Cambridge libraries provide access to electronic books, journals and databases (most require university login) via a huge number of third party publishers and content providers. Platforms are selected primarily for the content they host, although if a choice of suppliers is available then platform design and accessibility are taken into consideration.
Some electronic resources - especially ebooks - are protected with Digital Rights Management (DRM) technologies. These technologies restrict how the resources can be used, and can be incompatible with assistive technology or with full printing (for people whose disability prevents them from reading from screens). Cambridge University Libraries has a policy of purchasing DRM-free ebooks where available, but there are many books which are only sold with DRM. If you cannot use an ebook purchased by the libraries due to a disability, we can try to obtain an accessible alternative for your own personal use via the Alternate Formats Service.
We recognise that DRM-free ebooks are more accessible for all of our users and we try to purchase these whenever they are available from our suppliers.
Ebook Central (opens in new window), EBSCOhost (opens in new window) and VLeBooks (opens in new window) are three platforms which host a lot of the ebooks you will find on reading lists and in iDiscover.
These platforms host DRM-protected ebooks, but they offer their own built-in accessibility tools which you can use with these in 'Read Online' mode. Ebook Central has an 'Accessibility mode' which you can switch on to allow your screenreader to read out ebooks or to display books in the OpenDyslexic font. EBSCOhost and VLeBooks have their own built-in Read Aloud/Text-to-Speech tools as well as options for changing the visual appearance of the text. Why not give them a try?
Further information about Ebook Central Accessibility Mode.
Platform providers are encouraged and expected to publish information describing the accessibility of their platforms to users with disabilities via a platform accessibility statement.
We add links to accessibility statements for ebook and ejournal platforms listed in the Databases A-Z and the ebooks LibGuide. You can also use SearchBOX finder to search or browse eresource and publisher platforms' accessibility statements.
This page last updated 2 September 2025
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