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Read with Libby
Borrow ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, and more from your local library for free! Libby is the newer library reading app by OverDrive, loved by millions of readers worldwide!
Download Libby today!
Learn more about getting started with Libby.
All over the world, millions of people read their library books with Libby.
Your guide to reading happiness..
Brought to you by your local library, and built with 💕 by OverDrive.
Warm, personal, and easy to use, Libby is great for users of all ages.
Read across devices
All your loans, notes, bookmarks, and reading progress sync across your devices.
Offline access
Download ebooks and audiobooks for offline reading, or stream them to save space.
Listen in your car
Enjoy audiobooks in your car through Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, or a Bluetooth connection.
Send to Kindle
If you prefer reading on your Kindle, Libby can send your library books to it. (U.S. libraries only)

Browse, search, and discover.
There are thousands of ebooks and audiobooks, hand-selected by your library, available for reading. Explore the collection through catalog guides, subjects, featured titles, and curated lists. It's a delight to discover new books through Libby.
"Libby has raised the bar for library apps."

A state-of-the-art reading experience.
Libby’s ebook reader makes it easy to customize how you read. You can adjust an ebook's font size, book layout, and lighting. As you read, you can also add bookmarks, create notes and highlights, and define words.
"Libby is one of the best resources out there in the e-reader world."

An intuitive and beautiful audiobook player.
Libby makes it simple to listen when, where, and how you want. Swipe on the book cover to skip backward or forward. Increase playback speed up to 3x. Set a sleep timer until the end of the chapter or for 5, 10, 30 minutes, or more.
"I’m a big Libby fan because my drive to work is a heckin’ pain and I like to listen to books while I’m behind the wheel."

How does Libby work?
Apple iphones & ipads.

Phones & Tablets with Google Play

Amazon Fire Tablets

Laptops & Desktop Computers

Download and open Libby on your device.

Find your library and sign in with your library card.

Browse or search to discover your next favorite book or audiobook.

Start reading & listening!

Visit Libby Help to watch a getting started video and get step by step instructions.
What people are saying.
We think Libby is the simplest way to start reading ebooks and audiobooks from your library. Don't just take our word for it though, see what everyone else is saying!
I LOVE reading and anywhere!
“I love being able to read or listen to books from my local library but it also allows for books too expensive through Amazon, that I can read through this ereader. Well done. I LOVE reading and anywhere I can read as freely as I enjoy it; whether that’s 5 books a day or 150 a month… An e-reader be it Libby or my Kindle or both… they allow me to read my fill regardless of my inability to always get to the library or to search stacks at bookstores. I can be comfortable in my own place.”
- Margaret M., Google Play ™ Store review
Re-connecting back to the Library
"I feel like I just re-found my love for the library again. This app helps re-connect with these amazing and free resources back inot reading books but also magazines. I know the library is free but I didn't know what an array they have for electronic resources. It is great and helpful."
- J-Phx, Apple App Store review
Free Audiobooks Rock!
"I am dyslexic and old enough that is was never diagnosed in school. This is such a simple way for me to enjoy books I would never be able to read.I have been listening to the CDs for a long time. But having it on my phone allows me to listen whenever and wherever. Also this is one of the more efficient apps I have come across. Thank you Libby."
- Brezzy307, Apple App Store review
OverDrive has hit it out the park
"This app is intuitive, helpful, and like having a librarian in my pocket. While I will take any opportunity to visit a brick and mortar library, it isn't always possible. This app gives me all the bok love I need when I am away from a real library. Keep up the great work."
- Shira M, Google Play ™ Store review
PC Magazine's The Best Free Software of 2019
The library is often-overlooked public resource (and some are modernizing quickly), but OverDrive brings it back into the fold with the newly redesgined, Libby.
The 20 Best Apps of the 2010s
Listen up, the library is cool and we all secretly know it. But what's even cooler is that the OverDrive-created and owned Libby app lets you borrow e-books, audiobooks, music, and more for free.
Time Magazine's Best iPhone and Android Apps of 2018
Put your local library in your pocket with Libby, an ebook- and audiobook-borrowing app with a wealth of literary offerings available on demand.
Join the conversation!
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Have more questions?
Is libby free.
Yes, Libby is completely free. It’s free to install, and there are no subscription costs, no in-app purchases, and no late fees. All you need is a valid library card from your library.
How do I get a library card?
Does libby work with my library, what books can i find in libby.
From the classics to The New York Times bestsellers, your library chooses which ebooks and audiobooks they’d like to provide in Libby. They select titles based on your community’s interests. Libby is only for digital content. It doesn’t include any physical materials from your library.
How do I switch from the OverDrive app to Libby?
If you previously used the OverDrive app, it's time to switch to Libby! To get started, simply download the Libby app, find your library, and sign in. Your loans, holds and wish list items will be waiting for you when you get there. Access a how-to video, FAQs and more at overdrive.com/switchtolibby .
What devices does Libby work on?
Enjoy Libby on almost any device! Download the Libby app on a phone or tablet, access in a web browser (libbyapp.com), listen with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, transfer to an ereader, and more. Learn how to get started.
How can I get help with the Libby app?
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Welcome to Project Gutenberg
Project gutenberg is a library of over 70,000 free ebooks.
Choose among free epub and Kindle eBooks, download them or read them online. You will find the world’s great literature here, with focus on older works for which U.S. copyright has expired. Thousands of volunteers digitized and diligently proofread the eBooks, for you to enjoy.

