How many people can access an eBook at one time?

eBook availability and licensing ultimately depends on the platform, publisher, and specific usage restrictions. Some eBooks only allow a single user from an institution to view them at a given time, while others can be accessed and viewed by an unlimited number of users. Additionally, while we own the majority of our eBooks, some are only available as part of subscription packages without perpetual access.

The most common licenses (indicated on the search page) are:

• UU - Unlimited User. There is no limit on the number of users who may access this material at a given time.
• #U - Number of Users. We have a set number of users who are able to access this material at the same time. (e.g., '3U' means three users may have the eBook in use at once, 1U means one user, etc.) In order for a license to become usable again, the user must 'return' the eBook.
• NL - Nonlinear. FSU Libraries have access to a limited number of licenses for this material. Once we have used them all, we must purchase more uses of the material (usually 365 accesses).

If you have questions about licenses for a title you would like to adopt for your course, please contact your subject librarian or fill out our eTextbook Access Form.