No-Hassle CBT: Library Online Tech Book Resources

By Dr. Elizabeth Hinkle-Turner, Student Computing Services Manager

Last month I noted that prospective computer-based training users at UNT needed to contact me for an online account. Well, if you are someone who would prefer to not deal with the hassle of emailing me, installing plug-ins etc. for your browser in order to get computer-based training to work or are just generally a person who likes to read straightforward instructions without the animated bells and whistles, the online technical books available from the UNT Library are probably the best 'CBT' resource for you.

The UNT Library has a wide range of electronic resources available in just about every subject area. So, whether you want to read the latest English Literature journals from the comfort of your laptop in your office or check out the masters thesis of your best friend who graduated in May, you can find links to those sources from the library home page. Since this is Benchmarks Online from the Computing and Information Technology Center, I will be concentrating only on technical titles and encourage everyone to check out this resource either in conjunction with your work in the SkillSoft or KnowledgeNet computer-based instruction programs or as an easy way to get to the tech manual you need to get your work done effectively.

In order to get to the library electronic resources, click on the Electronic Resource link from the UNT Library Home Page:

There are several places you can browse for technical titles and these places are indicated by the arrows on the picture below. You can look at all the E-books by clicking the E-books link in the upper right-hand corner of the page, you can browse the Physical Sciences, Computers, and Engineering texts only by selecting that option from the pull down menu or you can just go straight to the best source for computer books by selecting the alphabetical link. The primary source for computer books is Safari Tech Books Online and this is where I always go. The library description of the Safari offerings explains why:

Safari Tech Books online is a catalog of technical books available in electronic format. A number of titles are available in full text covering aspects of Information Technology and Computer Science. Titles can be saved or printed, though only a section at a time. Detailed search information can be found in the help section on the site. Access is limited to four users at a time, so please try again later if access is denied. Because UNT does not have full-text access to all titles, you will need to check the "My Books" button to assure full text access. UNT currently subscribes to about 600 full text titles generally dating from 2001 to current (though some "classic" older materials as still available). Email rwallace@library.unt.edu with questions, comments, or requests for additions.

Click on the Safari link to get to this resource.

Type your search term on the Safari site or you can browse the different publishers listed on the right if you have a preference for a particular companies' books:

You will get a listing of the books available online from Safari on your topic. Note that some indicate 'Add' and some indicate 'On Bookshelf'. The ones that say 'On Bookshelf' are already available for immediate reading. If the title you want says 'Add', you will need to contact Librarian Randy Wallace to get the book placed into the UNT Safari area. The approximate turnaround time for getting a book added is usually just a matter of minutes from the time he receives the notification during normal business hours according to Randy.

Once you select your title by clicking on its link, you can immediately start to read it!

Personally, I use these books all the time for my work and it is certainly less expensive than going to the local bookstore to get them and less time-consuming than physically searching through the Science and Technology Library to find them. And, you don't have to worry about library fines for overdue books! For more information about Safari Tech Books online or online books on any other topics, you can contact any of the UNT librarians at the reference desk.

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