The scrap book, Volume 2, No. 2 by Various

Pragmatism and idealism by William Caldwell

The American Red Cross Bulletin (Vol. IV, No. 3, July 1909)

The American Red Cross Bulletin (Vol. IV, No. 2, April 1909)

Souvenirs concernant Jules Lagneau by Alain-Fournier

Floor of Heaven by T.D. Hamm

Go to sleep, my darling by Winston K. Marks

Kapinallinen Lo Ta by Nai Ngan Shi

Between the dark and the daylight by David C. Hodgkins

Contraband by Clarence Budington Kelland
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18 Best Sites to Download Free Books in 2023
Love to read? Then you'll love these places to find free books
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- Emporia State University
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- Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
- Payment Services
Ever thought of creating a library with thousands of free books? You'd never have to spend a dime. It sounds impossible, but it's not. Free books on nearly any subject you can think of are all over the internet, ready to be downloaded, read, and shared. These are the best sites with free books covering a wide variety of subjects, anything from romance novels to computer technology manuals.
A huge quantity of books previously unavailable to the public was released starting in 2019 thanks to the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998. Because of an amendment to that act, works published between 1923 and 1977 can enter the public domain 95 years after their creation. Many of the sites listed below give access to the tens of thousands of books (plus movies, songs, and cartoons) available under this act. Downloads should be free and without retribution under U.S. copyright law.
Selection includes more than just classics and Creative Commons books.
Great categorization makes finding what you love easier.
Variety of download formats.
A few areas of the site hardly ever receive updates.
Some books do cost money.
ManyBooks is one of the best resources on the web for free books in a variety of download formats. There are hundreds of titles here in all sorts of interesting genres, and they're completely free. Not all the books are classics, so if you're into other genres, this site is a good alternative to others in this list.
Unlike some sites, this one lets you browse free books by language. You can also search by author and genre. The ManyBooks Articles page is another handy way to browse their collection, with articles such as "Books Like Everest 1922" and reviews.
Downloading books requires a free account login. Then, you're then given several download options, such as EPUB, PDF, FB2, RTF, HTML, and more. They're also readable online through the site's built-in book reader.
Free Computer Books
Extensive collection of computer books.
Includes lecture notes.
Dated site design.
Everything on the site is just hyperlinks to other sites.
Lacks file format variety.
Every computer subject and programming language you can think of is represented at Free Computer Books. There are free textbooks, extensive lecture notes, and more.
Some of the genres include computer and programming languages, computer science, data science, computer engineering, Java, and networking and communications. There are also many subgenres, giving you an easy way to find the book you're after.
Free audiobooks (which can be quite pricey!).
Audiobooks are available in multiple languages.
Large collection of children's audiobooks.
Books are read by volunteers, which means performances can be hit or miss.
Many listed authors have zero books available.
If you've been looking for a great place to find free audiobooks, Librivox is a good place to start. The site has many volunteers that work to release quality recordings of classic books. All the titles here are absolutely free, which is good news for those of us who've had to pony up ridiculously high fees for substandard audiobooks.
Use the New Releases RSS feed with a feed reader service to stay on top of new additions.
Easily readable format.
You can read right in the browser.
No account necessary.
Bare bones website.
Lacks books in foreign languages (except some German).
Lacks advanced search features.
Authorama offers a good selection of free books from a variety of authors, both current and classic. They're organized alphabetically by the author’s last name and are written in HTML and XHTML, which means they're in an easily readable format. Most books here are featured in English, but there are quite a few German language texts as well.
This site offers up a good selection of high-quality, free books you can read right in your browser. These are books in the public domain, which means they're freely accessible and allowed to be distributed. In other words, you don't need to worry if you're looking at something illegal.
The website is really simple to use, but maybe too simple. The search box is basic and the only other way to find books is by scrolling through the author list. But, you don't need a user account to read these titles online, and they're all formatted nicely.
Project Gutenberg
Over 60,000 titles available.
Wide variety of formats.
Top 100 list aids discoverability.
Majority of books are in English only.
Books may not be free outside the U.S.
Project Gutenberg is one of the largest and oldest sources for free books on the web, with over 60,000 downloadable titles available in a wide variety of formats. The vast majority are released in English, but there are other languages available.
If you already know what you're looking for, search the database by author name, title, language, or subjects. You can also check out the top 100 list to see what other people are downloading .
Google Play Books
Saves books in your online account.
Read from the website or the mobile app.
Requires a Google account.
If you like to read ebooks through Google Books, you'll be pleased to know that there's a full page of just free titles.
Google lists the top 100 free books available on Google Play through the link below. The side menu on that page lets you easily find all the free textbooks they offer, which include popular classics from authors like Oscar Wilde, Charles Dickens, Edith Wharton, Edgar Allan Poe, Jane Austen, H.G. Wells, Homer, etc.
Books you "download" through this site appear in your Google Play Books account , where they're readable online, through the mobile app, and offline if you decide to export the book to a file.
International Children's Digital Library
Large collection of international children's books.
Search by country, recently added, and more.
The books are actually just images of scanned pages.
Some pages are too large to read comfortably.
Browse through a wide selection of high-quality free books for children at International Children's Digital Library (ICDL). These are scans of physical books, so each page is a separate image you can scroll through and read.
On the home page are helpful links so you can browse the library by language, character, shape, format, genre, and more.
Archive.org's eBooks and Texts
Books across a wide variety of interests.
You can sort by view count or popularity.
Several downloading options.
It can be difficult finding exactly what you want from numerous search results.
Site can be slow to respond.
From the Internet Archive at Archive.org, eBooks and Texts is a library of fiction, popular books, children's books, historical texts, and academic books. The free books on this site span every possible interest.
You can sort these books by view count to see the most popular ones, as well as by title or date published. Another way to find free books to read here is through collections such as California Digital Library , Getty Research Institute , and Boston Public Library .
There are usually several download options if you don't want to read the book online, such as PDF, EPUB, and Kindle.
Hundreds of thousands of pieces of content available to read.
Audio available for certain texts.
User-submitted content could vary in quality.
Technically, there are no books on this site.
Wikisource is an online library of user-submitted and maintained content. While you won't technically find books on this site, there are still hundreds of thousands of pieces of content available to read, and some are in an ebook form.
Wikisource:Index is a good place to browse the options.
No login necessary.
EPUB downloads.
Browse public domain books by category.
Ad-free website.
Helpful sort and filter options.
Other parts of the site have books that cost.
Search tool mixes in paid and free books.
Feedbooks is another excellent source for public domain book downloads. There are thousands of titles that are 100% free and can be saved to your device in moments without needing a user account.
A sorting menu lets you arrange the list of books by release date or best selling, and filters help you locate books in a particular genre, in a specific language, and more.
Wikimedia Cookbook offers a worldwide collection of recipes.
Wikijunior offers books for children 12 and under.
Offers community features like a forum.
Mostly just textbooks.
Small collection.
Not all of the books are completed.
Wikibooks is an open collection of mostly textbooks. Subjects range from computer and engineering to science, humanities, languages, and more. Every book has a list of contents and other information to give you a solid idea of what it's about.
The best way to read these books is to download them with the PDF option.
The Featured Books and Stacks/Departments pages are good places to start if you're not sure what to browse for.
Open Library
Good alternative if Archive.org isn't working for you.
Multiple formats available.
Readers can "sponsor" books they want to see on the site.
Just pulls results from Archive.org.
Sponsoring requires a donation.
Open Library is a search tool that pulls data from Internet Archive. You might use it if Archive.org (listed above) isn't helping you find the right book. You can search hundreds of thousands of books here, and most are in multiple formats such as PDF, ePub, Daisy, and DjVu.
You can search for ebooks specifically by checking the Ebooks option after running a search.
Sacred Texts
Large collection of free religious texts.
There's a random button for when you just want to read something.
You can save pages to read offline.
Text is quite small.
Sacred Texts contains the web’s largest collection of free books about religion, mythology, folklore, and the esoteric in general.
You can view a list of all the books by title or author. You can also browse by category or search for a book title, author, or subject. There's even a random button if you're unsure what to look for.
Every book is available online from their website. You can save each page if you want an offline version.
Good place to find presentations, infographics, and more.
Lots of non-free content.
Limited download options.
Registration required.
SlideShare is another site with both free and paid books. It's an online forum where anyone can upload a digital presentation on any subject. Millions of people utilize SlideShare for research, sharing ideas, and learning about new technologies.
The site supports documents and PDF files, all available as free downloads. You have to log in to download these books, but registration is free.
Check out SlideShare's most popular titles for an idea of what people are reading.
Free-eBooks.net
Diverse selection of free books.
Also offers audiobooks.
Large number of categories.
You can only download five free books a month.
Free-eBooks.net offers a wonderfully diverse variety of free books, ranging from fiction and non-fiction to textbooks, academic text, classics, and more. Some of the subcategories include advertising, parenting, humor, science, engineering, self-teaching, sci-fi classics, and poems.
You have to register for a free user account to use this site, but only five books are free, so choose wisely.
Student Library
Welcome to Open Library's Student Library, a School Library designed for a k-12 audience. For more student-friendly material, please visit our resource guides .

