Textbooks Online
VitalSource: An online bookstore that has a partnered app called Bookshelf that allows access to textbooks on 2 computers and 2 mobile devices. The app allows access to material with or without connection to the Internet. VitalSource has textbooks available for full purchase or rental up to a year. It also offers various study tools:
- Flashcard and review mode in order to assist with studying
- Notes and a highlighter that automatically syncs across devices
- Text to speech
- Wikipedia search engine to lookup unfamiliar words.
CafeScribe: A digital textbook marketplace that allows you to buy or rent books, for 180 days. It also offers a “Try now, buy later” program for students to test trial books before buying them for 3 days. CafeScribe is different in that it offers virtual study groups, allowing students across the site to share notes and insight. Allows access to materials across 3 computers. It also offers “Snap Summary” where CafeScribe picks all your highlighted passages and notes in order to help more efficiently access the desired information.
Bookshare: For students that meet the criteria Bookshare is a free membership that allows access to books for research, textbooks or books to read for fun. It offers alt formatting for students with learning disabilities, visual impairments, and physical disabilities. It does require verification of disability and eligibility. For help or questions about this program please contact Rose State Student Access Services at (405) 733-7373
Amazon: Amazon offers a Textbook Trade-In program along with selling and renting textbooks. The rental period is 30 days, 60 days or 90 days. Audible is Amazon’s audio book membership. Their selection is limited.
LibriVox: A public domain of audiobooks recorded by volunteers, it is free for anyone to listen to. It does not explicitly advertise textbooks.
RedShelf: A cloud-based reader. Cloud-based means digital data stored, managed and processed on a network of servers hosted on the Internet instead of local servers or personal computers. This method is more secure and makes information more secure and less likely to be randomly lost.
