Ebook FAQ for VCU Libraries

Licensing Overview

• User Licenses: For the most part, R2 ebooks have 1-user licenses.
  • As of Jan. 24, 2020, only one R2 book is an exception to this rule, with a 2-user license. No unlimited licenses are available on this platform.
  • R2 PDA titles are not licensed by VCU Libraries. These temporary titles appear in Primo as part of the "R2 Digital Library PDA Program" (whereas permanent titles are listed in Primo as part of the "R2 Digital Library" collection). R2 PDA titles are part of a try-before-you-buy program where after 3 uses, a title is no longer accessible and is placed in a cart for a purchase decision. Inquiries about R2 PDA titles should be directed to AskHSL@vcu.edu. 
• Subscription or Permanent Access? We permanently own R2 ebooks, with the exception of those that belong to the R2 PDA collection (see above).
• DRM-free? No. The titles in this collection have viewing, printing, or downloading restrictions, and/or they require a vendor login.

List of all Ebook Titles in This Collection

To obtain a full list of R2 titles owned by VCU Libraries, please email AskTML@vcu.edu. The Health Sciences Collections Librarian can compile a list through the R2 administrator account by logging in as an administrator --> Admin --> My R2 Collection --> Tools --> Export to Excel.

• How often are titles added? Titles are added several times a year by the Health Sciences Collection Librarian.
• How are often are titles removed? Titles are not removed. VCU Libraries maintains full access to archived titles as well.

Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT)

To access the most current VPAT, go to R2's website and scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page. Click on the VPAT link, which is right next to Contact Us. View the April 2019 VPAT here.

NO. Due to its user limit, R2 Digital Library ebooks are not recommended for required classroom use. They may be used for recommended texts at an instructor's discretion.

Important Note: R2 PDA titles are not licensed by VCU Libraries. These temporary titles appear in Primo as part of the "R2 Digital Library PDA Program" (whereas permanent titles are listed in Primo as part of the "R2 Digital Library" collection). R2 PDA titles are part of a try-before-you-buy program where after 3 uses, a title is no longer accessible and is placed in a cart for a purchase decision. Inquiries about R2 PDA titles should be directed to AskTML@vcu.edu. 

More information on this topic is available at our Library Ebooks as Course Materials research guide.

Entire Ebook Download: Not available.

Chapter Downloads: Not available. Individual pages may be printed by going to Tools --> Print page from the menu at the top. Select Save as PDF on your PC (Destination) or Mac (bottom left corner) if you want to save the page as a PDF.

The best ebook link to provide library users is the Primo (library website) permalink. Finding a permalink that includes "alma" (rather than "cdi") in the last part of the URL is your best bet, since those records are more likely to be stable.

If you require a direct link to the ebook, however, you can follow either of the instructions below to provide library users with links that should work on and off campus. Please be aware that if the publisher changes their ebook URLs that the links you generate below may stop working.

On campus
If you are creating this link on campus, use the following instructions to generate a URL that will allow your on- and off-campus users to access this ebook.

1. Copy the book or book chapter's URL directly from the browser's address bar
2. Add VCU Libraries's proxy address to the front ( http://proxy.library.vcu.edu/login?url= ).
   • Sample URL: http://proxy.library.vcu.edu/login?url=http://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/1604067594

Off campus
If you are creating this link off campus, use the following instructions to generate a URL that will allow your on- and off-campus users to access this ebook.

• Copy the URL directly from your browser's address bar for your book or book chapter. It should include "VCU" in the URL somewhere.
  • Sample URL: https://www-r2library-com.proxy.library.vcu.edu/Resource/Title/1604067594

• Use the menu at the top of the screen -- above the book title -- to do the following:
  • Browse/Search a title.
  • Export citations or save a reference under the Tools menu.
• "Archived" titles are still fully accessible but have been archived because there is a newer edition available.
  • If users are unable to access an archived title, this is likely due to the ebook's 1-user license restriction. Please ask them to try again later. Access problems that due not appear to be due to the 1-user restriction may be reported to AskTML@vcu.edu.
  • If VCU Libraries does not offer access to a newer edition of an archived title, library users may request it through ILL or fill out VCU Libraries' Purchase Suggestion form.