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Reading e-books

Through KTH Library you have access to a variety of e-books in all subject areas. The titles are searchable in our search service Primo and directly on the platforms.

You can find all e-books via our Primo search service, where you can choose to limit your search to e-books and book chapters. On several of the platforms, you can download the e-books in PDF format and read them in any PDF software. However, for e-books from E-book Central you need Adobe ID and the software Adobe Digital Editions to read the books offline. Read below for a guide on how to do this.

Search in Primo

E-books from E-book Central

The e-books from E-book central can be read online or downloaded as a pdf. There are different conditions that apply to the books and each title states what applies to it - the number of users (one, three or unlimited) and the number of pages that can be downloaded and printed.

The books that have "Unlimited access" (DRM free) have no restrictions on copying, printing or downloading and can be loaded in any software that handles PDF format.

Search in E-book Central

Lending/Downloading the book

In order to download the book to your computer, you need an Adobe account and Adobe Digital Editions installed on your computer. 

In Adobe Digital Editions, you can click on Library to get to the home page and see your borrowed books and the loan period. You can also see these in E-book Central under Bookshelf.

Returning before the loan period expires is not possible. Even if you delete the file, the loan will continue until the end date.

How to download an e-book from E-book Central to read offline

1. Create an Adobe ID

2. Download Adobe Digital Editions

KTH employees who use a service computer download Adobe Digital Editions via Software Center (PC) or directly from the web (Mac).

3. Authorise the app with your Adobe ID.

If you have installed Adobe Digital Editions on different devices (tablet, mobile), you can switch devices to read downloaded books. All you need to do is log in with the same Adobe ID.

4. Search for the book you want to read in Primo or E-book Central

5. Click on "Download Book" and select the type of device. Downloaded chapters will be "locked" for 23 hours for other users.

6. Click on "Done with this step".

7. Select the format and the number of days you wish to borrow the book, between 1 and 21 days.

The loan period depends on the book access model: 1 copy = 1 day , 3 copies = 1 day, Unlimited access = 1-21 days 

The file is downloaded and placed in Downloaded files/Downloads.

8. Start Adobe Digital Editions and download the file from the file manager to the library, File - Add to Library. The file has the format *.acsm

More information at E-book Central