Preschool | Kindergarten | Grades 1-2 | Grades 2-3 | Grades 3-4 | Grades 4-6
By Reading Level
Reading Level-Grade 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12
Grades K, 1 & 2

Grades 3, 4 & 5

Grades 6, 7 & 8

Grades 9 & 10

Preview Book
Grades 11 & 12.

Photo credit: Mitchell Maher
- Created January 4, 2023
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Where the World goes to read...
Audio Books
Thousands of mp3 titles, millions of ebooks, millions of articles, millennium collection.
World Public Library's Millennium Collection offers millions of books by the greatest writers of the last 1,000 years, works from America, Asia, Africa, and Europe, in over 300 different languages . Our collection includes books from every field of study including education, science, sociology, and technology.

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What Do You Like To Read?
Online book store that has a lot of free, popular & top category books for read & download, learn online.
The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said: “Whoever teaches some knowledge will have the reward of the one who acts upon it, without that detracting from his reward in the slightest.”
Free read & download Books from our online book store. important genres like Health , History , Novels , Politics , Science , Information Technology and many more subjects.
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سیرت خاتم النبیین

The Cure of All Your Problems and Worries

Introduction to Islamic Banking and Finance

قادیانیت ثبوت حاضر ہیں

انوار محی الدین
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Android Programming Tutorials

Reham Khan's Autobiography

40 Spiritual Cures

Destructiveness of Alcohol

بیٹی کی پرورش
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شرح حدائق بخشش

مدارجُ النبوۃ جلد اوّل

القرآن الکریم - کنزالایمان مع خزائن العرفان

مدارجُ النبوۃ جلد دوم

شرح قصیدہ بردہ شریف
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Supplication / Dua / Prayer for Coronavirus Protection
Prayer for protection against infectious diseases and all kinds of harm

Cancer Prevention Tips
No one must die of cancer except out of carelessness !!

مختصر آداب شب عروسی
Shab-e-Aroosi

Subscribe Your Email Address and get updated with us. You’re in the right place. You’ll defiantly love our Genres Collection . If you have books, booklets or any article, send us the scanned-copies / word or PDF files. Books Library is a great place to promote your books.

