Why can't I access an ebook?
Answer
When the GSA Library purchases ebooks, we are offered various licence types for them. The main licence types offered are:
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1 user: when 1 user can access the ebook at the same time
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3 users: when 3 users can access the ebook at the same time
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Unlimited users: when 9999 users can access the ebook at the same time
Several things are considered when deciding on which licence type to purchase:
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How much does it cost compared to available budget?
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Is it required course reading?
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What are the expected demands of the ebook?
We try our best to purchase the best licence option that takes everything into consideration, however, sometimes the amount of people wishing to access the ebook at the same time surpasses our user limit.
In this instance, you will receive a message which will tell you the ebook user limit has been reached, and you will be offered the ability to place a hold or reservation for the title. You will then be notified when the ebook has become available.
For more information on ebook reservations, please visit our FAQ on ebook reservations.
The GSA Library receives 'turnaway' alerts, which means we keep track of which titles our users are being denied access to due to the user limit being reached. We evaluate these on a weekly basis to decide whether to increase our user limit.