Welcome!
Barbour Library has begun to increase the number of eBooks in its collection. eBooks are available through the library's catalog and can also be found through a number of select databases. This guide will help you to find and read eBooks available in Barbour Library's collection.
At this time, Barbour Library doesn't offer eBooks for checkout or download but for online reading purposes only. Some vendors allow portions of an eBook to be saved or printed but it varies by publisher.
How to Find eBooks
Online Catalog - Advanced Search
1. Go to the library's catalog and click on the Advanced Search link, located next to the search button
2. Enter in your search term(s)
3. Check the box next to Ebooks under the "Limits" section
4. Click the Advanced Search button
5. To view the full text, click the View Electronic Resource link on the results page
- You can also click on the title to view more details. To get to the full text from this display, scroll towards the button and find the View Electronic resource link.
Online Catalog - Library Search
1. Go to the library's catalog
2. Enter your search term(s) into the box and click the Search button
3. On the results list, on the right had side under the "Material Type" facet, check the box next to Electronic Book
4. Click the Include button
5. To view the full text, click the View Electronic Resource link on the results page
- You can also click on the title to view more details. To get to the full text from this display, scroll towards the button and find the View Electronic resource link.
Online Catalog - Database Search
1. Go to the library's catalog
2. Enter your search term(s) into the box
3. Select the Database Search from the first drop down menu
- OR select the Database Search tab once your results display
4. Click the Search button
5. If you have a limited view of your results page, please Log In to get a complete view of your results list.
6. To view the full text, click on the "Full Text" or "EDS Full Text" buttons.
- If you are off-campus, you may be asked to login using remote access.
Bible Commentaries
Barbour Library provides access to over 400 Bible commentaries. These commentaries are made available on a few different platforms, depending on where we purchased them (EBSCO, Project Muse, JSTOR, etc.). Click on the other tabs in this guide to find platform-specific information, such as how many pages are allowed for download.
Follow these instructions for finding online commentaries:
- Go to the PTS library catalog.
- Select 'Ebook' from the first drop-down menu 'Subject' from the second
- Type your search terms
- Click 'Search.'
- From the list of results, click on a title link to see the full record.
- Click on the 'View Electronic Resource' link (you may get more than one).
Find Online Resources in the Library Catalog
In order to find online resources for particular books of the Bible, follow these instructions:
- Go to the PTS library catalog.
- Click on the Advanced Search link or select Ebooks from the first drop down menu.
- Type your search terms in the "All These Words" or "This exact phrase" fields
- Check the box next to Ebook under Limits.
- Click Advanced Search
Here are a few more searches that will give you online Bible resources:
Bible - Criticism, Interpretation, etc.
(use the facets on the left to narrow the results)
Find Online Resources in Databases
BI210 English Bible Exegesis - Find Articles
(this is a page in another guide that provides resources and instructions for finding journal articles related to Bible research)
More guides for particular Bible courses can be found on the LibGuides page.
Finding eBooks in Databases
You can directly access the majority of the library's eBooks through the catalog including eBooks from the following vendors: EBSCO, Project MUSE, JSTOR, ProQuest, Brill, Liverpool, and Oxford. There are a few eBook collections that aren't available in the library's catalog, including Early English Books Online (EEBO).
eBook Access
At this time, the Barbour eBook collection is available for online reading only. Titles are not available for checkout or download, which enables us to provide greater accessibility to multiple users.
Anyone on campus can access the eBook collection. Off-campus accessibility is only provided to PTS students, faculty, and staff and requires the use of a remote access login. For more information on logging in from off campus to use any of the library's electronic resources, see Remote Access: Library Account & Databases.
Electronic Resources Librarian
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
616 N. Highland Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15206