eBook Terminology

We understand that the language around digital products is often used interchangeably (and gets confusing). To clarify what we're talking about when we talk digital, Canadian Scholars uses the following terminology to describe our digital offerings:

eBook: A digital book that can be downloaded to a personal device (like a phone or desktop computer) and is available from Canadian Scholars in two different formats: PDF or EPUB.

EPUB: Rather than referring to all eBooks, EPUB is a specific file type of eBook that allows for reflowable text and extra digital features.

PDF: A static, fixed layout digital book in a file format familiar to most.

Choosing a Digital Format

PDF or EPUB? How do you choose which format is right for your course? We price both formats the same, and both work with most mobile and desktop devices and allow for highlighting, bookmarks, and student notes. While similar, there are key differences:

PDFs are static, with text in a fixed layout that mirrors that of the print book. Page numbers will reflect the numbering in the print edition. Complex formatting (like that of cookbooks or children’s books) will appear the same as they do in the print version. The font size can’t be changed, but users can zoom into a portion of the page. They are best viewed on large-screened devices like laptops and tablets.

EPUBs are mutable, with reflowable text that adjusts to the screen size of a user’s device. Font size can be increased or decreased for ease of reading on mobile devices or e-readers. They often include more interactive features than a PDF such as live hyperlinks to web sources, footnotes, a linked table of contents, and more. EPUBs also often integrate better with accessibility software, offering a better user experience.

How Can I Purchase Digital Formats?

The easiest way to purchase an eBook is directly from our website. When browsing our website, navigate to an individual title page of your interest. Select the digital option from the right sidebar under the header “Purchase Options”. An expanded menu will open to reveal the formats available per title. Select your preferred format (PDF or EPUB) and a red “Add to Cart” button will appear. Please note that all PDFs and EPUBs for sale through our website are delivered through the VitalSource Bookshelf platform

What is VitalSource?

All eBooks purchased through our website, both PDF and EPUB, are accessed through VitalSource Bookshelf.

Why do we use VitalSource Bookshelf? Because it gives students access to their purchased books any time, anywhere, across any laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Especially when reading PDFs, VitalSource Bookshelf allows students to utilize features that greatly improve the experience, including study tools and text-to-voice tools. Best of all it’s free to use! All you have to do is register. For more information on VitalSource Bookshelf, please click here.

We are also able to partner with your institutional bookstores to make books available to students through other digital distribution platforms. Canadian Scholars and Women’s Press titles can currently be made available on VitalSource Bookshelf, RedShelf, and Campus eBookstores.

For Instructors: How Can I Adopt eBooks for my Course?

Having students continue to purchase books for their courses through the bookstore is the most streamlined process for students, no matter if you need print or digital for your upcoming course.

If you’d like to make eBooks available to students for one of your courses, please reach out to your institutional bookstore about their preferred method for making eBooks available. They are likely affiliated with one of our distribution partners mentioned above, and if so we can easily make a PDF or EPUB version available through that partnership.

We understand for many instructors this process is new and daunting, so please don’t hesitate to reach out to your publisher’s representative to start this process, or email info@canadianscholars.ca to be connected to your representative.

For Bookstores: How Can We Sell Canadian Scholars eBooks?

We are happy to partner with institutional bookstores to make Canadian Scholars and Women’s Press EPUBs and PDFs available. Canadian Scholars and Women’s Press titles can currently be made available on VitalSource Bookshelf, RedShelf, and Campus eBookstores.

Please contact your publisher’s representative or email info@canadianscholars.ca to connect with us, and we’ll work with you and your partnered digital distribution platforms to make our titles available.

Accessing Your Digital Book

Upon purchase of an eBook from our website, customers will see a displayed receipt with a large red button that says “Access your digital content now”. This link will also be sent out in your email confirmation. Please follow these steps to access your eBook if you do not yet have a VitalSource Account:

1. Click the “access your digital content now” link, either through the button on our website after purchase or from your email confirmation.
2. You will be taken to VitalSource Bookshelf, where you will be prompted to register an account. If you need support in making an account please follow this guide.
3. Once you have registered an account, you will be taken directly to your book, and the VitalSource Bookshelf. If you already have a VitalSource Bookshelf account, you will be taken directly to your book upon clicking the “access your digital content now” button.

For those having any issues, VitalSource has a robust user guide that can be easily referenced, or visit VitalSource’s 24-hour online technical support for assistance.

Can I View My eBook Offline?

To view your eBooks offline, please download the VitalSource Bookshelf application for your computer or mobile device. Once installed, log in with your VitalSource Bookshelf credentials to view your bookshelf.

You can be logged in to your VitalSource Bookshelf account on up to two mobile devices and two desktop computers at one time.

For frequently asked questions about viewing books offline please reference this guide.

** PDFs are available for the majority of Canadian Scholars and Women’s Press titles and can be purchased on each book’s individual page. We are working hard to make EPUBs available for most titles.

To see the EPUBs currently available please reference the list below. Contact your publisher’s representative or email info@canadianscholars.ca for assistance if you can’t find an EPUB you are looking for.