Free read and download Books from our online book store over 3000 unique books to discover.
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Apple Books
Read, listen, discover. all in one place..
Apple Books is the single destination for all the books and audiobooks you love — and all the ones you’ll love next. Browse the Book Store and Audiobook Store to find the perfect book to read or listen to. Track what you’ve read and want to read, and set your own Reading Goals — all in one app and across all your Apple devices.
Reading Now. Your digital nightstand.
The Reading Now tab makes it easy to get to the right page in an instant, whether you’re immersed in a single story or bouncing between books. It’s also where you’ll find personalized recommendations based on what you’ve been reading.
Your library, your way.
Organize your library any way you like. With collections, every one of your books is right where you want it. Create your own collections and get to them easily at any time. You can also revisit an old favorite you’ve already read in the Finished collection.
So many books, so much in store.
Swipe from book to book to see which book covers, descriptions, and reviews catch your eye, then add the books you’re interested in to your Want to Read list. Choose from today’s bestsellers, check out lists curated by Apple Books editors, or get recommendations based on what you’ve been listening to or reading.
Listen while you work. Or play. Or drive.
With audiobooks available on CarPlay, Apple Watch, and more, it’s easy to transport yourself to another world during your commute or learn something new on a run.
Search the books you own. Browse millions more.
Now you can find just the book you’re looking for easier and faster than ever. Search through the Book Store and your personal library at the same time. You can return to your recent searches or tap a search suggestion to discover something entirely new.
A Reading Goal you can’t put down.
Setting a Reading Goal helps make reading a priority by tracking the amount of time you’re reading or listening to an audiobook. Build strong reading habits and celebrate your achievements — whether that’s a daily goal, a new streak length record, or how many books you’ve read this year.
Publish to Apple Books.
Stories are important. Apple Books for Authors helps you tell yours. Apple Books for Authors guides you through every step of your journey as an author, from structuring your story to packaging your digital book and selling it on our store. Even established authors will find valuable resources on how to grow sales and track performance.
8 Of The Best Websites To Find And Download eBooks For Free
Posted: November 4, 2023 | Last updated: November 4, 2023
If you're an avid reader or audiobook listener, you've probably explored Amazon and similar sites for your next great read. However, did you know there's a treasure trove of free books available at your fingertips?
While there are dedicated e-readers, the associated costs of purchasing books through their platforms can get pricey. The good news is that the following websites are great places where bookworms can find and download ebooks -- and even audiobooks -- for absolutely free. If you're missing the library vibe, several of these sites allow users to borrow digital titles, just like you would at your local public library.
Of course, clicking on a link that promises free products online can sometimes feel risky. However, rest assured that every site mentioned in this list has been verified to genuinely provide free ebooks or audiobooks in various file formats. Additionally, these sites are user-friendly and completely legal for downloading content -- after all, nothing is worse than clicking on a free link only to receive a free virus or a DMCA violation.
Modern technology has made it easier than ever to read a wide range of books and grow your digital library without breaking the bank. Here are eight of the best websites to find and download ebooks for free.
Read more: 12 Things You Should Stop Doing On Your Android Phone Immediately
For free physical books, you turn to your local library. For free ebooks, the solution is OverDrive , a digital library platform offering patrons access to a vast collection at no cost.
Overdrive is a system used by public libraries around the world. It makes it easy for you to find the books you're looking for and download them directly to your Kindle or device, completely free of charge. The system works just like a library. To sign up, simply input your local library account information and then select which books you want to check out. The books are then downloaded directly to your device for a set duration, usually about two weeks. When it's time to return the book, the lending license expires and is automatically made unavailable so that the next person can download it.
While OverDrive provides a convenient and legal avenue to access fresh ebooks outside the public domain, there is a limitation to note. Due to copyright restrictions, each ebook has a set number of licenses available for lending. This means that, at times, you might encounter a waitlist for popular titles. The system ensures copyright compliance, preventing unlimited duplications of a single ebook. So, while OverDrive offers an exceptional free and legal resource for the latest reads, you just may have to wait in line for really popular titles.
Internet Archive: Open Library
Have you ever considered the monumental task of archiving the entire internet? While it may seem impossible, that's exactly what the Internet Archive is attempting. Founded in 1996 during the rise of public internet access, the Internet Archive: Open Library is an online library and repository whose mission is to archive as much of the digital world as possible, including websites, music, and ebooks.
The Internet Archive is the largest repository of historic website data with snapshots dating back to 1996 that capture the evolution of websites over time. You could spend hours reliving the '90s internet in the Wayback Machine . The site's digital library has an impressive collection of both public domain titles and copyrighted works shared with appropriate permissions. All content on their platform is accessible to the public at no cost.
The site hosts millions of books and different texts that are freely available for download, making it one of the easiest places to find free ebooks online.
Google Play Books
Google Play Books is another easy way to fill your digital shelves with paid and free ebooks. The app is incredibly intuitive, making it easy to store and organize your digital library by genre, series, or any other criteria. If you do end up purchasing a book, it stays with your account forever, granting access to it on any of your devices. The app also has a massive library of free ebooks that anyone can access with their Google account.
It may take a bit of looking and adjusting filters in their store, but Google Play Books has over 10 million free ebooks available for download. There's no cost or subscription fee. Users can simply browse through the listings and choose the ones they want to appear in their Google Library.
Many of the titles for free are public domain works that are free from copyright laws. This category includes timeless classics and favorites such as the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. However, the free offerings don't stop at the classics. Google Play Books also showcases an extensive list of contemporary works that have been submitted by authors or requested to be made publicly available.
From acclaimed New York Times best-selling authors to budding literary talents, Google Play Books has something for everyone. You can also take advantage of their occasional promotions, where you can snag modern titles at a steal or even for free.
BookBub isn't a library or an ebook repository, but signing up for an account will definitely help you find ebooks for cheap -- and occasionally even for free. When major platforms like Google Play host flash sales or offer ebooks at reduced prices, BookBub monitors the retailers and sends out alerts to subscribers.
Upon registering with BookBub, users can specify their literary preferences by genre or book type. That way, whenever a deal aligns with your reading tastes, BookBub promptly notifies you about the discounted price and the corresponding retailer. This makes BookBub an easy way to fill up your hard drive with free and legally downloaded ebooks.
Beyond mere alerts, BookBub fosters a vibrant community of avid readers. The platform encourages user-generated content, including book recommendations tailored to your favorites. For instance, if you're a fan of "The Lord of the Rings," fellow users might suggest diving into "The Wheel of Time" series. It's a friendly community of book lovers, and most are more than happy to chat about their favorites.
Drawing from its Latin roots, Libri (books) and Vox (voice), LibriVox is a vast repository that offers a plethora of free audiobooks to the public.
Largely, the collection at LibriVox contains public domain works, making it less likely to offer contemporary titles. The platform's main mission is to ensure audiobooks are available to anyone with an internet connection. This is a daunting task since audiobooks typically require extensive production and drastically increase the price of a book. However, LibriVox manages to offer them at no cost, thanks to the dedication of volunteers who record the books. These volunteers range from ardent fans of the literature to professionals, ensuring a rich and immersive listening experience.
For those who prefer a synchronized reading experience, LibriVox often provides links to the exact text referenced during the audio recording, consolidating the search for both ebooks and audiobooks . The platform's admirable mission has significantly expanded public access to literary works. For those inspired by the cause, LibriVox welcomes new voices, offering an opportunity to volunteer and contribute to their ever-growing collection.
Initially established in France, Feedbooks has grown into a globally-recognized digital library and publisher. It works similarly to Google Play Books in that it offers a wide range of ebooks, both paid and free.
On Feedbooks, users can easily access thousands of free ebooks, either through their user-friendly app or their online platform. Once a book is downloaded, it remains in the user's account, available for direct reading via the app. Additionally, like other online book retailers, Feedbooks periodically offers special deals and flash sales, giving opportunities to get books at substantial discounts or entirely for free.
What sets Feedbooks apart is that they don't specifically cater to English text. While many platforms provide ebooks in various languages, Feedbooks prioritizes offering a wide linguistic range. This includes, but isn't limited to, French, Ukrainian, and Spanish. Furthermore, to cater to diverse reading preferences, their ebooks are available in formats compatible with Android, Kindle , and Apple devices.
Manybooks began as a platform to help fledgling authors publish their works and gain a following. It has since evolved into a comprehensive repository for ebooks. All of the books on the site are completely free and legal to download.
While Manybooks collection includes a wide range of public domain works, the best part is how the site helps to promote new authors. It is used as a starting point for authors to publicize their books, get feedback from readers, and start to build an audience. Many authors will post the first book in a series for free as a strategy to engage readers and solicit feedback. This approach paves the way for readers to discover lesser-known yet talented writers.
Using Manybooks is very easy, thanks to its intuitive interface. Users can easily filter their searches by genre or explore unique combinations. It's a great way to explore works that you may not otherwise find. Beyond its free library, Manybooks also curates newsletters and author spotlights to aid subscribers in finding interesting reads.
Project Gutenberg
Established in 1971, Project Gutenberg has been a pioneering force in the free distribution of ebooks to the public. Its enduring mission is "To encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks."
Named after the Gutenberg press, its founder, Michael Hart, envisioned the computer's important role in storing and spreading information, particularly books and literature. He recognized that once digitized, information could be endlessly replicated and shared, enriching society through free access.
Today, Project Gutenberg offers thousands of public domain works and legally submitted content for download within the United States. For those outside the US, it's crucial to check your nation's copyright laws before downloading.
Beyond ebooks in various formats, Project Gutenberg also provides a diverse range of audiobooks. This collection includes both human-narrated audiobooks by volunteers and voice actors, as well as AI-generated readings, offering users a broad spectrum of listening experiences that might otherwise not be available.
Read the original article on SlashGear .
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Visit the Library From the Comfort of Your Own Phone
With a free library card and the right app, you can check out e-books, audiobooks and more from your local branch.

