Overview

The Bookshelf Window provides you with an overview of the items in your Collections. Use this global view to navigate the categories, sub-categories, and the individual documents and resources. Simply click on the arrow to expand a category or sub-category.

The window is divided into three sections: Collections, Resource list and Inside Book.

When you select a folder in the Collections Section, all items in that Category are displayed in the Resource list on the right. These items may include individual VitalBooks™, web sites, videos, audio files, pdf files, PowerPoint files, or other file types.

To open a VitalBook or other file, double-click it. This will open a new window, displaying the content you've selected. If the file is anything other than a VitalBook file, it will open with it's native application. A document with a globe icon will open in the integrated web browser.

Click once on a title in the Resource List, and any Highlights and Notes present in that book, as well as sections of that resource, can be viewed. Double-click a highlight, note or resource section to open the VitalBook directly to that location.

Book Information

To find out more information about a particular book, right-click (or Control-click) on the book in the Resource list. You have three options:

  • Show book information
    • When you choose this option, more book information is displayed in the dialog box.
  • Related Items
    • The menu automatically displays the resources in your library which are related to selected book.

    Bookshelf Window Search Function

    Use the search box in the toolbar of the Bookshelf Window to search the entire contents of the Bookshelf Window or any part of it. Select any Library, Category or sub-categories (or combinations), type the query criteria into the search box, and press Enter. At the bottom of the Bookshelf Window, a status bar is displayed indicating the progress of the search.

    More detailed information of the powerful query function of Bookshelf can be found under the Query section of this document.

    Advanced Search

    Click on the magnifying glass icon in the search box and choose Advanced Search. Here you have the ability to determine which search terms are applied to which searches - Author/Title or Inside Book. This allows you to have more granular control over your searches.

    Custom Folders

    • Click on the "+" at the bottom left of the Bookshelf Window to create a new folder. Give your folder a meaningful name (English 101) and begin adding books.

    To add books to your Custom Folder, find the books you would like to include and drag them into the folder. You may also drag any file from your desktop into any one or even multiple custom folders.

    Once you have created a Custom Folder, you can Rename it or Delete it. Select the Custom Folder and then under the Bookshelf menu, choose the desired command.

    If you would like to delete an item from any custom folder, simply select the item and then press the Delete key.

    Book Copy

    Copying Content from CD/DVD

    If you have content on a DVD or CD, you can easily transfer it to your computer's hard drive using the simple content copy feature built into the application.

    There are two ways to copy content to your hard drive:

    1. Single books - In the Bookshelf Window, if you select a book that is available on your CD/DVD but not on your hard drive, it will give you the option to copy that book over to your hard drive. At the bottom of the Window, a small button will appear. Click on this to copy over the content.
    2. All books - When a CD/DVD is present, a CD icon will appear in the resource list in the left hand pane of the Bookshelf Window. Select the icon and follow the instructions for copying over your content to the hard drive. A progress bar at the bottom of the window will track the copy process.

    Remember, it is much quicker and easier to search, annotate and open books that are located on your harddrive.

    Miscellaneous

    References

    All of your reference materials (dictionaries, encylopedias, etc) will appear here. This allows you quick and easy access to your reference materials.

    Purchased Titles:

    After you make your first purchase of books from the VitalSource Store, this item will appear in bookshelf, giving you quick access to your purchased books.

    Open Recent:

    This option, under the File menu, allows you to quickly go to items you had open most recently.

    Recently Viewed:

    At the bottom of your Collections Window, there is a folder named Recently Viewed. You can set the number of Recently Viewed items in the Preferences under Collections.

    Books with notes:

    Above the Recently Viewed icon, is Books with Notes. By selecting this icon, you will find a useful overview of all of your books with notes or highlights.

    Downloads

    Below the Recently Viewed icon in your Collections list, here all of your current and recent book downloads are listed.

    Update Options:

    Under the Help menu are options for updating your license, your Bookshelf software, and adding new content if necessary. A connection to the internet is required to perform any of these options.

    Preferences:

    Under the Bookshelf menu is a Preferences command.