Getting Started with Bookshelf® - For Profit and Career Institutions

VitalSource Bookshelf gives students access to the materials they need to succeed. Instructors and students want quality learning materials that lead to successful learning outcomes. The world’s leading platform for distributing, accessing, consuming, and engaging with those materials is Bookshelf—the eReader that can be accessed online or offline (on most devices).

Students use Bookshelf to read, study, and engage with their learning materials. Instructors use Bookshelf to discover review materials for course adoption, plan their course, engage with students using shared notes and highlights, and more.

Key Features

  • Easy navigation and search
  • Notes and highlights
  • Sharing of annotations
  • Flashcards
  • Text-to-speech capability
  • Offline capability on Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android devices
  • Labs—get sneak previews of new Bookshelf features and leave us feedback so we can continue to improve your learning experience

How to Access

Bookshelf is available online at https://online.vitalsource.com and via a variety of native apps for Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android. Students and instructors can visit their preferred app store or support.vitalsource.com for links to download Bookshelf apps.

Integration with VitalSource Product Suite

Bookshelf integrates with your campus LMS for seamless student and instructor access. It also records real-time engagement activity, which is used to power VitalSource Analytics, including instructor dashboards, engagement dashboards, etc.

Training and Support

Your Customer Success Manager will provide you with details on Bookshelf training and support materials. We encourage you to explore additional Bookshelf articles on this website. 

Favoriting Content in Explore

Bookshelf users now have the ability to favorite content in Explore! 

Favoriting Content

 

1. After logging in to Bookshelf, select "Explore":

a. Favoriting Content_img1.png

 

2. Hover over the cover of the item you would like to 'Favorite, and you will notice a 'heart icon:

 

Favoriting Content_img2.png

 

3. Click the 'heart icon and you will see a success notification. The 'heart icon will also be filled in red for any favorited item in Explore:

 

a. Favoriting Content_img3.png

 

4. To view all favorited content, click the “Favorites” side navigation option in Bookshelf:

a. Favoriting Content_img4.png

 

b. Favoriting Content_img5.png

Removing Content From Your Favorites

Bookshelf users will have 2 options for removing favorited Explore content.

Removing From The Explore Tab:

 

1. Navigate to Explore and hover over the card of the item you would like to remove from your “Favorites”. Click the filled in 'heart icon:

a. Favoriting Content_img6.png

 

b. The 'heart icon will no longer be filled in, and you will see a notification of removal:

Favoriting Content_img7.png

 

Removing From The Favorites Side Navigation Option

 

1. When logged into Bookshelf, click the "Favorites" side navigation option:

 

 

a.Favoriting Content_img8.png

 

2. Click the '3 dot menu under the book cover, then select “Remove from Favorites”:

a.Favoriting Content_img9.png

 

 

b. You will see a notification of removal:
 

Favoriting Content_img10.png

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