By J. D. Biersdorfer
J.D. Biersdorfer is the author or co-author of eight books on consumer technology and has spent a lot of time in public and academic libraries.
Public libraries have lent e-books to patrons for more than 20 years , but many have widened their electronic offerings with digital audiobooks, magazines, comics, videos and other services, even before the pandemic helped shift collections online. If you are curious about what your local library can lend from its digital shelves but never got around to signing up for a free library card — or connecting your existing card to an account — here’s how to get started.
Locate Your Library
If you are not sure where to find your nearest library, search online or enter your town’s name into the Library Finder website or the “Find Libraries and Archives” page at USA.gov . Once you find a library, check its website for information about signing up for a library card and the possibility of borrowing e-books and other materials. Links to “Digital Collections” or “Online Resources” or even “Get a Library Card” on the library’s home page should get you started.
Libraries have varying requirements for a card. Some may allow you to fully sign up online; others may want proof of your address from uploaded documents, phone numbers or geolocation data; and some libraries prefer you sign up for a library card in person at the nearest branch.
If you do not have a nearby branch, some city libraries allow anyone living in the state to sign up for a card, so check the residency requirements. The Brooklyn Public Library , the New York Public Library and the Queens Public Library systems allow people who live, work, pay property taxes or attend school in the state of New York to get a card. Statewide libraries exist beyond New York, like the Free Library of Philadelphia , which is open to Pennsylvania residents, and the Houston Public Library , which serves most Texans.
Once you complete the sign-up process for a library card, you get a user name or number, as well as a PIN or passcode to log into the library’s site.
Get the App
Most libraries manage their electronic materials through apps like Libby , SimplyE and cloudLibrary . Some use apps like PressReader , Hoopla or Kanopy for lending digital magazines and videos; look for instructions on the library’s site for what items it offers for lending and the apps you need for borrowing. Once you have the app installed, log in your library user name and password and start browsing for things to borrow. If you already have a library card, use your card number to sign into the app.
As with borrowing physical items, you may have to wait if all the copies of a certain book or audiobook are already checked out by others. Loan periods will vary. You typically use your borrowed materials in the library’s designated app, but you may also see an option to send a borrowed book to your Amazon Kindle .
Some apps allow you to add multiple libraries or multiple library cards to increase your borrowing options. Along with e-book lending tools, some institutions also have their own custom apps for reserving physical copies of books and DVDs, browsing research collections and posting announcements of library events.
Browse Beyond Books
Apps make exploring a library’s main collection easy to do from a mobile device, but you can often dive deeper into the holdings from the organization’s full website; a bigger screen may help here. The offerings will vary based on the library and not everything may be digitized, but you might find maps, genealogy tools, research databases, digitized photos, high school yearbooks and archived newspapers .
In some cases, you can save and print items from the digital gallery. However, you may need to visit the physical library to use certain resources, like subscription genealogy services.
Many institutions also offer a Library of Things for local cardholders to borrow — like tech gear, board games , tools and cookware. Check your library’s website for a list of services.
Nationwide Libraries
You can also browse digitized items from a number of national libraries. The Digital Collections page on the Library of Congress site is a good place to start for historical photos and other content.
The Internet Archive hosts millions of digital videos, audio recordings, images, books and old software programs, and LibriVox hosts public domain audiobooks.
The Digital Public Library of America , a platform that groups free libraries and archives around the country into one place, has a searchable database of more than 49 million texts, images, audio recordings and videos on its site.
While browsing collections online may not match the thrill for those who prefer to experience the library in person, digital libraries do have their advantages — including the ability to stay open 24 hours a day for people who just don’t want to stop exploring.
J.D. Biersdorfer has been writing about consumer technology for The Times since 1998. She also creates the weekly interactive literary quiz for the Book Review and occasionally contributes reviews. More about J. D. Biersdorfer
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Los Angeles Public Library
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The library will be closed Friday, November 10 and Saturday, November 11 in observance of Veterans Day.
Indie-Pendent Voices: A Celebration of Authors and Zines

