Ebooks: Navigating ProQuest

I keep getting an error message when I try to access an ebook.

Sometimes when trying to access ProQuest you will get a message from your browser telling you that the connection is not secure and that the website might be trying to steal your passwords. Simply select "Accept the risk" at the bottom of the page and proceed. This problem tends to happen when you go straight to the ProQuest website, rather than navigating there from a OneSearch link.

I am having trouble accessing an ebook online.

The ebook might be temporarily unavailable due to limits on the number of people who can access this text at one time. If that is not the case, double-check your internet connection, make sure you are signed in (check the URL for signs of EZproxy), and make sure the book has been added to your bookshelf (for some reason ProQuest will only let you read the full text online, add annotations, or download the book if it has been added to your bookshelf -> like checking out the book). 

I can't print or download any of the text.

Depending on the text and its DRM, you have either met the page limit for downloading/printing, or these features are restricted due to the licensing agreement.

The ebooks we have through ProQuest often have somewhat strict DRMs which limit how many people can view an ebook at the same time, the number of pages you can download/print, and the duration of time in which you can have a book downloaded. As such, they require you to download a third-party software before you can download the full text. The process goes something like this:

Note: If you hit the download button on the informational page for the ebook it will first require you to open the book in the online reader and when you select the download button from there it will ask you to continue to the Rice login page despite the fact that you are already logged in (as long as you hit the continue button the window will just close, allowing you to download your book - although sometimes you have to click back to the book you were reading).

Step 1. Identify the device you will be using (laptop/computer, IOS, or android and whether or not it is public or private)

Step 2. Install Adobe Digital Editions 

Step 3. Download your book

From one student to another, here are my favorite and least favorite parts of using ProQuest. Don't let my list of cons keep you from using ProQuest, just know that it has its own set of limitations and a somewhat steep learning curve. All in all, I was surprised by the number of features ProQuest has to offer, it just takes some clicking around to find them.

Pros: 

• The website has a clean and modern look.
• The online reader has a lot of extra features (search bar, annotation tools, citation generator, etc)
• Gives you access to full copies of books spanning genres and topics (academic and leisure reading).
• Has online and off-line reading capabilities

Cons: 

• Sometimes it gives you almost too much information (information overload).
• It takes a while to get used to, not all of the features are in intuitive locations.
• Has weird hoops you have to jump through (multiple pop-up windows asking you to log in even though you already are, having to add books to your bookshelf, etc.)
• In order to download the whole text you have to download a third-party software, only to have the download expire in a few days/weeks