What are the two Ebook Central views?

The two views that you may encounter when using Ebook Central are EPUB and PDF.

Ebook Central books are set to default to EPUB (as of 1st May 2025) however you may encounter a small number of PDF versions where the publisher has not made EPUB available.

Why does Ebook Central default to EPUB view?

To align with industry adaptive technology standards and to increase accessbility across devices, EPUB provides:

- compatability with assistive technologies,

- interactive features, and

- provides ways to enhance text display across devices

For a comparison of EPUB features with the existing PDF format, take a look at the section at the bottom of the Ebook Central platform changes guide: EPUB vs. PDF Appendix.

What are the differences between EPUB and PDF books in Ebook Central?

Ebook Central describes the differences between the two here.

How do I tell the difference when viewing Ebooks?

When you open the ebook via a link or when you select the 'Read Online' option, you may see one of two views (EPUB or PDF).

EPUB books are displayed in a double page format. See the example below:

PDF books are displayed in a single page format. See the example below:

Can I change the view?

PDF View: Books that are only available in PDF format and don't have an EPUB view available can't be changed.

EPUB View: For books that open in EPUB view, you have the option to switch to PDF.

To switch views in EPUB:

Open the book and select:

i. the book icon at the top of the page; and

ii. switch to PDF

To change back to EPUB:

Select the more option (under the book details in the left hand menu) to go back to the main book page; and

Select ‘Read Online’ to open the book up in EPUB view.

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OR

Select Switch to EPUB from the book details menu (where available)

What type of features are currently available in the EPUB online reader?

Visit the Ebook support guide: Using the online reader in Ebook Central for EPUB books