R2 Admin FAQs
The R2 Digital Library is a market-leading eBook platform for health science collections featuring a comprehensive selection of medical, nursing and allied health eBooks with an intuitive interface optimized for your library.
Getting Started
How do I sign up for a free trial of the R2 Digital Library?
Simply visit the R2 Digital Library section of the Library Partners area on Rittenhouse.com and choose the “Proceed to Trial” link. From here you will be able to begin your trial and begin accessing health science eBooks on the R2 Digital Library.
What do I need to start a trial of the R2 Digital Library?
An active Rittenhouse account number and an interest in integrating health science eBooks into your institution are the only two things you need to start your R2 Digital Library trial.
Which eBooks can I access during my trial?
During your trial you can access the all of the available health science eBooks on the R2 Digital Library.
Can I build a shopping cart during my trial?
Yes. You can build and save a shopping cart during your trial in preparation for your initial purchase. Please note that if you make a purchase during your free trial, then your trial will end and your account will convert to an active R2 Digital Library account.
Which publishers have eBooks available on the R2 Digital Library?
More than 70 leading health science publishers have eBooks available on the R2 Digital Library. These publishers range from some of the largest health science publishers such as Elsevier and Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins to a robust selection of titles from associations and academies such as the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. The R2 Digital Library is continuously working with new publishers to make their titles available as eBooks.
How frequently are new eBooks listed on the R2 Digital Library?
New eBooks are listed on the R2 Digital Library weekly. You can sign up to receive notifications of new eBooks under “User Management” in the Admin area.
Are journals available on the R2 Digital Library?
The R2 Digital Library offers access exclusively to health science eBooks. The R2 Digital Library does offer pass through access to PubMed, MeSH and Cinhal. With IP authentication your users can link out seamlessly to your primary source materials.
Acquiring eBooks on the R2 Digital Library
How do I purchase eBooks on the R2 Digital Library?
R2 Digital Library eBooks are sold individually by concurrent user license, allowing institutions to purchase only the titles they would like to add to their collection.
So I can purchase eBooks one at a time and don’t have to buy the entire R2 Digital Library collection?
Correct. eBooks on the R2 Digital Library are sold individually.
How long do I own an eBook that I have purchased on the R2 Digital Library?
All eBooks from the R2 Digital Library are purchased for the life of the edition with a one-time payment.
What happens when a new edition of an eBook is released? Do I lose the edition I purchased?
You still have access to an old edition of an eBook via your R2 Digital Library Archives. You are welcome to purchase the new edition, and you can sign up for email notifications to alert you to new editions of titles within your R2 Digital Library collection.
Do I have to email my Rittenhouse Sales Representative to get the price of a title?
No. All eBooks on the R2 Digital Library have a clearly stated price. There is also an easy to use cost calculator built into the application.
Is there an annual maintenance fee for the R2 Digital Library?
There is an annual $1,200 maintenance fee for the R2 Digital Library that covers archiving, image hosting, etc. This fee is waived for the first year of usage and can be paid annually or monthly.
I would like to purchase all of the eBooks available on anesthesiology. Is this possible?
Certainly. The R2 Digital Library offers bundled content in key subject areas and disciplines. Please contact your Rittenhouse Sales Representative to request a specific bundle.
Does the R2 Digital Library offer a Patron Driven Acquisition model?
Yes. Patron Driven Acquisition (PDA) from the R2 Digital Library is a collection development tool that enables libraries to integrate patron usage data at the resource level into their purchasing decisions with no automatic or required purchases. This service is available to any active R2 Digital Library account and can also be used to establish an initial collection.
Access, Configuration and Usage
How do users gain access to the R2 Digital Library?
The R2 Digital Library may be accessed by IP (internet protocol) authentication or user name and password. You can choose to use either method or both methods.
The R2 Library allows multiple authentication options. As an R2 Digital Library Administrator, you can select the access model that most appropriately reflects your library’s policies and needs.
- IP Validation Anon
- IP Validation Anonymous
- Allows any user within the specified IP range to be authenticated automatically when they access the R2 Digital Library. Anonymous users can utilize the My R2 area for single sessions.
- IP Validation, Ind Opt
- IP Validation, Individual Accounts Optional
- Allows users, once authenticated by a recognized IP, to set up an individual user name and password and create a My R2 profile. R2 Digital Library Administrators can view all individual accounts as well as create or delete accounts within the “User Management” area of the Admin Tool Suite. This option also allows for remote access to the R2 Digital Library using an individual user name and password.
- IP Validation, Ind Req
- IP Validation, Individual Accounts Required
- Requires users, once authenticated by a recognized IP, to set up an individual user name and password to access the R2 Digital Library. R2 Digital Library Administrators can view all individual accounts as well as create or delete accounts within the “User Management” area of the Admin Tool Suite. This option also allows for remote access to the R2 Digital Library using an individual user name and password.
- IP Independent
- Allows only users with an established user name and password to access the R2 Digital Library. This is the access method that is set as a default when you establish a trial. To set up another access model, an IP range must be entered in the “System Preferences” area of the Admin Tool Suite.
How are users IP authenticated?
Upon setting up your R2 Digital Library trial, you will provide the IP addresses used by your institution. Your Rittenhouse Sales Representative can assist to ensure that your IP addresses are entered correctly. Once your IP addresses have been entered into the R2 Digital Library, your patrons will be authenticated automatically if they access R2 from within an IP range in your profile.
