High-quality epubs of public domain books

[NotSoMobile]

Is there an authoritative / preferred repository for older books which are now in public domain due to expired copyright?

Just trying to find a repository where files are properly authored and case no issues in Calibre and other software.

[Martinoptic]

How about the mobileread library?
Some people like standard ebooks but others don't.
Faded page?
Project Gutenberg?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Martinoptic

How about the mobileread library?
Some people like standard ebooks but others don't.
Faded page?
Project Gutenberg?

Project Gutenberg are not high quality until they are converted properly. You either get HTML or a poorly generated by machine with no human intervention) eBook.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Project Gutenberg are not high quality until they are converted properly. You either get HTML or a poorly generated by machine with no human intervention) eBook.

That is extremely dated information and entirely incorrect. All PG books are checked by volunteer proofreaders before being uploaded. It's been years, easily more than ten, since I've run across a poorly scanned book at PG. I'm not saying that there might not be a few holdovers that have slipped through the cracks, but I'd be hard put to find one.

[NotSoMobile]

Originally Posted by Martinoptic

How about the mobileread library?
Some people like standard ebooks but others don't.
Faded page?
Project Gutenberg?

Woah, that's a good start! Did not know about the faded page and mobileread. I began with the "standard e-books" and stumbled upon this bug which actually led me to create this topic.

[retiredbiker]

Another excellent source is Roy Glasham's Libraray, now at https://freeread.de. This is based in Australia and has some very good and unique collections. The technical quality is very good as well.

[nana77]

Internet Archive (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Archive), and Open Library (https://openlibrary.org/).
Probably not all the text on Internet Archive migh be high-res, btw.

@issybird: what I don't particularly like about Project Gutenberg, other than it having had books sold on Amazon, being taken from there, is that as them rewrite in digital a book, instead of scanning, I would not be that confident that "anyone" can translate or being that neat on.

[Martinoptic]

Most of the epubs I've looked at on internet archive are poor ocr of pdf files.

[Martinoptic]

Originally Posted by nana77

Internet Archive (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Archive), and Open Library (https://openlibrary.org/).
Probably not all the text on Internet Archive migh be high-res, btw.

@issybirth: what I don't particularly like about Project Gutenberg, other than it having had books sold on Amazon, being taken from there, is that as them rewrite in digital a book, instead of scanning, I would not be that confident that "anyone" can translate or being that neat on.

Isn't that what proofreading is for - to maintain accuracy in transcription?

I agree with @retiredbiker that Roy's library is worth a look. Where else can you find decent sexton Blake stories?

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by NotSoMobile

Is there an authoritative / preferred repository for older books which are now in public domain due to expired copyright?

Just trying to find a repository where files are properly authored and case no issues in Calibre and other software.

Well, hell, why not try Mobileread's Library of FREE ebooks?

Give it a try. It's goes back about 20 years or so and is quite large. Click on the link below and choose your 'poison' [the file type you wish to download.].

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/fo...play.php?f=132

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by issybird

That is extremely dated information and entirely incorrect. All PG books are checked by volunteer proofreaders before being uploaded. It's been years, easily more than ten, since I've run across a poorly scanned book at PG. I'm not saying that there might not be a few holdovers that have slipped through the cracks, but I'd be hard put to find one.

I take high quality to mean well edited and well made eBooks. Yes, PG is well edited, but they are not well made eBooks.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by nana77

Internet Archive (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Archive), and Open Library (https://openlibrary.org/).
Probably not all the text on Internet Archive migh be high-res, btw.

@issybirth: what I don't particularly like about Project Gutenberg, other than it having had books sold on Amazon, being taken from there, is that as them rewrite in digital a book, instead of scanning, I would not be that confident that "anyone" can translate or being that neat on.

Books on Open Library and Internet Archive are very poorly made scans/OCR and are not good. They are just a very roughly made PDF (mostly) and even when not PDF, they are still just as poor.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

Well, hell, why not try Mobileread's Library of FREE ebooks?

Give it a try. It's goes back about 20 years or so and is quite large. Click on the link below and choose your 'poison' [the file type you wish to download.].

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/fo...play.php?f=132

I agree. Mobileread's library is of high quality.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I take high quality to mean well edited and well made eBooks. Yes, PG is well edited, but they are not well made eBooks.

Goalpost successfully moved.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by nana77

@issybirth: what I don't particularly like about Project Gutenberg, other than it having had books sold on Amazon, being taken from there,

Why hold it against PG that people sell its books on Amazon? PG provides free content for people to do with as they will. I like to deplore Amazon as much as the next person but they're not blameworthy in this instance either. A clear case of caveat emptor.

As for the PG books that have been repackaged for Amazon and are free, I acquire them all the time. I can read them across my Kindles and it's much more convenient than the download/sideload two-step.