Some of the books owned by the Digital Library can be used by one or three people at a time. It's like a physical library having one or three copies of a book. If all the copies are out on loan, then you can't borrow the book and have to wait for it to be returned. Because of digital rights management software, publishers can force libraries to lend ebooks the same way as they lend printed books. One may reflect on the fairness of this.
Anyway, if the printed book you wanted in a physical library wasn't currently available, then you'd place a hold on it. This puts you on a waiting list for the book and when the book comes back to the library, the library lets you know and keeps the book for you for a while. You either come in and collect it or after the hold period expires the book goes to next person on the waiting list or is put back on the shelf for general use.
Until now, it hasn't been possible to place a hold on an eBook central ebook. If the book you wanted to look at was in use, then you had to try again later and later ...and later. Now, after an update to the platform, you can place holds on 1 and 3 user licence books. To do so follow the instructions below.
Before doing anything, you need to update your account profile (available under 'Settings' on the top right hand side of eBook Central pages
Click on 'Profile' Scroll down and enter an email address in the 'Wait List Email' field
After you do this, you will need to confirm your email address is real. ProQuest - "ebooksupport" will send an email to that address
Click on 'Confirm My Email'
On the book detail page, if the book is in use, then below the 'Availability' heading you'll see 'In Use' in bold and in red. Below that there will be a link 'Place Hold'
Click 'Place Hold'. When you do, this box will appear.
Click 'Place Hold'. The text on the Book Detail page will change to
When the book becomes available, you will receive an email letting you know. The book will be reserved for you for twenty four hours. If you don't access or download it in that time, the book will go back into circulation.
