Browse and Access Digital Library Materials

Browse and Access Digital Library Materials

Discover, enroll in, and read digital materials including books, ePubs, and audiobooks from the institution’s digital library.

Time: 2–5 minutes Module: OpenEduCat Digital Library Permissions: Digital Library User or Portal Access

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Prerequisites

• Digital Library module installed
• Materials uploaded and published
• User account with library access
• Web browser with PDF/ePub support

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Overview

The Digital Library provides:

• Categorized collection of books, ePubs, and audiobooks
• Student portal access for browsing and reading
• Enrollment tracking for reading progress
• User reviews and ratings
• Multi-language material support

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Steps

1. Access the Digital Library

Via Website:

1. Navigate to your institution’s website
2. Click Library in the main menu
3. Browse the material catalog

Via Student Portal:

1. Log in to the student portal
2. Click Digital Library from the home menu
3. Access your enrolled materials

2. Browse Materials

By Category:

1. Use the left sidebar to view categories
2. Click on a category to filter materials
3. View subcategories if available

By Search:

1. Use the search bar at the top
2. Enter keywords (title, author, topic)
3. Press Enter or click Search

View Options:

• Grid View: Thumbnail cards with cover images
• List View: Detailed list with metadata

3. View Material Details

1. Click on any material card
2. View the detail page showing:
   • Cover image
   • Title and description
   • Author(s) and Publisher(s)
   • Edition and Language
   • User ratings and reviews
   • Material type (PDF/ePub/Audiobook)

4. Enroll in Material

1. From the material detail page
2. Click Enroll or Start Reading
3. The material is added to your reading list
4. Access enrolled materials from My Library

5. Read Materials

For PDF Materials:

1. Click Read on the material
2. The PDF viewer opens with controls:
   • Navigate pages (first, previous, next, last)
   • Rotate view
   • Zoom controls
   • Full-screen mode

For ePub Materials:

1. Click Read to open the ePub reader
2. Navigate using chapter list or swipe

For Audiobooks:

1. Click Listen
2. Use audio controls to play/pause
3. Adjust playback speed if available

6. Track Reading Progress

Your enrollment status is tracked automatically:

Status	Description
Draft	Enrolled but not started
In Progress	Currently reading
Reading List	Saved for later

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Rate and Review Materials

Submit a Review

1. Open the material detail page
2. Scroll to the Reviews section
3. Click Write a Review
4. Provide:
   • Rating (1-5 stars)
   • Review text
5. Click Submit

View Reviews

• Reviews display below material details
• Shows reviewer name, rating, and comments
• Average rating shown on material cards

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Field Reference

Material Model (op.digital.library.material)

Field	Technical Name	Type	Description
Name	name	Char	Material title
Cover Image	material_cover	Image	Book cover
Description	material_description	Html	Rich text description
Author(s)	author_ids	Many2many	Material authors
Publisher(s)	publisher_ids	Many2many	Publishers
Edition	material_edition	Char	Edition information
ISBN	isbn_code	Char	ISBN identifier
Material Type	material_type	Selection	pdf/epub/audiobook
File	material_data	Binary	Uploaded content
Language	language_id	Many2one	Material language
Tags	material_tags	Many2many	Classification tags
Rating	rating	Float	Average user rating
Total Reviews	total_reviews	Integer	Review count

Enrollment Model (op.digital.library.enrollment)

Field	Technical Name	Type	Description
User	user_id	Many2one	Enrolled user
Material	material_id	Many2one	Enrolled material
Enrollment Date	enrollment_date	Datetime	When enrolled
State	state	Selection	draft/in_progress/reading_list
Last Access	last_access	Datetime	Last viewed

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Categories

Materials are organized hierarchically:

Category	Subcategories
Academic	Textbooks, Reference, Research
Literature	Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry
Science	Physics, Chemistry, Biology
Technology	Programming, Engineering

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Search and Filter Options

Search Fields

• Material name
• Author name
• Description keywords

Filters

• By category
• By material type (PDF/ePub/Audiobook)
• By language

Sort Options

• Newest first
• Highest rated
• Most popular

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Troubleshooting

Issue	Cause	Solution
Material not loading	Large file size	Wait for download or check connection
PDF not displaying	Browser compatibility	Try different browser or download
Cannot enroll	Already enrolled	Check My Library
Material not found	Not published	Contact library administrator
Review not saving	Missing rating	Provide star rating

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Best Practices

1. Use categories: Browse by category to discover related materials
2. Save to reading list: Add interesting materials for later
3. Write reviews: Help other students find quality materials
4. Track progress: Mark materials as in-progress while reading
5. Check new arrivals: Visit regularly for new materials

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Material Types

Type	Format	Reader
PDF	.pdf	Built-in PDF viewer
ePub	.epub	ePub reader
Audiobook	.mp3/.m4a	Audio player

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Security Notes

Role	Capabilities
Digital Library User	Browse, enroll, read, review
Digital Library Manager	Full CRUD, upload materials
Portal User	Browse and read enrolled materials

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Related Tasks

• Upload Library Materials
• Manage Library Categories
• View Enrollment Reports