Some GCU eBooks are provided in a Web Viewer format. Web Viewer eBooks allow you to read through your web browser without the need to download any files or particular programs. If you aren’t sure what type of eBook your class has, we recommend starting by reading this article: Getting Started with GCU eBooks.
Windows
- Firefox 30.0 or newer
- Google Chrome 36.0 or newer
macOS
- Firefox 30.0 or newer
- Google Chrome 36.0 or newer
- Safari
Smartphones & Tablets
- Safari (iOS)
- Google Chrome (Android & iOS)
- Firefox 100.0 or newer
NOTE Not all eBooks are available for access using the Web Viewer. If you aren’t sure what type of eBook your class uses, we recommend reading this article: Getting Started with eBooks
If your class includes an eBook that’s accessed through the Web Viewer, you can locate it from the Class Resources tab in Halo. After clicking the link for your book, you’ll be taken to a Digital Resources page.
Click the Web Viewer icon to be redirected to the log in page.
Click Proceed to continue.
Like with PDF eBooks, you must log in to unlock the contents.
Once finished, click Log In.
NOTE: If you are not prompted to log in, you may be using a Webbook instead. Please view Webbooks Published by GCU for specific instructions on how to view, download, and print Webbooks. Here, you will enter your GCU username (without @my.gcu.edu) and password. If you are using a private computer and wish to stay logged in, check the Keep me logged in box.
Web Viewer Navigation
Once your eBook has finished loading, you will have the ability to adjust the zoom level, go to a specific page, search for keywords, highlight, annotate, print, and save for offline use.
The zoom level on your eBook can be adjusted in several ways to accommodate your preferred reading view. Adjust the zoom level by using the options provided in the upper left-hand corner of the Web Viewer.
Use the Zoom in (+) and Zoom out (-) buttons to easily change the zoom level.
Use the Fit to window width button to adjust the view to the maximum width zoom level possible, while still fitting on the window.
Use the Fit to window height button to adjust the view to the maximum height zoom level possible, while still fitting on the window.
Use the Full screen button to expand the eBook window to fill your entire screen.
You can rotate the book for better viewing. To rotate the book, click the last two options in the upper left-hand corner of the Web Viewer
There may be times when you would like to access a specific page of your eBook. The Go to Page option located at the top of your eBook allows you to quickly navigate to the desired page. Simply type in the page number in the space provided and press Enter.
Keep in mind that the page number located at the top of the eBook might be different from the numbering on the pages themselves. If you want to return back to a specific page at a later time, be sure to note the page number listed at the top of your eBook.
You can search for keywords or phrases by using the search feature in the upper right-hand corner of the Web Viewer. Simply type in a keyword or phrase and press Enter.
Navigate between the different results of your search by using the Previous Result (<) and Next Result (>) arrows.
Alternatively, you could access the Search function by clicking the three vertical lines on the upper right-hand corner of the Web Viewer.
Click the Search link in the Tools window.
Afterward, the search box will appear on the upper right-hand corner of the Web Viewer.
The highlight feature allows you to highlight important images or text in your eBook for future reference.
From within this panel, you can find three tools. You will notice that the X icon is automatically selected; this means that you are not currently working with a tool.
No Selection Made
Draw free shape
Highlight selected text
Delete annotation
To highlight, select one of the pencil icons on the left-hand side of the Web Viewer.
NOTE All highlights will be saved to your Web Viewer and will be accessible on any device once logged in.
The annotations feature allows you to create notes on any page of your eBook.
From within this panel, you can find two more tools:
Write text 
Create note
Delete annotation
To add text to your book, select the Write Text tool. This will allow you to add type into your book. When using this tool, the information typed will only appear within the book. The Notes menu only shows notes created by the Create note tool.
To create a new note, select the Create note tool under the Notes menu and click anywhere inside the eBook to place your note; a textbox will appear, allowing you to type your annotation.
Click Save to add the note to your eBook.
NOTE Placement is not permanent. Once your note has been saved, you can move the annotation icon anywhere inside the eBook by dragging it to your desired location!
All notes made within the Web Viewer will be listed under the Notes menu. This menu will also include the page number where the note was placed for quick reference. Clicking on each item will take you to the location of the note, providing you with the options to delete or edit the note.
All annotations will be saved to your Web Viewer and will accessible on any device once logged in.
Saving and Printing Web Viewer eBook
Saving your Web Viewer eBook for offline use will allow you to access your eBook, along with any highlighted material and annotation, without the need for an Internet connection.
To save your eBook for offline reading, click the Save to browser icon in the upper right-hand corner of the Web Viewer.
Your eBook will begin saving to your web browser.
You will receive a confirmation when the save is complete.
Your eBook will be saved to your browser’s cache for offline viewing. To view your eBook offline, simply return to the eBook’s web address. It is recommended that you bookmark the Web Viewer eBook link for easy access.
DISCLAIMER Web Viewer eBooks are stored in your browser’s cache for offline use, therefore, if you clear your cache, you will be prompted to log back into your eBook and will have to download the eBook to your cache again.
After downloading your eBook, the Download icon will be replaced by a Trash icon in the upper right-hand corner. Clicking the Trash icon gives you the option to remove the eBook from your browser’s cache.
Once you have downloaded one or more eBooks using the Web Viewer, click on the Tools menu to view or manage your saved eBooks.
Selecting Manage saved documents will display a menu with the option to view or delete your saved eBooks.
NOTE Any changes made while in Offline mode will not be saved to the Web Viewer to view on other devices until you re-connect to the Internet.
