What is available?
The library buildings may be closed, but access to subscribed e-resources continue to be available remotely via the Library website. This includes e-journals, e-books, e-reference works and e-databases. Please contact your Faculty Librarian or consult the Library Guides for assistance related to specific subjects or information on research support.
E-books
The Library and Information Service purchases e-books from various publishers, but some publishers sell their e-books to individuals only and do not allow libraries to purchase their books in an electronic format. Textbooks are especially problematic and are generally not available on platforms that academic libraries have access to.
Some of the e-books and e-book websites only allow access to a limited number of Stellenbosch University members at the same time. You will get a message that the book is not available, and you will have to try again later. However, in the time of COVID-19, some providers (such as Ebook Central and Ebsco Ebooks) have granted unlimited access to titles that SU have purchased access to on their website.
Consult the E-book LibGuide for more information regarding e-books. Students may find the section on “Downloading and printing SU e-books" especially valuable, as these are different for each e-book platform.
Free material
On the COVID-19 LibGuide you will find lists of e-journals, e-books and other material on which publishers have lifted restrictions during this period. Please note that this is a temporary arrangement and that access to some of these resources may expire as early as the end of May 2020.
Sharing of material
If you want to share a book (or an article or book chapter) with your students on SUNLearn, make sure that you use a permanent link and not the URL in the URL bar. The permanent link will be in the form of a Permalink or a DOI.
Please note: Copyright permission/reporting is not required if a link to an electronic resource is placed on SUNLearn/SUNOnline. However, reporting the use of third party content (e.g. articles or book chapters in PDF) in class notes / course material via CHEC is still required. See memo and presentation regarding copyright clearance:
Purchasing new material
Please contact your Faculty Librarian if you want to recommend an e-book to be purchased.