Digital Libraries

[3930dave]

In case anybody is running out of reading material......

7 digital libraries you can visit from your couch - CNN

^ from general, to esoteric.....

Haven't tried any of those yet, so can't comment on access conditions/restrictions.....

Rgds, D.

 

[drssg]

I have never used any of the options in that article, but they looked like good stuff.

The Kindle app also has quite a number of free books, with lots of old classics.

I've also used Project Gutenberg:
Gutenberg

My local library has a ton of stuff for digital checkout, and I suspect that's fairly common these days. On the positive side, this includes newer stuff that is still under copyright. On the down side, I have to stay focused and finish the book before the loan expires, and it may not be available for checkout when I want it.

For some reason, I'm reluctant to buy a book, unless it's something pretty special to me. It's really a cheap form of entertainment, so I'm not sure why I'm so thrifty in that area.

 

[MikeInEburg]

I have probably downloaded 500+ books over the past ten years, and can't say enough good things about the whole concept and process. It has immensely enriched my life with no out-of-pocket cost. What's not to love?

 

[3930dave]

I poked around a bit in the Online Exhibitions on that first CNN link yesterday.... going to the museum w/o leaving the couch . Some good stuff there....

Digital Public Library of America Haven't tried downloads there yet, but it looks like it's open to the world.

I like physical books enough that I should be shopping for more bookshelves, but there are various advantages to electronic versions.

Never any shortage of things to read ! :thumbsup:

Rgds, D.

 

[/pine]

If you have a local library check out OverDrive (Rakuten OverDrive): eBooks, audiobooks and videos for libraries * OverDrive (Rakuten OverDrive): eBooks, audiobooks and videos for libraries

I rarely ever sit in a chair and read...I'm usually lying down and it is so much easier to hold an e-reader with one hand, be able to "turn pages", not having to deal with left and right pages and holding a book open at different depths throughout the read...an e-reader is just so much more comfortable and simplified for me...On top of that if I finish a book and want to start another it takes a few seconds without getting up...

As for loading books...just drag and drop if the reader is not WiFi capable... .epub and .mobi files are simple to share via e-mail they are relatively small files...the average 350 page novel is usually less than 500K ...graphics add much more than plain text (maps, diagrams etc)