All textbooks with an eBook available can be rented. Rentals are available for both fixed layout and reflowable digital formats.
What is the rental period?
Digital textbooks can be rented for periods of 365 days or 1 year. Users will be notified via email when their digital rental is approaching the expiry date.
Can I extend the rental period?
If the rental period has expired, another period of 365 days can be purchased from our website.
Can I return my rental early?
Yes, however digital rentals are not eligible for refunds unless a student has dropped the course within the standard drop period at the start of the semester (within 14 days of semester start).
If you are a student who has dropped a course and need to return your rental within 14 days of the start of a semester, please email info@canadianscholars.ca and be prepared to show that you’ve dropped the course you purchased the book for.
How do I access my digital rental?
There are two easy ways to view your eBooks after purchase or rental
1. Your canadianscholars.ca Account
When purchasing or renting a digital product from our website, users will be asked to create an account. Not only does your user account track purchase and rental history, favourites, and save preferences, it also has a handy feature called e-Book Library.
A user’s e-Book Library will allow them to view any purchased or rented digital book via the RedShelf e-Reader.
2. Via RedShelf
Using the same email address used to purchase or rent an eBook from Canadian Scholars, users can log in to RedShelf.com to view all purchased or rented digital products.
eBook Support
About Digital Textbooks
We understand that the language around digital products is often used interchangeably. Here is the terminology Canadian Scholars uses to describe our digital offerings:
eBook: A digital book that can be accessed on a personal device (like a phone or desktop computer) and is available from Canadian Scholars in two different formats: PDF or EPUB.
eBook – Fixed Layout: A fixed layout eTextbook maintains the look and the feel of a printed textbook. The text is fixed, and the screen size determines the size of the text. These eTextbooks work best on large-screen devices and do not contain any embedded media or interactive content.
eBook – Reflowable: Reflowable eTextbooks respond to the size of the device they are viewed on, much like a typical website. This causes them to look different from a traditional book. They may also contain embedded audio, video, or interactive components in addition to the RedShelf Reader’s standard study tools.
It is important to note that our digital textbooks can’t be downloaded in the traditional sense. All eBooks purchased through the Canadian Scholars website are delivered through the RedShelf platform. For copyright protection, digital textbooks can be accessed through your Canadian Scholars account after purchase, or through the RedShelf.com mobile app.
Choosing a Digital Format
Fixed layout or Reflowable? How do you choose which format is right for your course? We price both formats the same, and both work with most mobile and desktop devices and allow for highlighting, bookmarks, and student notes. While similar, there are key differences:
Fixed Layout ebooks are static, with text in a fixed layout that mirrors that of the print book. Page numbers will reflect the numbering in the print edition. Complex formatting (like that of cookbooks or children’s books) will appear the same as they do in the print version. The font size can’t be changed, but users can zoom into a portion of the page. They are best viewed on large-screened devices like laptops and tablets.
Choose fixed layout when:
It is crucial that students are able to reference material on specific page numbers
The text has numerous visual elements like illustrations and photographs that need to hold a fixed layout
Students are primarily using their laptops or desktop computers to access their digital books
Reflowable eBooks are mutable, with text that adjusts to the screen size of a user’s device. Font size can be increased or decreased for ease of reading on mobile devices or e-readers. They often include more interactive features than a fixed layout ebook, such as live hyperlinks to web sources, footnotes, a linked table of contents, and more. Reflowable eBooks also often integrate better with accessibility software, offering a better user experience.
Choose reflowable when:
Students are primarily accessing their digital books via their phone or e-reader
It’s important to the course to have interactive features built into the text
Students need to be able to enlarge the size of the text rather than zoom in
An academic accessibility office would prefer the use of a reflowable file
We highly recommend that when adopting a book for a course, you request both formats be made available through your institutional bookstore so that students can choose the best experience for themselves.
How do I access my ebooks?
There are two easy ways to view your eBooks after purchase or rental
1. Your canadianscholars.ca Account
When purchasing or renting a digital product from our website, users will be asked to create an account. Not only does your user account track purchase and rental history, favourites, and save preferences, it also has a handy feature called e-Book Library.
A user’s e-Book Library will allow them to view any purchased or rented digital book via the RedShelf e-Reader.
2. Via RedShelf
Using the same email address used to purchase or rent an eBook from Canadian Scholars, users can log in to RedShelf.com to view all purchased or rented digital products.
What is RedShelf?
All eBooks purchased through our website, both Fixed Layout and Reflowable, are accessed through the RedShelf platform.
RedShelf gives students access to their purchased books any time, anywhere, across any laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Through RedShelf’s intuitive platform, students can utilize features that greatly improve their experience, including study tools and text-to-voice tools.
How can I access my ebooks on my phone or tablet?
Download the Redshelf mobile app for iOS or Android devices. Log in using the same email address used to purchase from our website to see your full ebook library.
The RedShelf mobile app will allow users to take their ebooks on the go and supports offline viewing.
How do I use the RedShelf app?
RedShelf has a robust help document for the app that covers the following:
I am having trouble with RedShelf.com or the RedShelf app
To receive the best possible care in a timely fashion, submit a RedShelf Support Ticket. RedShelf’s support team hours are Monday – Friday 9:00 am – 7:00 pm eastern standard time.
RedShelf also has a wealth of knowledge and support articles to browse in their knowledge center.
Can I just download the eBook?
It is possible to access your eBooks on any device, at any time, even offline, via the RedShelf mobile app.
e-Textbooks are not the same as the average PDF shared easily among peers. Digital Fixed Layout and Reflowable textbooks are still eBooks, and are protected from piracy by DRM or digital rights management.
DRM allows us to protect the copyrighted works of our authors and ensure they are fairly compensated for their work. It also means that all digital products we sell are locked to the RedShelf platform to prevent illegal file sharing.
Does RedShelf support the use of assistive technologies?
Yes! Please visit the RedShelf information page on assistive technologies for more information and support.
If you require further support, please fill out a RedShelf support ticket for accessibility requests or have your school’s accessibility office contact our publisher directly at permissions@canadianscholars.ca.
eBooks cannot be downloaded to your device/desktop outside of the RedShelf e-Reader App, and cannot be printed in full.
All purchases of digital products are non-refundable.
To learn more about our digital products please view our Customer Support page.
What is a Reflowable ebook?
Reflowable eTextbooks respond to the size of the device they are viewed on, much like a typical website. This causes them to look different from a traditional book. They may also contain embedded audio, video, or interactive components in addition to the RedShelf Reader’s standard study tools.
What is a Fixed Layout eBook?
A fixed layout eTextbook maintains the look and the feel of a printed textbook. The text is fixed, and the screen size determines the size of the text. These eTextbooks work best on large-screen devices and do not contain any embedded media or interactive content.
Auto Renew
Auto renew allows e-book rentals to be automatically renewed after the initial rental duration.
If enabled, you will automatically be charged and your rental will renew for the same duration as purchased. Auto renew is set to off by default. If auto renew is off, you lose access to the e-book after the rental duration.
Hi there!
The digital eBook you have selected is a Rental and may expire when the selected duration runs out. If you would like to purchase lifetime access to this eBook, please select a Purchase option instead.
eBooks cannot be downloaded to your device/desktop outside of the RedShelf e-Reader App, and cannot be printed in full.
All purchases of digital products are non-refundable.
To learn more about our digital products please view our Customer Support page.
2. Via RedShelf
Using the same email address used to purchase or rent an eBook from Canadian Scholars, users can log in to RedShelf.com to view all purchased or rented digital products. 