You can use the Print in browser feature to print your Web Viewer eBook.
To print your eBook, click the Printer icon in the upper right-hand corner, or select Print in browser in the Tools menu.
The Print Options window will appear on your screen. Under the Print Range, select the option to either print all pages, the current page, or a specific page(s) of your eBook.
You may also place a check in the Include Highlight checkbox if you want to print the highlights you made on your eBook. After your selections, click Next to continue.
After clicking Next, a processing page will appear.
After the processing page, the Print preview page will appear. This preview allows you to check the pages that you are printing. On this page, click the destination printer that you want to use to print your eBook. Once done, hit the Print button to begin printing.
NOTE You can only print 100 pages at a time. If you print all the pages of your eBook, it will print your book by batch (i.e., 100 pages per batch). Hence, you may need to continue the printing process until it is done printing. When repeating the process, you may see a page that will ask you to continue printing. Press the Continue Print button to continue to process.
You can save a PDF copy of your Web Viewer eBook via the Print in browser feature.
To save your eBook, click the Printer icon in the upper right-hand corner, or select Print in browser in the Tools menu.
The Print Options window will appear on your screen. Under the Print Range, select the option to either save all pages, the current page, or a specific page(s) of your eBook.
You may also place a check in the Include Highlight checkbox if you want to save the highlights you made on your eBook. After your selections, click Next to continue.
After clicking Next, a processing page will appear.
After the processing page, the Print preview page will appear. This preview allows you to check the pages that you are saving. Click the menu next to Destination and select Save as PDF. Once done, click the Save button.
After clicking Save, the Save As window will appear prompting you to locate a destination folder where you want to save your eBook. Locate a destination and enter a desired file name. Afterward, hit Save to save the file.
NOTE You can only save 100 pages at a time. If you save all the pages of your eBook, it will save your book by batch (i.e., 100 pages per batch). Hence, you may need to continue the saving process until it is done. When repeating the process, you may see a page that will ask you to continue saving. Press the Continue Print button to continue to process.
If you are a Doctoral student, your eBook may be provided through the GCU Doctoral Research site.
- To print your eBook, select the Chapter or Page you would like to print.
- On your keyboard, press Ctrl + P or Command + P (if you have a Mac).
- Adjust printing settings and Print as PDF.
- (Optional) If you would like to download your eBook onto your computer select Change under Destination.
- Select Save as PDF from the dropdown menu.
- From the Print page, select Save and choose a folder on your computer to save your file.
Once saved onto your computer, you will be able to access the file after your course end date.
Remember you are only able to download or print one chapter at a time.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, each time you open the eBook on a different computer it needs to be unlocked using your GCU username (without @my.gcu.edu) and password.
There is no limit on the number of devices used.
To ensure you retain a copy of your eBook, it is recommended that you save the PDF version of your eBook on your computer for your personal use. Alternatively, you can bookmark the Digital Resources website on your internet browser. This will allow you to access the Web Viewer or re-download the PDF after your course has ended.
Click on the Web Viewer link and enter your GCU username (without @my.gcu.edu) and password.
The Web Viewer and ability to download the eBooks for offline viewing are not dependent upon Adobe Reader.
You may receive the following error message when attempting to open your Web Viewer eBook:
If you do, click Log Out and then log back in using your GCU username and password.
If you receive the error message in the screenshot below, your credentials are not being entered correctly.
Please use your GCU username (without @my.gcu.edu) and the password you use to log into the GCU Portal. If you are not sure what password you should use, you can reset your password following the directions in the following article: Password Reset Process
Error 524 occurs when the Cloudfare, a cloud-based connection, fails to establish and connect to one of our GCU servers. This may occur because there are too many users trying to access a server at once. To address this error, we recommend attempting basic troubleshooting:
- Refresh or re-load the webpage you are trying to access.
- Clear your browser’s cache and cookies
- Switch to another web browser (please click here for the list of our supported browsers)
- Restart your modem
- Wait 10-15 minutes for server traffic to decrease and try again.
If the resource you’re attempting to view is still inaccessible after the waiting period, contact Technical Support so we can research the issue and try to replicate it. You can reach us at our toll-free phone number at 1-877-428-8447 or our local number at 602-639-7200.
Web Viewer eBooks open within your browser, and some browsers include narration settings for reading text aloud. These settings do not always work, however, and GCU Technical Support is limited on our ability to troubleshoot this issue. If you need to have your eBook read aloud and the browser narration settings are not working, we recommend downloading the PDF version of your eBook and using the Adobe Accessibility Features.
- Microsoft Edge: Includes built-in narration settings. Highlight text within the eBook and then right click to select the Read Aloud. If you use this setting, avoid moving your mouse or scrolling as it can cancel the narration.
- Safari: Includes built-in narration settings, but eBooks are not always recognized as “readable text”. Select the Reader View icon in your address bar, then select Edit > Speech > Start Speaking. If these options do not appear or are un-selectable, the browser cannot recognize any text and therefore will not be able to read the information to you.
- Google Chrome: Does not come with narration settings. You can install Chrome extensions specifically for read aloud features if you’d like, but Technical Support cannot assist with this process and does not recommend any specific extension over another.
- Firefox: Includes built-in narration settings, but eBooks are not always recognized as “readable text”. If you see a small page icon in the address bar of any specific page, you can select it turn on Reader View. After turning on Reader View select the headphone icon from the menu on the left side to have the page read aloud. If the icon does not appear, the browser cannot recognize any text and therefore will not be able to read the information to you.