We understand that the language around digital products is often used interchangeably (and gets confusing). To clarify what we’re talking about when we talk digital, Canadian Scholars uses the following terminology 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.

EPUB: Rather than referring to all eBooks, EPUB is a specific file type of eBook that allows for reflowable text and extra digital features.

PDF: A static, fixed layout digital book in a file format familiar to most.

It is important to note that neither our PDFs or EPUB textbooks can be downloaded in the traditional sense. All PDFs and EPUBs purchased 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.

PDF or EPUB? 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:

PDFs 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 a PDF 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

EPUBs are mutable, with reflowable 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 PDF such as live hyperlinks to web sources, footnotes, a linked table of contents, and more. EPUBs also often integrate better with accessibility software, offering a better user experience.

Choose an EPUB 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 an EPUB

We highly recommend that when adopting a book for a course, you request both PDF and EPUB formats be made available through your institutional bookstore so that students can choose the best experience for themselves.

There are two easy ways to view your eBooks after purchase:

1. Your canadianscholars.ca Account

When purchasing a digital product from our website, users will be asked to create an account. Not only does your user account track purchase 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 digital book via the RedShelf e-Reader.

2. Via RedShelf

Using the same email address used to purchase an eBook from Canadian Scholars, users can log in to RedShelf.com to view all purchased digital products.

All eBooks purchased through our website, both PDF and EPUB, 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.

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.

RedShelf has a robust help document for the app that covers the following:

• Downloading the app
• Signing in/out of the app
• Getting started
• App navigation
• Offline usage and downloading 
• Troubleshooting

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.

It is  possible to access your eBooks on any device, at any time, even offline, via the RedShelf mobile app.

Textbook PDFs are not the same as the average PDF shared easily among peers. Textbook PDFs 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, both PDF and EPUB are locked to the RedShelf platform to prevent illegal file sharing.

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.