Saturday, November 4, from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. at Central Library
Join us for a day of panel discussions, workshops, and other activities celebrating the written word, self-expression, and DIY culture.
- Meet the Creators
Still want more to do? Why not sign up for the My L.A.: Year-End Reading Challenge , which kicks off during Indie-Pendent Voices on November 4 and runs through December 31.
More Information
- The Los Angeles Public Library does not own or operate public parking facilities in the vicinity of the Central Library. Limited reduced-rate parking is available at the parking garage located at 524 South Flower St., directly underneath Central Library.
- Parking validation for this parking garage is available at the Information Desk. Parking validation rates of $1, payable at the parking garage only between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays.
- Westlawn Garage 524 S. Flower St.
- Flat rate with library validation $1
Public Transportation
- Public transportation is highly encouraged. The Metro A (Blue), B (Red), and D (Purple) Lines have stops near Central Library. Most buses that come downtown stop near the Central Library. Check the Metro website for rates, routes, and schedules.
- Downtown residents are encouraged to take the DASH “B” route to Central Library. Service runs every 10 minutes from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visit ladottransit.com/dash for more info.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is admission.
The event is free and open to all. All activities, author programs, and workshops are free
Do I need to register?
No, but select in-person programs have limited capacity and will be filled on a first-come-first-served basis for attendance.
Where will the event take place?
Indie-Pendent Voices will take place in various areas of the Los Angeles Central Library, including Mark Taper Auditorium, Octavia Lab, Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Annenberg Annex, and Teen’Scape.
Is there going to be food?
The festival will not be providing food, however there are many food options in Downtown Los Angeles around Central Library.
Do I need a library card?
A library card is not needed to attend the event. If you don’t already have a Los Angeles Public Library card, we encourage you to sign up for one at the Circulation desk located on the first floor. Library cards are free to residents of California, and the Los Angeles Public Library no longer charges late fines! Parking validation will require a library card.
Will I be able to purchase books?
Yes, The Library Store will be in the Annenberg Annex from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. with select Indie Author and Zine titles for sale.
Is the festival ADA-compliant?
Yes. Central Library is fully accessible throughout the building. Flower and Fifth Street entrances have ramps. For ADA accommodations, call (213) 228-7430 at least 72 hours prior to the event.
Will author signings be available?
Yes, this year, author signings will be offered from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
COVID Safety: As of Monday, October 3, 2022, masks are no longer required in city libraries; like in other indoor places, masks are still strongly encouraged.
Are you an author or community organization interested in participating in 2024?
Contact us below if you're an author or the representative of an organization interested in participating in next year's (2024) Indie-Pendent Voices celebration. Opportunities include hosting a program, workshop, or tabling.
- 2024 Interest Form
Indie-Pendent Voices Community Partners and Sponsors

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Book Club! Join us for How Minds Change: The Surprising Science of Belief, Opinion, and Persuasion by David McRaney
Join your colleagues for a usually spirited discussion…no matter what the title. This year’s Go Big Read selection: How Minds Change: The Surprising Science of Belief, Opinion and Persuasion promises much food for thought! Register here.
- International edition
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British Library suffering major technology outage after cyber-attack
Access to the website and services at its sites in London and Yorkshire are unavailable, the library said
The British Library is suffering a technology outage after it was hit by a cyber-attack, which is affecting services online and its sites in London and Yorkshire.
Access to the website, as well as the catalogue and digital collections, is temporarily unavailable. The collection of items ordered on or after 27 October, new collection item orders via digital catalogues and reading room PCs are also inaccessible, it said. Reader registration is also unavailable.
The British Library said on Tuesday it had launched an investigation into the incident with the support of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and other cybersecurity specialists.
A statement said: “The British Library is experiencing a major technology outage, as a result of a cyber incident. This is affecting online systems and services, our website, and onsite services including our reading rooms. We are investigating the incident with the support of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and cybersecurity specialists.”
The library revealed that it was experiencing “technical issues” on Saturday on X, formerly known as Twitter, and said that public wifi was down. It later said it expected the issues “to continue for the next few days”. Public wifi access is now back.
Collection items ordered on or before 26 October are still available to pick up and there is very limited manual collection item ordering available in St Pancras for items stored onsite via the library’s printed catalogues.
The exhibition Fantasy: Realms of Imagination is still open to the public, and tickets can be purchased on site with cash only.
The statement continued: “We are very grateful for the support and understanding we have had from our users, staff and partners. The library’s sites remain fully open to the public and details on the services that remain available can be found via @britishlibrary on X.
The British Library, the UK’s national library, is one of the largest libraries in the world. It holds more than 150m items, including 13.5m printed books and e-books, rare manuscripts, maps, stamps, sound recordings, photographs and music.
after newsletter promotion
The library recently revealed that in a “major milestone”, the entire collection of Geoffrey Chaucer’s works were being made available in digital format after the completion of a two-and-a-half-year project to upload 25,000 images of the often elaborately illustrated mediaeval manuscripts.
The library asked users to “please bear with us while we gather more information” on the cyber-attack and said it would provide updates about the situation as regularly as it could.
- British Library
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In Suffield, a ruckus over a library book spills into political races

