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Albert S. Cook Library

Accessibility Information for E-Resources

This guide provides details about the accessibility of the databases and other electronic resources to which Cook Library subscribes.

Enhance Your E-Resource Reading Experience

Each of the e-resource platforms and databases is different, and sometimes affect the user experience even within the same platform or database. However, you can always access full text via in one of four ways: HTML, Online PDF, Downloadable PDF, and EPUB. Some of these formats are more accessible than others, and you may already have your preferred format. Below listed more information on each of these file formats along with the accessibility  benefits of each. 

HTML

Full text content in HTML format is displayed as a simple webpage. Generally, only one article or chapter is displayed at a time. This format has the following benefits: 

  • Quick and straightforward online access - no need to download articles or e-books. 
  • Useful if you cannot download files onto your device, or if you cannot find or open downloaded files on your device. 
  • Usually compatible with text-to-speech and screen reading software without the need to download the full text. 

One limitation of HTML is that the text is displayed continuously rather than divided into separate pages, which some users may find confusing. Publishers and platforms sometimes indicate page numbers within the continuous text, but it is not possible to display only one page at a time online. If you would prefer such a layout, you may need to download the content in another format. 

Embedded PDF

Full text content available as embedded or online PDFs is usually displayed in scrollable box within a webpage. Usually, only one article or chapter is displayed at a time. Sometimes, the whole text of an e-book can be read online within a special reader interface. On some platforms online a single page image is displayed at a time, and users are required to click or tap to access subsequent pages. However, embedded PDFs can always be downloaded to your device. This format has the following benefits: 

  • Quick and straightforward online access - no need to download articles or e-books. 
  • Useful if you download files onto your device, or if you cannot find or open downloaded files on your device. 
  • E-books formatted as PDFs are similar in appearance and layout to a print book, which you may prefer over HTML text of EPUBs. 

Depending on the formatting quality an embedding, the text of embedded PDFs may not always be selectable for copying and pasting into text-to-speech or other screen reading software. A possible solution is to download a copy of the PDF to use the text in this way. 

Downloadable PDF

Full text content available as downloadable or offline PDFs is always also displayed online as either HTML text or an embedded PDF. Usually, only one article or chapter may be downloaded as a single file. Sometimes, you may be able to download an entire e-book in a single file. This format has the following benefits: 

  • Files that have been structured and optimized for accessibility can be navigated by screen reading software, meaning that this format is accessible to visually impaired users. 
  • Allows the use of inbuilt accessibility features within PDF reading software, such as the ability to enlarge text, automatically reflow text to account for screen size and level of magnification, change font and background color, and use text-to-speech tools. 
  • E-books formatted as PDFs are similar in appearance and layout to a print book, which you may prefer over HTML text or EPUBs. 

Depending on the publisher and platform, some downloadable PDFs may not have been structured or optimized for accessibility and could be difficult to navigate and read. 

EPUB

Full text content available in EPUB format is currently formatted at EPUB3 standard. It is usually available online within a special reader interface and offline as a download of the whole e-book text. This format has the following benefits: 

  • Quick and straightforward online access - no need to download e-books to make use of the accessibility functions. 
  • EPUBs are created with accessibility in mind and to a set of standards, meaning that this format can be navigated by screen reading software and are virtually always accessible to visually impaired users, both online and when downloaded. 
  • Flexibility and the ability to present the full text in a range of ways that can be adapted to fit user requirements. 

One limitation of the EPUB format is that the text is displayed continuously rather than divided into separated pages, which some users may find confusing. However, the experience of reading a print book or PDF may be replicated by adjusting page display settings within EPUB reader so that text is displayed as a single-page or two-page spread instead of continuously. 

Other formats

This list is not exhaustive; depending on the publisher or platform, e-resource full text may be accessible in other formats other than the four listed above. The most accessible and ideal format is an accessible Microsoft Word file, but this is not usually available for user download due to publisher copyright considerations. Find out more about formats availability by platform. 

Acknowledgements

This page has been adapted from the Accessibility Guide at the University of Exeter.