Archive.org opens huge ebook lending library

rogue_librarian · 02-23-2011, 04:57 PM

San Francisco, CA – Today, a group of libraries led by the Internet Archive announced a new, cooperative 80,000+ eBook lending collection of mostly 20th century books on OpenLibrary.org, a site where it’s already possible to read over 1 million eBooks without restriction.

(Source)

wyndslash · 02-23-2011, 05:04 PM

Ooh great! Too bad I won't be able to read them on a kindle

carld · 02-23-2011, 05:11 PM

As far as I can tell this brings nothing at all new to the table and is really pretty pointless. Their non-PD loans are done through Overdrive, so if your local library doesn't have the book you want you're out of luck. Why would I use OpenLibrary when I can do a better and faster search at my own library?

Any PD books they have will be available in any number of places. I honestly don't see the point of it.

wyndslash · 02-23-2011, 05:14 PM

PD? What's that?

Worldwalker · 02-23-2011, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wyndslash

PD? What's that?

Public Domain.

Available here on MobileRead, at Project Gutenberg, ManyBooks, Feedbooks, and elsewhere.

wyndslash · 02-23-2011, 05:16 PM

Thanks

rogue_librarian · 02-23-2011, 05:17 PM

Let me quote them:

Quote:

There is a small but growing collection of eBooks available to everyone with an Open Library account, anywhere in the world. These titles come to you through the book scanning program of the Internet Archive, a registered library in California.

It worked for me, and I'm nowhere near a US public library.

carld · 02-23-2011, 05:20 PM

Was the book you got a Public Domain work or one under current copyright?

I looked through their Science-Fiction ebooks and saw that The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson looked interesting and was available as an ebook. I clicked on "Borrow" and got options to search libraries or stores. I picked libraries and after entering my zipcode Overdrive informed me that it wasn't available in my area .... gee thanks.

rogue_librarian · 02-23-2011, 05:23 PM

A copyrighted one. I downloaded the epub with DRM (ADE) added on the fly, as always.

wyndslash · 02-23-2011, 05:25 PM

@rogue: it's nice that they're available to everyone who has an open library account. ebooks in libraries here are almost non-existent.

carld · 02-23-2011, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rogue_librarian

A copyrighted one. I downloaded the epub with DRM (ADE) added on the fly, as always.

Interesting, I have an account but haven't been able to download anything that's under copyright.

Edit: Perhaps it's different for people in the US. I've looked at a dozen books and none has given me an option to borrow outside of the Overdrive Library System at my local library.

AndrewH · 02-23-2011, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carld

Interesting, I have an account but haven't been able to download anything that's under copyright.

I can't even find anything under copyright available through them. Every 'Borrow' link I've clicked takes me to an OverDrive search page to 'Find at a Library' or 'Find at a Bookstore'.

carld · 02-23-2011, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndrewH

I can't even find anything under copyright available through them. Every 'Borrow' link I've clicked takes me to an OverDrive search page to 'Find at a Library' or 'Find at a Bookstore'.

Same with me. I gave up looking. As far as I can see it's just a search engine for Overdrive and a collection of PD titles.

tubemonkey · 02-23-2011, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carld

Same with me. I gave up looking. As far as I can see it's just a search engine for Overdrive and a collection of PD titles.

It's like they're trying to reinvent the wheel.

Catlady · 02-23-2011, 08:47 PM

Gee, I found a couple of trashy romance books from the sixties that I have in paperback. Also there are a few Helen MacInnes books. I downloaded the .pdfs; haven't tried them on my e-reader yet. I thought I'd be able to try the .epub versions too--I didn't download them initially since they're apparently just unproofed OCRs--but it seems that I can only download one version.

02-23-2011, 04:57 PM	#1
rogue_librarian Guru Posts: 973 Karma: 4269175 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Europe Device: Pocketbook Basic 613	Archive.org opens huge ebook lending library San Francisco, CA – Today, a group of libraries led by the Internet Archive announced a new, cooperative 80,000+ eBook lending collection of mostly 20th century books on OpenLibrary.org, a site where it’s already possible to read over 1 million eBooks without restriction. (Source) Last edited by rogue_librarian; 02-23-2011 at 04:59 PM.

02-23-2011, 05:04 PM	#2
wyndslash Wizard Posts: 2,951 Karma: 3000001 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: Kindle 3 wifi, Kindle Fire	Ooh great! Too bad I won't be able to read them on a kindle Last edited by wyndslash; 02-23-2011 at 05:10 PM.

02-23-2011, 05:11 PM	#3
carld Wizard Posts: 2,698 Karma: 4748723 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Kindle Paperwhite	As far as I can tell this brings nothing at all new to the table and is really pretty pointless. Their non-PD loans are done through Overdrive, so if your local library doesn't have the book you want you're out of luck. Why would I use OpenLibrary when I can do a better and faster search at my own library? Any PD books they have will be available in any number of places. I honestly don't see the point of it. Last edited by carld; 02-23-2011 at 05:18 PM. Reason: typo

02-23-2011, 05:20 PM	#8
carld Wizard Posts: 2,698 Karma: 4748723 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Kindle Paperwhite	Was the book you got a Public Domain work or one under current copyright? I looked through their Science-Fiction ebooks and saw that The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson looked interesting and was available as an ebook. I clicked on "Borrow" and got options to search libraries or stores. I picked libraries and after entering my zipcode Overdrive informed me that it wasn't available in my area .... gee thanks. Last edited by carld; 02-23-2011 at 05:24 PM.

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02-23-2011, 05:14 PM	#4
wyndslash Wizard Posts: 2,951 Karma: 3000001 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: Kindle 3 wifi, Kindle Fire	PD? What's that?

02-23-2011, 05:16 PM	#6
wyndslash Wizard Posts: 2,951 Karma: 3000001 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: Kindle 3 wifi, Kindle Fire	Thanks

02-23-2011, 05:23 PM	#9
rogue_librarian Guru Posts: 973 Karma: 4269175 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Europe Device: Pocketbook Basic 613	A copyrighted one. I downloaded the epub with DRM (ADE) added on the fly, as always.

02-23-2011, 05:25 PM	#10
wyndslash Wizard Posts: 2,951 Karma: 3000001 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: Kindle 3 wifi, Kindle Fire	@rogue: it's nice that they're available to everyone who has an open library account. ebooks in libraries here are almost non-existent.

02-23-2011, 08:47 PM	#15
Catlady Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,415 Karma: 52613881 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: Kindle Fire, Kindle Paperwhite, AGPTek Bluetooth Clip	Gee, I found a couple of trashy romance books from the sixties that I have in paperback. Also there are a few Helen MacInnes books. I downloaded the .pdfs; haven't tried them on my e-reader yet. I thought I'd be able to try the .epub versions too--I didn't download them initially since they're apparently just unproofed OCRs--but it seems that I can only download one version.

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