Class Sets: How They Work

Class Sets give a group of students access to an eligible eBook for a selected period. They are designed for classroom reading where several students need the same title at the same time.

Can multiple students borrow the same title at the same time?

Yes. The number of students who can borrow the same title at once depends on the type of content and the number of copies available.

Standard eBooks and Audiobooks: Each available copy can normally be borrowed by one student at a time (lending terms set by the publisher). Purchase additional copies via the Shop if more students need to borrow the same title at the same time.
Class Set eBooks: A Class Set provides multiple copies (between 3 and 150 copies ) of an eligible eBook for a selected period (between 1 and 12 months loan duration). This is useful when a class needs temporary simultaneous access to the same title.
Decodable Readers: Decodable titles allow unlimited simultaneous access, so every student can read the same title at once.
Project Gutenberg eBooks: These titles aren completely free and available via the Shop. Project Gutenberg eBooks also allow unlimited simultaneous access after you add them to your library from the ePlatform Shop.

Free Project Gutenberg eBooks

ePlatform offers more than 1,500 free Project Gutenberg eBooks, including works by Shakespeare, Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. These titles can be useful when a class is studying a classic.

Unlimited simultaneous access: Every student can read the same title at once.
Permanent access: Once added from the ePlatform Shop, the title remains in your Private Collection.
No charge: Project Gutenberg titles are free to add.

Project Gutenberg titles do not require a Class Set booking or the purchase of additional copies.

What is a Class Set?

A Class Set provides between 3 and 150 copies of an eligible eBook for a period of 1 to 12 months. Class Sets are available for eligible eBooks only; Audiobooks are not included.

Class Set copies come from the Shared Collection. A title can have only one active Class Set booking for your school at a time.

Title and copy availability

Class Set availability depends on the title and the number of Shared Collection copies available for the period selected. If a required title does not appear as a Class Set option, contact support@eplatform.co to ask whether it can be made available.

Duration and loan period

The Class Set booking determines how long the copies are available to your school. The separate Class Set Loan Time setting controls the loan period for a student who borrows a Class Set copy.

The Class Set Loan Time can be set to a maximum of 21 days.
If Class Set Loan Time is left blank, your library’s standard Loan Time applies.

Class Sets and book assignments

Purchasing a Class Set does not automatically assign the eBook to a class or student. After the Class Set becomes available, use the class-management tools if you want to assign it. See Assigning Books to Students.

What happens when a Class Set ends?

When the selected Class Set period ends, the additional copies are no longer reserved for your school. Those copies may then become available to other Shared Collection libraries.

Frequently asked questions

Can I change the student loan period for Class Set titles?

Yes. Use the Class Set Loan Time setting. The maximum is 21 days. If the setting is blank, the standard Loan Time applies.

Can I purchase a Class Set for an Audiobook?

No. Class Sets are available for eligible eBooks only.

How do I find and purchase a Class Set?

See Finding and Purchasing a Class Set for the complete Shop process.

Need help?

Contact support@eplatform.co and include your school name, the title and author, the number of copies required, and the preferred start and end dates.

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