Continuing the series of Things You Should Know About the Library, librarian Elaine Magusin shares additional Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: I was looking in the Digital Reference Centre and noticed that you have e-books. What exactly is an e-book and how do I access them?
A: E-books, or electronic books, are books that are either published electronically, or those that have been converted to digital format, often by scanning. Many e-books are searchable. AU Library has a collection of both subscription based and non-subscription e-books in our Digital Reference Centre. Many of our subscription e-books are available through netLibrary but we are also in the process of adding e-books from other vendors. E-books from netLibrary and some other vendors are included in the library catalogue. We also have added links to freely available e-books on the web. These collections are generally out of print editions of classic works, like Jane Eyre, etc.
Q: I’m working on a paper for philosophy and need to find some background information on a philosopher. Can you help?
A: We have included two philosophy encyclopedias in the Dictionaries and Encylopedias section of the Digital Reference Centre. They are The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, an encyclopedia is based on submissions from philosophy professors or graduate students and the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, an encyclopedia published by The Metaphysics Research Lab Center for the Study of Language and Information, Stanford University. Each entry is maintained and updated by an expert, or group of experts, in the field.
