The Internet Archive Library: Borrow Books for Free Wherever You Are

A convenient (and cheap!) way of reading

Imagine having access to a library containing all sorts of books, magazines, newspapers, manuals, articles, etc. Now imagine you can do it from where you are right now. Free access. Sounds too good to be true?

Most of the time, when something sounds too good to be true, there’s a catch somewhere. Although not perfect, this impressive library exists. If you’re reading this article, you have the only requirement to access this fantastic resource, an internet connection. The Internet Archive Library is an American non-profit organisation that aims to provide universal access to all knowledge for anybody with an internet connection.

“Like a paper library, we provide free access to researchers, historians, scholars, people with print disabilities, and the general public. Our mission is to provide Universal Access to All Knowledge.” — from the library’s about page.

A brilliant discovery, but not perfect

I usually read on Kindle and get all the ebooks I want either directly from Amazon or alternative ebook sellers. Twice this year already, though, I couldn’t find a specific book I was looking for. That’s how I found out about the Internet Archive Library. I’m no stranger to the website itself, especially the magnificent Wayback Machine, which saves copies of almost all websites that have been online — they have over 800 billion web pages. But I never realised they also had books.

As it turns out, the Internet Archive’s Library has a vast selection of digital books — over 28 million English books and texts and another 10 million in several other languages. All you need is a free account, and you can borrow books for an hour (or 14 days) and read from any computer, phone, or tablet.

There’s a downside, though. Most books are only available for borrowing on their digital e-reader that you access through a browser. These are digitalised versions of the books, not proper ebooks. To digitalise the books, the library scans them page by page. So you get pictures on the screen — there’s no control of font sizes or clickable table of contents, for instance.

For books in the public domain, the library offers the possibility to download an epub or PDF (formats that can be read by most ereaders in the market). The PDFs are fine, as they contain the same scanned images as you get reading through the browser. I tried the epubs for a few titles in their archive and wouldn’t recommend them. Although they are available as epubs, the books are automatically converted to that format through optical character recognition, generating a lot of rubbish in the text. It doesn’t make for an enjoyable experience.

That means reading books from this library isn’t as comfortable as reading them from your physical ereader.

The best thing about ereaders such as the Kindle is that they use e-ink technology, which is very easy on the eyes, unlike the bright display of most screens. It makes for a comfortable reading experience, which isn’t always possible from traditional screens used on computers and phones. For people like me, having the option to change the font size is another incredible tool that much facilitates the reading experience. I can read for hours on my Kindle without getting a headache or watery eyes — I can’t say the same for my phone or computer.

An incredible resource

Despite its shortfalls, the library is a great resource. Although you don’t get a proper ebook to read from an ereader, you get good-quality scans of the books. It’s totally free and completely legal (unlike some shady websites that might have free ebooks too). Wherever you are in the world, you can access their impressive catalogue of books, newspapers, articles, magazines, and so much more. Their collection is mind-blowing, and they continue to improve and add more books daily — and you don’t have to pay a penny to take advantage of this service.

So many people in the world live in small villages and towns. They might have a small library, but sometimes there’s none. As long as there is internet access, perhaps through the small local library, people can get all these incredible works through The Internet Archive Library.

I didn’t grow up in a small village. It wasn’t a metropolis by any means, but it was big enough. There were several libraries around, but borrowing books wasn’t always easy, and the selection was limited. I wish I had access to this incredible resource when I was young and broke. It surely would’ve been a great way to get many of the books I always wanted to read.

I’m thrilled that such a magnificent library is at the fingertips of people all over the world. Of course, I know not everyone has an internet connection… I also understand that most of the works in the library are in English, and not everyone speaks the language. However, such limitations don’t change how magnificent this initiative is and how it spreads knowledge to people who wouldn’t have access otherwise. It’s also great for people like myself, who have access to public libraries and money to buy ebooks. I now have another method to access books, even harder to get ones, and that’s wonderful.

You should give it a try next time you’re looking for a book to read.