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This story has been updated.
Ari, the protagonist in the book “What Are Your Words,” has a conundrum: they don’t know what pronouns to use today.
“She” and “her” feel too “sharp and crackly” while “he” and “him” feel too “squirmy and wiggly.” Ari walks with their uncle through the neighborhood, learning what words others use to describe themselves before finding that “they/them” feel like the right pronouns for the day.
A satisfying end for Ari, perhaps. But when the children’s book was displayed prominently in the Kent Memorial Library in Suffield earlier this fall, a ruckus ensued that has since spilled over into the municipal elections.
It began when a resident said they didn’t want children exposed to the book.
The book teaches kids about pronouns and was included in a display about kindness in the children’s section of the library, said Julie Styles, the former library director in Suffield.
First Selectman Colin Moll wanted to take what he viewed as a middle-ground approach: Moll decided to tell the library director to take the book off the display and put it back on the shelves. He viewed it as a compromise between the town resident and the librarian, who thought removing the book was antithetical to her professional ethics.
“I thought it was a balanced approach, right or wrong,” Moll said. “Some people thought it was the greatest thing, and some people thought it was the worst thing to do. So it was a no-win.”
“You’re trying to silence ideas and to kind of hide away books about certain people or books that address certain topics,” Styles said. “That’s very much against our professional ethos.”
The decision kicked off a chain of events that led to Styles’ resignation, news articles about the small-town library and prompted Moll’s opponent, Rick Sotil, who is unaffiliated with a political party, to run for office. The issue has hit home with many voters, and some running for local office have discussed it as a piece of their campaign platform.
Book banning and censorship has been on the rise in the United States over recent months, largely driven by organized groups that have requested banning of hundreds of books across the country, said Emily Drabinski, president of the American Library Association.
The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom , which tracks challenges to library materials and programming, saw 695 challenges to 1,915 titles from January to August, a 20% increase from the same time last year. Most of those challenges were books that were written by or about a person of color or a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
It’s a national political talking point that’s largely being addressed at local levels. It’s a piece of the conversation in elections both in Connecticut towns and across the country, said Sarah McCusker, president of the Connecticut Library Association.

Moll doesn’t view his decision as censorship. He got a complaint and addressed it in what he viewed as a compromise. The book is still available on the shelf; it was just taken down from a display. It’s an attitude he takes toward the rest of his governance: middle ground is always best.
He says he’s used that approach in other town issues, such as excessive speeding on some streets or drainage problems on others, and viewed the library issue as just another problem to address.
“I’m OK with the decision I made, right or wrong,” Moll said. “I made the decision, and I’m sticking with it.”
But library professionals say the library is meant as a resource, so different families can find answers to questions and support for their life experiences in stories.
“When you take something out of people’s view, you may think that you are doing that to protect them from something, but you’re also sending a message to the people that would benefit from this book that their stories, their lives are less important,” Styles said.
Moll said he read the book in question and didn’t have personal objections. But he knew that some people were concerned that it wasn’t age-appropriate to talk to young children about gender.
“Just because I don’t know what ‘ze’ and ‘zir’ means, it doesn’t mean somebody doesn’t have the right to use them,” Moll said. “But my opinion, when it comes to this kind of stuff, doesn’t matter. That balance in the community is what matters and the opinions of everybody.”
Library professionals, including Styles, said they believed the decision about displays should be up to professional librarians who are qualified to curate a selection of books.
“He believes it’s not censorship,” Styles said, referring to Moll. “But you’re really restricting certain ideas and prioritizing certain ideas over others.”

What happened in Suffield
About 18 miles north of Hartford and bordering Massachusetts, Suffield has flip-flopped between voting for Democrats and Republicans with thin margins. In 2016, half of votes went to Donald Trump and 44% were for Hillary Clinton. In 2020, Joe Biden took the town with a thin margin: 50% to 48%.
Moll, a Republican, was elected in 2021, defeating Democrat Melissa Mack in her run for a third term. The town has a population of nearly 16,000, about 80% of whom are white, and has a median income of about $116,000 annually, well over the state median of about $80,000.
The Kent Memorial Library is nestled on Main Street next to a bank and a coffee shop. It’s sometimes a bustling afternoon stop where children play with toy trains next to paintings of woodland creatures, engrossed in their books. Teenagers study nearby, and the occasional patron wanders in to check out their next read.
Styles came on board as the library’s director in late summer 2022, and the issue with “What Are Your Words” came soon after. The library has a form that patrons who want to object to a book can fill out, but at the time of the complaint, the form and accompanying policy dealt only with removing books from the library.
Moll said he believed it was within his authority as first selectman to have the book taken off the display.
Styles said she strongly objected to the decision but ultimately did as he asked.
The discussion among town officials about how to deal with this issue was wide-ranging, said Austin Roberts, Library Commission chair. Some thought that if books about LGBTQ+ issues were displayed, the library should also be required to display the “opposite perspective.”
“It is impossible to have equal and opposite views of every single book on a library shelf,” Roberts said. “To argue that we have to have it in one specific area, to argue that we have to apply that to LGBTQ+ books and not to other books is, I believe, inappropriate.”
Public meetings?
The other issue sprang up around the library’s reservations calendar. When outside groups would reserve a space in the library, the public-facing online reservation wouldn’t include details about who reserved the room.
Moll asked Styles to start putting information online that included the name of the person or group that reserved the room, in the interest of transparency, he said. The request came close to the same time that other members of the board of selectmen were asking about a specific group — an activist group called the Anti Bias, Anti Racist Suffield , or ABAR.
Selectmen were asking library staff about details of the meeting, including what they talked about, which Styles said seemed strange and politically motivated.
Moll and Roberts say the timing was a coincidence, but because they were so close, Styles initially thought it was fishy.
She eventually did what Moll asked and sent along the information, but she said she was called in for a conversation about her “insubordination” with human resources.
“In the case of the book that was on display and in the case of the meeting rooms, I did do what he asked me to do … but I had disagreed with him in both cases,” she said.
“I realized that going forward, if more requests came my way to do things that I disagreed with, I could eventually possibly be fired.”
Rather than risk it, she resigned.
Moll says he believes he works in a fair way overseeing the various departments. He doesn’t think he interferes too much and tries to work with them to resolve conflicts in the town.

