Hypothesis VitalSource Reader Student Guide – Without VitalSource LTI App

Who is this guide for?

• This guide is for students who need to annotate Hypothesis-enabled readings using VitalSource texts when their LMS does not have the VitalSource app installed (this app is usually called “Course Materials”).
• If you have the VitalSource “Course materials” app installed in your LMS, please check this article instead.
• If you’re unsure whether the VitalSource app is installed in your LMS, please contact our support team for assistance.
• For the instructor version of this guide, click here.

Steps to Open Hypothesis assignments that use VitalSource text

Check access to the book needed in the Hypothesis assignment

Before you open the Hypothesis assignment, you will need to make sure that you have access to the VitalSource text used in it. To check your access, follow the steps below.

1. In your web browser, go to https://hypothesis.vitalsource.com.
2. Log in with your VitalSource account. If you don’t have one yet, follow the steps in this VitalSource article to create your VitalSource account.
3. Once you’re logged in to your library, check whether you have the VitalSource textbook required for the course. If you don’t have it, you’ll need to obtain a copy first. 
4. Once the book is in your library, open the VitalSource textbook from the library page and ensure you can access it.
5. Once you can view the text in the book, your access is confirmed. You can now close the VitalSource tab, return to your LMS, and launch the Hypothesis assignment.

Launching the Hypothesis assignment

1. On your course page, locate the Hypothesis assignment you need to annotate.
2. Open the Hypothesis assignment. Since you’ve already confirmed access to the book, you will now be able to view the VitalSource text within the assignment. Here’s what a Hypothesis assignment using a VitalSource text looks like.

Potential Issues and Troubleshooting

You Must Enable Cookies to Sign In

When opening the Hypothesis assignment, you might see the following screens shown below.

If this happens, it means your browser cannot access the cookies needed to display the VitalSource book within the Hypothesis LMS app. Avoid clicking the “Open in New Tab” button, as this takes you out of the LMS. To fix the issue, configure your browser to accept cookies. For detailed instructions, see our article on How to Enable Third-Party Cookies for Hypothesis Integrations.

Other VitalSource Related Error Messages

If you are receiving a different error, please refer to our article on Troubleshooting VitalSource-related Error Messages.