Hi, friends!
In celebration of World Book Day in Ireland and the UK which is 7 March 2024, we’re taking a world tour of online libraries!
I’m sure many of you are having the time of your lives doing your mobility program overseas and while you do love your local libraries in your host country, you may find that you’d like to have wider access to libraries in further corners of the world. Well, you’re in luck! Today, let’s deep-dive into our extensive list of online libraries and resources. After reading, I hope you will tell us some of your favorite online libraries, resources, ebooks or audiobooks!
ONLINE LIBRARIES & RESOURCES
Tip: Click on EACH resource’s name so that you can go directly to their websites.
Libby – Now, let’s start with one of my all-time favorite resources! LIBBY! I use it nearly every day to listen to audiobooks. With Libby, you can access the app from your phone as well as from your laptop via their website.
Thousands of libraries offer ebooks and audiobooks for free! All you have to have is a library card to access that particular library’s catalog. If you have more than one library card (like I do!), you can register your cards with Libby and have access to multiple catalogs at once. :D
Europeana – Europe's digital library stands out because they share and promote Europe's digital cultural heritage to be used and enjoyed by everyone for learning, for work, or just for fun. Enjoy access to millions of items from providing institutions across Europe where you’ll discover artworks, books, music, and videos on art, newspapers, archaeology, fashion, science, sport, just to name a few. “Anyone interested in literature, art, science, politics, history, architecture, music or cinema will have free and fast access to Europe's greatest collections and masterpieces in a single virtual library through a web portal available in all EU languages.”
Source: Europeana
Project Gutenberg – Project Gutenberg is a library of over 70,000 free eBooks. Here, you can choose free epub and other eBooks to download or read online. Get ready to be wowed by having access the world’s great literature. Unique to Project Gutenberg, their resources focus on older works for which U.S. copyright has expired.
Thanks to thousands of volunteers, these works have been digitized and diligently proofread for you to enjoy. With Project Gutenberg, there is no fee or need to register and you don’t need a special app – so join today!
Digital Public Library of America – If you’re ready to explore more of the United States more deeply, the DPLA provides free digital access to millions of images, texts, videos, and sounds from across the United States. Grab a cup of tea and wind your way through online exhibitions, primary source sets, and even banned books. You can search by topic, format, or location.
Archive.Org – Did you know that there is a website dedicated to preserving the Internet itself? Yep! The Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library that preserves and provides access to millions of free and borrowable books, movies, music and web pages. They’ve been archiving the web for 20 years! With Archive.org, you can explore the rich history and culture of the internet, or save a page for future reference. Are you ready to “search the history of over 866 billion web pages on the Internet?” Let’s goooo!
OverDrive – OverDrive offers digital content for libraries, schools and businesses. You can borrow ebooks, audiobooks, magazines and movies from your public library card or access through your workplace or university. Give it a try today!
WorldCat.org – If you’ve ever written a report, you’ve likely come across this steadfast resource. WorldCat is an excellent resource for finding items in libraries near you. Here you will learn how to create and add items to lists, export citations, and use facets to narrow your search criteria. Once you create a profile, you’ll have the basics of searching the world’s largest collection of information about materials in libraries at your fingertips.
The Open Library – Open Library is a project that aims to create a web page for every book ever published. Isn’t that wild?! You can read, borrow, and discover books from various genres, authors, and subjects for free through their Controlled Digital Lending.
Source: Open Library
Wiley Online Library – Hold on to your research hats because if you’re looking for a source dedicated to scientific research articles, journals, books, and more; you’ve come to the right place. The Wiley Online Library is one of the largest and most authoritative collections of online journals, books, and research resources, covering life, health, social, and physical sciences.
OVER TO YOU
What are some of your favorite online libraries and resources? Have you read an ebook or listened to an audiobook that you enjoyed from an online library? Click Reply and share them with us!
Ever curious,
Iya, OLS Community Manager - English