National issues becoming local
The problem with the book that launched the saga is not new. Roberts said that the town had gotten requests to take books out of the library before, typically all from the same person, and typically right after Pride Month, a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community.
Many of the increasing number of book challenges in Connecticut have been by or about LGBTQ+ people, McCusker said. They’ve been in both school and public libraries. Many appear to be from people who found an online list of books and requested bans.
McCusker said they’d learned about book challenges in school when she was becoming a librarian, but it didn’t immediately seem like something that would happen. There have always been challenges, but they’ve greatly increased in number, she said.
“It always seemed like something kind of abstract that happens someplace else, but it does happen here, and it has always happened here,” McCusker said.
From January to August, there were 14 book challenges of 109 titles in Connecticut, according to online data from the American Library Association.
States and localities across the country have seen book challenges used as a political issue nationally, although it’s typically enacted at the local level, said Trish Crouse, a University of New Haven professor of political science.
“You have sort of these small voices who are guiding policy when it comes to banning books, and I don’t believe as a political scientist that that’s really the way we should be making policy decisions,” Crouse said.
Other national talking points have trickled down to local politics in Connecticut such as critical race theory or parental rights.
“I think there’s a stigma attached to local elections that they’re meaningless, and I think that couldn’t be further from the truth,” Crouse said. “These are the elections that really do affect our daily lives.”
A local election
Suffield officials are still deciding some of the best ways to deal with disputes about library displays, and since Styles’ October resignation, no interim director has been appointed. Much of that decision making will likely depend on the results of Tuesday’s election, because members of the board of selectmen are up for reelection, Roberts said.
The Democratic Town Committee had signs in support of the library made, which chairman Tom Frenaye said they’ll leave up past the election.
The committee didn’t put anyone up for the first selectman race. Frenaye said it’s tough to find people who want to run for the office. It’s a two-year term. The lack of stability makes it difficult to find someone who is willing to take a couple of years out of their career to run for the office.
“We twisted some arms and still came up with nobody who felt strongly enough that they wanted to do it,” Frenaye said.
He added that while he doesn’t think Moll is perfect, he’s “fairly good.”
Moll’s opponent, Sotil, said he decided to run because of the issues with the library. His family immigrated to the United States from Cuba, and he said the book challenges reminded him of the communist movement in Cuba.
“I’m paying it forward, and now I’m fighting for the constitution, and what really bothers me is that this political party in town supports banning that book,” he said. “I’m flabbergasted.”
“If you don’t like a book that’s on the shelf, don’t read it.”
He also wants to push for more transparency in public meetings by ensuring that they’re always available online with higher audio quality.
Moll said he wasn’t concerned about the challenge and said that Sotil doesn’t really live in town.
Sotil said he lives in a warehouse he owns in Suffield.
Jerry Mahoney, an incumbent Republican candidate for Board of Selectmen, took issue in an article in the Suffield Observer with the book’s contents, claiming it violated the First Amendment to put it on display.
“The display violated Suffield residents’ First Amendment rights by endorsing one viewpoint in a topic of public debate and by excluding other viewpoints, for example, that gender is fixed, or limited to male and female, or that children should seek guidance from their parents,” Mahoney wrote in the article. “Provide viewpoint neutrality and let residents decide for themselves.”
Meanwhile, Democrat Mel Chafetz expressed his support for the library and concern over how politics was affecting the institution as well as schools.
“People take on issues without examining their complexities or become rigid in their positions and argumentative,” he said.
Sandra Janik, an ABAR member and member of the town’s Pride group, said she thinks Sotil has a good chance. The issues with the library have people stirred up, she said.
She’s been door-knocking for the election, and said she’s heard from people on both sides of the issue — including some Democrats who are voting for Moll. In other instances, she’s seen yard signs for Republican candidates and Sotil.
The controversy over the library has stacked up with other incidents, including a debate over whether to fly a pride flag outside the library and incidents with swastikas graffitied in town, to make her worry that it’s becoming an unwelcoming place.
“It impacts me because it’s my community,” Janik said. “I care. I love Suffield. I want everybody to be able to love it.”
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that library commission members were up for reelection on Tuesday. They are appointed, not elected.
Ginny Monk Housing and Children's Issues Reporter
Ginny is CT Mirror's children's issues and housing reporter and a Report for America corps member. She covers a variety of topics ranging from child welfare to affordable housing and zoning. Ginny grew up in Arkansas and graduated from the University of Arkansas' Lemke School of Journalism in 2017. She began her career at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette where she covered housing, homelessness, and juvenile justice on the investigations team. Along the way Ginny was awarded a 2019 Data Fellowship through the Annenberg Center for Health Journalism at the University of Southern California. She moved to Connecticut in 2021.

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