the VLeBooks platform.
How to search the text in PDF and EPUB eBooks.

Note: This video contains chapters and a downloadable transcript. Click the arrow at the bottom of the video to view the table of contents. Click on the three vertical dots to download the transcript. You can also click on the arrow next to the Closed Caption icon in the bottom toolbar to view and access the chapters and transcript in Panopto. 

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