Thorium Reader for EBSCO Ebooks

Post by Abigail Wickes, Head of Electronic Resources Access & Discovery

Thorium will be available for Duke patrons to download full-text EBSCO ebooks starting May 19. Image courtesy EDRlab.

Due to recent updates to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), EBSCO has launched a new application with improved ebook accessibility features and other functionality updates.

Downloading full text ebooks with DRM from EBSCO used to be managed through Adobe Digital Editions (ADE), however ADE is incompatible with screen readers and cannot accommodate accessibility features of EPUB files.

Duke University Libraries will opt into the EBSCO supported app, Thorium, on May 19, 2026. Reading ebooks in a browser will not be affected. Keep an eye out for a similar update from ProQuest later this summer!

Accessibility Improvements

Thorium offers many accessibility and functionality improvements. It is WCAG 2.1 compliant, freely available, and includes accessibility features such as text to speech with adjustable speed, support for multiple languages, options to change background color, font size, spacing and layout, and light and dark modes.

Getting Started with the EBSCO Thorium App

Thorium will be available for DUL patrons to download full text EBSCO ebooks starting May 19, 2026. After this date users must use either Thorium or another LCP e-reader to download full text ebooks with DRM from EBSCO. (Please note, ebooks without DRM can also be downloaded directly or also accessed on the Thorium app.)

How do I connect the app to my account?

Once you have downloaded the Thorium app to your device, sign into EBSCO and initiate an ebook download.

You will then be prompted to select a borrowing period, format, and copy the passphrase.

Thorium does not require the creation of a third-party account, so each downloaded ebook with DRM requires a one-time unique passphrase for your device generated by EBSCO upon download.

Open Thorium, click “Import Publication.” Navigate to the book in your Download folder, open the file, and enter the copied passphrase. You will only need to enter the passphrase the first time you download and open the ebook on that device.

The ebook will then be available in Thorium on your device. You can open it at any time while offline until the loan period expires.

EBSCO Thorium App FAQ

What is DRM?

DRM stands for Digital Rights Management. Ebooks with DRM may restrict the number of concurrent readers. In general, EBSCO and ProQuest are the only providers with limitations or restrictions on access to their ebooks in DUL’s collection. Fortunately, both ProQuest and EBSCO clearly display our access type on the ebook content page.

What’s the difference between EPUB and PDF?

EPUB (Electronic Publication) is a flexible format that adjusts to fit the screen size of the device, which allows for a more accessible reading experience. This format will not have page numbers that correspond to the print version because of the accessibility features.

PDF (Portable Document Format) is a fixed-layout format that does not adjust to different screen sizes, which can make reading on small devices difficult. This format retains the look and feel of the matching print book and will typically have page numbers that correspond to the print version.

When should I use the app?

Use the Thorium app to download full text ebooks with DRM from EBSCO or if you’d like to use it to read other ebooks.

Can I use the app on multiple devices?

Up to six devices may be used.

Do I need to use the app to download individual chapters?

No, chapters can still be downloaded outside of the app.

Will my loans transition from Adobe Digital Editions to the EBSCO Thorium app?

No, however you can still access your ebook in Adobe Digital Editions while the checkout is active. If you want to use Thorium instead, redownload the file and open it in Thorium. The checkout duration will remain the same.

Is offline reading supported?

Yes, Thorium explicitly serves the need to read offline.

Is there a mobile app?

There is no Thorium mobile app available at this point; other mobile e-reader apps with LCP DRM compatibility may be used as a workaround.

Can Duke Kunshan University patrons use Thorium?

There is no geographic limitation on the use of Thorium Reader, and the application is localized in both traditional and simplified Chinese.

Anything else I should know about?

EBSCO hosts content from many different publishers, so their ebooks are a mix of PDF & EPUB file formats. Both formats can be opened using Thorium, but the accessibility options are more limited for PDFs.
Thorium Reader does not currently support syncing a user’s activity across devices
If Adobe Digital Editions is still trying to open downloaded ebooks, check the default application for opening EPUBS on your device.
Amazon Kindle devices are not compatible with LCP DRM, so EBSCO recommends Kindle users download chapters and use the “Send to Kindle” function. Please see more details here: How can I send saved EBSCO eBook pages in PDF format to my Kindle eReader device?
Thorium Reader is not natively available for ChromeOS. Please see workaround options here: Can I access Thorium on my Chromebook?

If I have a problem or a question about the app, how do I report it?

Please reach out, and someone from the library will assist you directly or escalate to resolve the problem with EBSCO. You can also reach out directly to Thorium.