SimplyE, a Mobile App for Ebooks, Comes to Columbia

Columbia University Libraries is pleased to announce the launch of SimplyE for Columbia, a free mobile app that brings together ebooks from our collection and makes them accessible all in one place. Initially developed and launched by the New York Public Library, SimplyE helps Columbia’s Libraries improve the reading experience and makes available ebooks from various vendors in one simplified interface. 

Columbia University faculty, students, and staff can download SimplyE from the App Store or Google Play, find “Columbia University Libraries,” log in with their UNI, and start reading ebooks. If users already have the SimplyE app through the New York Public Library, they can simply browse and add Columbia University Libraries ebooks by finding and adding Columbia University Libraries and then logging in with their UNI. A limited number of ebooks available from our collections are available now; more will be added on an ongoing basis. 

The best way to see which ebooks are currently available is to download the SimplyE app and add Columbia University Libraries. Users can also click the “Read on SimplyE” link for available titles in a CLIO record. For more help on using SimplyE, see our guide

Millions of items from our collections are already accessible online through CLIO, including 40% of our print holdings that are temporarily available digitally due to COVID-19. With SimplyE, even more books are available in a streamlined digital format, though they will also continue to remain available in other formats through publishers.

Ebook users at Columbia are encouraged to complete a short survey about the SimplyE mobile app for a limited time. Feedback will help identify where SimplyE provides an acceptable mobile book reading experience, and where it falls short and may be improved. Columbia University students who complete the survey will be eligible to win a $25 gift card to Columbia University Bookstore.