Press release

VitalSource and Publishers Expand Free Access to eTextbooks Internationally during COVID-19 Pandemic

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To assist students and institutions affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, VitalSource® and leading publishers have expanded free access to digital learning materials to higher education students throughout the U.S., Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom for the remainder of the Spring 2020 semester.

“With the rapid transition to online learning in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we joined with our publisher partners and took immediate steps to reduce barriers to educational opportunities for students,” said Kent Freeman, President of VitalSource. “After announcing this opportunity to U.S. students last week, we are now expanding free access to e-texts to the higher education community in Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom in an effort to help more students affected by this unprecedented disruption.”

In coordination with participating publishers, access to an expansive catalog of etexts will be available for free to students in the United States through May 25, 2020; in Canada through April 30, 2020; in Ireland and the United Kingdom through 30th June, 2020, at schools that have been affected by recent campus closures, have moved to distance learning, and meet eligibility requirements. Students simply log in to the VitalSource Bookshelf app using their school email address and can then view course materials from participating publishers via VitalSource’s Explore capabilities within Bookshelf.

VitalSource Managing Director, International, Alice Duijser said, “VitalSource recognizes the global ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic and is taking sweeping action to provide necessary support to institutions in countries where we have the greatest reach to help ensure access to the immediate resources students need to adapt to a new way of learning.”

To view a list of publishers and resellers who are supporting this effort, visit https://get.vitalsource.com/vitalsource-helps-ukir.

Students who need assistance accessing eTexts at no charge can visit https://get.vitalsource.com/vitalsource-helps-ukir.

About VitalSource

VitalSource is the leading education technology solutions provider committed to helping partners create, deliver, and distribute affordable, accessible, and impactful learning experiences worldwide. As a recognized innovator in the digital course materials market, VitalSource is best known for partnering with more than 1,000 publishers and resellers to deliver extraordinary learning experiences to millions of active users globally – and today we’re also powering new, cutting-edge technologies designed to optimize teaching and learning for maximum results. Learn more at https://get.vitalsource.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.