Digital textbooks

About the Digital Textbook Scheme

The Library has partnered with Kortext, a digital textbook provider, to provide students on taught, award-bearing programmes personal access to a range of key essential digital textbooks.

The Kortext platform allows you to read online and download through the Kortext apps on multiple devices, as well as allowing you to make notes, highlight text, search for keywords, favourite your most used books and use accessibility features such as Text to Speech.

Which books you can access

The titles available on the scheme are those that have been selected by your module and programme leaders, and identified as being essential to your course. You should use these textbooks alongside the rest of the resources your academics have recommended in your reading list, which include Library e-texts, articles and digitised chapters, as well as print materials available in the Library.

How to access your digital textbooks

If a title has been selected for your module, you will receive an introductory email from Kortext at the beginning of the semester, reminding you of the two ways you can access your digital textbook:

• Via SurreyLearn: go to your module via SurreyLearn, click on the Course Materials tab, and then the link for Reading List
• Via the Kortext app.

Watch the how to access your digital textbooks video for more information.

Using the Kortext platform

For a helpful overview of the key additional features your textbooks have to offer, watch the Kortext additional features video.

FAQs

Visit the Kortext FAQs information. Here you will find guides, videos and support for the Kortext platform. If you have any questions, please email library@surrey.ac.uk and we'll get back to you.

Downloading and printing the digital textbooks

You can download your textbooks on up to three devices, including mobiles, tablets, laptops and computers using the Kortext app, and textbooks can be used offline. Detailed instructions are available at Kortext Support. The app allows you to read downloaded titles offline, but downloads will reset if you log out of the app.

You will be able to print within the copyright restrictions of each title, which is set by the publisher. You will also be able to highlight sections, save notes and download to your device.

If you need support then you can visit the Kortext support pages, or email library@surrey.ac.uk.

Benefits of the Digital Textbook Scheme

There are a range of benefits to having access to the Digital Textbook Scheme:

• You get personal access for 12 months to your essential reading
• You can read anytime, anywhere
• Broaden and deepen your reading during the year
• You can search for keywords, go directly to pages or chapter, highlight passages, make notes, and adjust colours and text size
• You can use the AI features to support and test your learning.

Module doesn't list any titles

Not every module has a title linked to it. Some have titles at a programme level. If you can’t see any titles that you think you should, then please email readinglists@surrey.ac.uk and we will investigate. If your programme or module doesn’t have any titles recommended, let us know and we will work with your programme and module leaders.

Queries

If you have any questions, please email library@surrey.ac.uk and we’ll get back to you.