Prescribed Resources - a guide for students

(required & recommended textbooks)

Personalise

Each semester UNSW Canberra Schools use course outlines to prescribe compulsory and recommended textbooks for all courses. Students are responsible for ensuring they have adequate access to the titles and editions identified. To simplify this process, the Academy Library uses the University's Electronic Course Outline System (ECOS) to collate a comprehensive list of links to all prescribed (and recommended) titles – plus how you can access them.

UNSW Canberra S1, 2026 Prescribed Resources

Access types explained

Format	What it means	Do you need to buy it?	Does ADFA reimburse?*
Unlimited electronic	No limit on the number of simultaneous users	No, unless you prefer a personal copy	No
Limited electronic (3 user/6 user)	Only 3 or 6 people can read it simultaneously. Access is temporarily limited when the capacity is reached; try again later	Yes, recommended, to guarantee on-demand access	Yes, if prescribed text No, if recommended text
Print in High-Use Collection	Physical copy available in the Canberra High-Use Collection (CHUC); 4 hour loan	Yes, CHUC copy is a short-term loan	Yes, if prescribed text No, if recommended text

Format

What it means

Do you need to buy it?

Does ADFA reimburse?*

Unlimited electronic

No limit on the number of simultaneous users

No, unless you prefer a personal copy

Limited electronic (3 user/6 user)

Only 3 or 6 people can read it simultaneously. Access is temporarily limited when the capacity is reached; try again later

Yes, recommended, to guarantee on-demand access

Yes, if prescribed text

No, if recommended text

Print in High-Use Collection

Physical copy available in the Canberra High-Use Collection (CHUC); 4 hour loan

Yes, CHUC copy is a short-term loan

Yes, if prescribed text

No, if recommended text

*Only ADFA students doing UG courses, in accordance with PACMAN: Ch4. Pt8. Div4: ADFA learning materials

Getting Access Through the Library

High-Use Collection

Titles in this collection are only available for short loan (4 hours)

You can use the Library MFD's to scan a chapter/article (copyright limits apply)
You can request chapter/article scans via Ask Us (copyright limits apply)

Buying Your Own Copy

To source your own copies of prescribed and/or recommended textbooks, visit the following websites for price comparisons across booksellers (not endorsed by UNSW):

Booko

Amazon

Additional course readings

Your lecturer may assign other readings (articles and reports) for your courses. These are collated in reading lists and made available via your course Moodle site as Readings or Weekly Modules.

Moodle site