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Purchasing eBooks or Audiobooks for Your Private Collection

Staff and administrators with Shop access can purchase eBooks and Audiobooks for their school’s Private Collection.

Purchased titles are added to your school’s ePlatform portal and appear alongside any Shared Collection titles available to your readers.

On this page

Video tutorial

Watch the ePlatform Shop tutorial for an overview of finding and purchasing titles.

Before you begin

Before purchasing a title, confirm:

  • that you are using a staff or administrator account with Shop access;
  • that you have permission to make purchases for your school;
  • the title, author, edition, and format required;
  • how many copies your school needs; and
  • whether the title is already available in your school’s catalogue.

To check your existing titles, go to: Admin area → Manage Library → Library Catalogue.

Open the ePlatform Shop

  1. Sign in to your school’s ePlatform portal using a staff or administrator account with Shop access.
  2. Select Shop from the top navigation.

If you cannot see the Shop, confirm that you are signed in with the correct staff or administrator account.

Find a title

  1. Open the Shop.
  2. Use the Shop search or browsing options to find the required title.
  3. Open the title’s information page.

When searching, check:

  • the complete title;
  • the author;
  • the format, such as eBook or Audiobook;
  • the edition or ISBN where relevant; and
  • the number of copies already available to your school.

A title may be available in more than one format. Purchasing an eBook does not also purchase the Audiobook edition, and purchasing an Audiobook does not also purchase the eBook edition.

Review the title before purchasing

Before adding the title to your basket, review the information displayed on its Shop page.

Confirm that:

  • you have selected the correct title and author;
  • you have selected the required format;
  • the title is suitable for your school;
  • the displayed purchasing information is acceptable; and
  • you are not unintentionally purchasing a duplicate copy.

If your school needs several students to access the same eBook at once, consider whether a Class Set is more appropriate before completing a standard purchase.

Add titles to your basket

  1. Open the required title in the Shop.
  2. Confirm the edition and format.
  3. Select Add to Basket.
  4. Continue searching if you need to purchase additional titles.
  5. Open the basket when you are ready to review the purchase.

Adding a title to the basket does not complete the purchase. You can review the basket before submitting the order.

Review and complete the purchase

Before completing the order, review:

  • every title in the basket;
  • the selected format for each title;
  • the number of copies;
  • the displayed price; and
  • the total value of the order.

Remove or correct any unintended items before proceeding.

  1. Continue from the basket to the purchasing process.
  2. Review the purchasing and billing information displayed.
  3. Add any required order reference or purchasing information.
  4. Complete the order using the available checkout controls.

Only complete the order after checking that the titles, formats, copies, and total are correct.

After completing the purchase

Purchased eBooks and Audiobooks are added to your school’s Private Collection and displayed alongside Shared Collection titles in the reader catalogue.

After purchasing:

  1. Go to Admin area → Manage Library → Library Catalogue.
  2. Search for the purchased title.
  3. Confirm that the correct title and format appear.
  4. Review any required age or year-level restrictions.
  5. Test the title using a reader account if necessary.

If your school uses an external Library Management System, a MARC record can also be exported for the purchased title from: Admin area → Integration → MARC Export.

Understand title licences

Most standard purchases provide one copy that can be borrowed by one reader at a time. The licence shown for a title determines how long that copy remains available.

  • Perpetual licence: the title remains in your Private Collection without a fixed expiry date.
  • Metered licence: the title expires when the displayed loan or time limit is reached, such as 36 loans or 24 months.

Always review the licence displayed in the Shop before purchasing. Private Collection titles remain available if a Shared Collection subscription ends, subject to each title’s licence.

Purchased titles usually appear in the catalogue within five to ten minutes. Purchases generally cannot be refunded or exchanged after delivery. You can apply age, year-level, or visibility restrictions after the title is added.

Purchase additional copies

Additional copies can increase the number of readers who can borrow a Private Collection title simultaneously.

  1. Check the title in your school’s Library Catalogue.
  2. Confirm how many copies are already available.
  3. Open the Shop and search for the same title.
  4. Check that you have selected the same edition and format.
  5. Add the required purchase to the basket.
  6. Review and complete the order.

For whole-class access to an eBook for a defined period, review the Class Set option before purchasing standard additional copies.

Standard purchases and Class Sets

Purchase type When to use it
Standard purchase Purchase an eBook or Audiobook for your school’s Private Collection.
Class Set Purchase multiple copies of an eligible eBook for simultaneous classroom use over a selected period.

Class Sets are purchased through the Shop using the separate Class Set Booking option. Class Sets are currently available for eligible eBooks, not Audiobooks.

If a title is not in the Shop

If you cannot find a required title:

  1. Check the spelling of the title and author.
  2. Search using the ISBN if available.
  3. Check whether a different edition or format is listed.
  4. Go to Shop → Monthly Additions → Request Titles Not in Shop.
  5. Enter the title, author, ISBN, and required format.
  6. Submit the request for review by the ePlatform selection team.

ePlatform will check whether the title can be sourced from the publisher. Publisher restrictions, licensing availability, or exclusive distribution rights may prevent some titles from being supplied.

If a purchased title is not visible

Check the following:

  • Search for the title under Admin area → Manage Library → Library Catalogue.
  • Confirm that you are searching for the purchased format and edition.
  • Check whether an age or year-level restriction applies.
  • Check whether the title has been hidden from readers.
  • Confirm that the reader is signed in to the correct school account.

If the title does not appear in the Library Catalogue after the purchase has been completed, contact ePlatform Support.

Need help?

If you cannot access the Shop, complete a purchase, or find a purchased title, contact support@eplatform.co.

Please include:

  • your school or library name;
  • the title and author;
  • the purchased format;
  • the number of copies purchased;
  • the relevant order reference, if available;
  • the step that is not working;
  • any error message displayed; and
  • a screenshot of the relevant Shop or catalogue page.

Do not include payment-card information, passwords, or other sensitive information.