How can my patrons access R2 Digital Library eBooks remotely?
You may choose to allow your patrons to access the R2 Digital Library when they are outside the IP ranges of your institution. To do so, you must provide the option for username and password access so that users can set up their individual profile with user name and password.
Does the R2 Digital Library offer usage statistics?
Yes. Usage statistics are available to administrators to provide insight into the ways your patrons access the R2 Digital Library. Usage statistics are COUNTER 4.0 compliant and can be downloaded, printed or emailed directly from the R2 Digital Library.
What do the different terms on the usage report mean?
Successful Content Retrieval – the number of times an authenticated user has successfully accessed full text content (below the Table of Contents) on a purchased or PDA resource within a library’s collection.
TOC Retrievals – the number of times an authenticated user has accessed the Table of Contents page of a purchased or PDA resource within a library’s collection. Note that Table of Contents pages on the R2 Digital Library are open access and viewing them does not encumber a concurrent user license.
Sessions – the number of sessions (defined as from the time a user is authenticated until the time they log out or are logged out for inactivity) during which content or the table of contents of a purchased or PDA resource within a library’s collection has been accessed. Note that a single authenticated session can generate multiple Content Retrievals and/or Table of Contents views.
Print Requests – the number of times a user has printed a section via the Tools drop down menu.
Email Requests – the number of times a user has emailed a section via the Tools drop down menu.
Content Turnaways – the number of times an authenticated user attempted to access a resource when all concurrent user licenses are in use.
Access Turnaways – the number of times an authenticated used attempted to access full text of a resource that is not part of a library’s purchased or PDA collection. This may include PDA resources that have reached the third access and been placed in the shopping cart.
PDA View Count – the number of sessions during which full text content within a PDA resource was accessed. Note that there may be multiple Successful Content Retrievals within a single session and that TOC Retrievals do not count towards PDA View Count.
What operating systems and browsers does the R2 Digital Library support?
The R2 Digital Library operates on all major browsers and operating systems.
Can the R2 Digital Library be accessed with an eReader?
As a browser based application, the R2 Digital Library can be accessed with any web-enabled device.
Does the R2 Digital Library limit the number of print requests for specific resources?
The R2 Digital enables users to print sections of any resource on the platform. To comply with publishers’ copyright policies, if a resource receives more than 60 print requests or 20% of the total number of HTML pages that comprise the resource on the R2 Digital Library over a 24 hour period, then print functionality will be temporarily suspended for that resource. Users will receive a notification upon crossing the 75% threshold of allowable print requests. If printing is suspended for a resource, all Institutional Administrators associated with an account will be notified immediately.
Please note that all other access and functionality related to a resource is not affected if printing is temporarily suspended.
Can my patrons download eBooks from the R2 Digital Library?
The R2 Digital Library does not allow direct download of eBooks, but the web based application allows eBooks to be accessed at any time. Users are able to print or email sections of the R2 digital Library by using the Tools icon across the top navigation bar. They are also able to save searches, search results and sections to their My R2 profile.
Can I list R2 Digital Library eBooks on my library’s website and A to Z list?
Yes. All R2 Digital Library eBooks have a persistent URL that you can use to link to the title on the R2 Digital Library. The R2 Library also works with several commercial discovery services, including EBSCO A-Z and Serial Solutions Summon.
Does the R2 Digital Library offer Athens Authentication for my institution?
Yes. You can add your Athens ID in the Profile and Customization area of the R2 Digital Library. Once you have done so, please contact Athens to ensure the resources are allocated.
Once Athens authentication is implemented, you can enable Athens at the resource level by adding “?athensLogin=auto” to any persistent URL (for example, http://r2library.com/Resource/Title/1930808844?athensLogin=auto).
Miscellaneous
Can I customize the R2 Digital Library to make it consistent with my institution’s branding?
Yes. You can upload your institution’s logo and also include a message welcoming your patrons to the R2 Digital Library. These customization options can be accessed via the Institution Branding area of the R2 Digital Library Admin portal.
Will my patrons see only the titles within my institution’s collection or will they also see non-purchased eBooks?
This is up to you, as the R2 Library supports both of these options for displaying eBooks on the application. You can limit the view to only titles within your collection or expand it to include table of contents access to non-purchased titles in the “System Preferences” area of the Admin Tool Suite.
How do I request for an eBook to be made available for purchase on the R2 Digital Library?
Please email customerservice@r2library.com if there is a title you would like to be made available on the R2 Digital Library. We will do our best to make it so.
I am part of a consortia. Does the R2 Digital Library have consortia options?
Yes. Please contact your Rittenhouse Sales Representative to learn more or view the Consortia Solutions document.
Is the R2 Digital Library ADA 508 Compliant?
As an aggregator, Rittenhouse cannot claim full ADA compliance through the R2 Library because of the limitations associated with web-based browser technology. However, third-party products do exist which will provide some elements of ADA compliance with the R2 Library product. Rittenhouse attempts to do everything it can to make such software usable with its product.
To aid institutions in meeting their legal obligations to ensure that students with disabilities have equal and effective access to instructional materials, some states have passed legislation requiring publishers to fulfill requests for electronic formats of their textbooks and other instructional materials (commonly referred to as "e-text") from college and university disabled student services (DSS) offices. A list of these statutes can be found on the Higher Education Publishing section of AAP's website ( www.publishers.org).