Faqs: Reference Works and Textbooks on Cambridge Core

FAQs: Reference works and Textbooks on Cambridge Core

General

What’s included in this offer?

We are turning on access to a fixed collection of ebooks hosted on Cambridge Core, for libraries: HTML textbooks, Cambridge Histories, Cambridge Companions, and Elements. If you’d like access turned on for your library, please contact [email protected], if you’re in the Americas, [email protected] for Australia and New Zealand, or [email protected] for the United Kingdom and Rest of World.

For more information about textbooks and a title list, please visit: https://www.cambridge.org/core/what-we- publish/textbooks

How long will this offer be available?

We are making this offer valid until the end of 29th June, 2020.

I can’t access the site via my library; could you send me an individual eBook?

Unfortunately we cannot send out individual ebooks. If you are affiliated with an academic institution, and that institution is participating in this offer, then you should be able to gain access to the titles in this collection through your institution.

Is this offer open to everyone globally?

This offer is open to any libraries that are currently customers of Cambridge Core. If a library participates in this offer, the content should be accessible to all affiliated users of that institution.

I would like to use X book but it has not published yet, will it be available?

Not yet published or newly published textbooks are not included. This program is designed to meet the needs of students who are currently enrolled on a course, but no longer have access to their textbooks due their institution’s response to the Covid-19 virus pandemic.

Why are your textbooks not freely available all the time?

Cambridge University Press is committed to providing high quality, affordable, teaching and learning resources. As a not-for-profit publisher, our prices are typically much lower than our commercial competitors - but we do need to charge for our services to cover production costs, staffing, and new digital developments that benefit the broader academic community.

Why did you provide free access to everyone and then take it away? Unfortunately, the universal free access model made us a target for hackers and criminal activity, which impacted on the stability and performance of our platform. We briefly halted the free access to determine a solution as quickly as possible.

How is the new offering different to what was previously provided? We are still pleased to offer free access to our HTML textbooks, regardless of whether you have previously purchased from us, but access must now be requested via your library or institution.

What textbooks are available on VitalSource?

Most books that are assigned for classroom use, where we have an eBook available, are available through VitalSource. All textbooks are automatically uploaded, as well as some course-books that have been requested by faculty if they are required reading for a course. However, not all Cambridge University books are available as ebooks. There can be permissions issues from third parties or the author may not have given Cambridge the digital rights.

Why is this only available to textbooks in HTML format?

Textbooks on Cambridge Core are only available in HTML in order to protect the rights and intellectual property of the Press and our authors.

Sales

I would like to review one of your textbooks for a course but I need it sent to a personal address, is that possible?

We are happy to send you an exam or desk copy to your home. We just need to know your university address for our records. We will note your preferred mailing address.

I spent money on buying the textbook and now it’s freely available, can I have a refund?

This is a time-limited offer designed to meet a specific need for student access in the wake of the Covid-19 virus pandemic. After May 31, you will still have access to the textbook you purchased after the free access is shut down

Functionality and Accessibility

Are the textbooks available to download?

No, these textbooks are designed to be read-only and not downloaded. You must have a connection to the internet in order to read these textbooks on Cambridge Core.

I am not associated with a library – how do I access the textbooks?

This offer is designed to support students studying at universities who have suffered from disruption. Unfortunately, this offer is delivered via libraries only and unaffiliated users will not be able to benefit.

Can I access these textbooks for free on other platforms by third parties?

Yes, some textbooks are also available on the following third party platforms:

• RedShelf Responds https://www.about.redshelf.com/redshelfresponds • VitalSource Helps https://get.vitalsource.com/vitalsource-helps • Kortext: https://www.kortext.com/news/free-student-etextbook-programme-fstp/ • Perusall: https://perusall.com/blog

Can I have free access to the resources associated with this book?

Student and general resources are already free and available on www.Cambridge.org Instructor resources are freely available to validated instructors. Please contact us at the following email addresses to gain access:

North America and Canada: [email protected] Europe and rest of world: [email protected]

Can you make archive editions freely available for a limited time too?

Unfortunately not.

Do I need to log into my institutional account to access these textbooks?

You will need to be authenticated via your institution, yes. Cambridge Core offers a wide variety of remote-access options.

Who do I contact if I am having trouble accessing textbooks on Cambridge Core?

Please speak to your librarian or institution in the first instance if this is access related. Help and FAQs for the Cambridge Core platform can be found here: https://www.cambridge.org/core/help/FAQs

My school has closed, and I am not able to access my textbooks, can you send me a free ebook since I already purchased it?

If your library is participating in this offer, you can access our Textbooks through Textbooks on Cambridge Core. You can also look to see if your school is eligible for other third-party programs in which Cambridge is participating:

I used X book for my course, but it is not freely available – why is that and can you help?

We are only able to offer free access to books designated as ‘textbooks’ on Cambridge Core. However, you may find that your book is freely available on one of our third party platforms, such as Vitalsource, RedShelf, Kortext, or Purusall. Please contact your usual sales representative for further questions.

Is the access free even if you didn’t purchase the print book?

Yes, we are offering free access to all students and lecturers via their institution, regardless of whether our textbooks where previously purchased in print or online formats.

I would like to access these textbooks over the summer, is it possible to extend the free access?

Authors

I am the author of X book and saw that you are offering it for free, will that affect my royalties? Why was I not informed? This program was offered mid-term to students who should have already purchased their books. The problem that the program is addressing is the student’s inability to access their books as responses to the Covid-19 virus prevented their return to campus from spring break.

How are you protecting my book from piracy risks?

We already use an automated, 24/7 third-party service that monitors for infringing copies of Cambridge University Press titles that have been made available online. Sharable files created from this free access will be detected and removed in the same way that all infringing online content is handled. We strongly advise that you do not look for infringing copies of your book online as the files may be infected with malware. Instead, please forward any concerns to [email protected]. We cannot respond personally to every email received but will ensure all reports are investigated.

My textbook is publishing shortly; will it be included in this offer?

Unfortunately, we are not able to support the inclusion of forthcoming textbooks at this time. The free access is only available for books that have already published in HTML format on our platform.

My textbook published X years ago; will it be included in this offer?

We have a number of textbooks available on the platform, so the easiest way to check whether your book is freely available on Cambridge Core is to search directly on the site. A full list of titles can be found on the initial Textbooks on Core landing page, in the masthead – see ‘download full list of titles’ button.

If you do not have access but your book is freely available then please speak to your librarian or institutional purchaser about gaining access. If your book is not available on Cambridge Core, it may still be available via one of our third party platforms: Vitalsource, Red Shelf, Kortext, or Perusall.

Librarians

Can you tell me about options for accessing Cambridge ebooks during this time?

We are turning on access to a fixed collection of ebooks hosted on Cambridge Core for libraries: HTML textbooks, Cambridge Histories, Cambridge Companions, and Cambridge Elements. If you’d like access turned on for your library, please contact [email protected] if you’re in the Americas, [email protected] for Australia and New Zealand, or [email protected] for the United Kingdom and Rest of World.

Is there anything I should know about supporting student/faculty access to these materials?

Yes – our HTML textbooks have different functionality from the Cambridge Histories, Cambridge Companions, and Elements. They work best if using Google Chrome.

Can you provide more details about what’s included, and where I can find the bibliographic data?

MARC records and KBART lists for all of these products are available here: https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/librarians