NetLibrary provides access to electronic books (eBooks), including reference books, scholarly monographs, publications of many university presses, and consumer books that have been converted into digital format. It is possible to perform full-text searches of a single eBook, search thousands of volumes simultaneously, browse topic categories, or read eBooks directly online. There is no checkout period for NetLibrary eBooks.

Users can create an account in order to use personalization tools, including creating a Favorites list, but a personal account is not required for accessing eBooks through the GALILEO interface.