Public Domain eBooks


Free Internet eBook Links


This is a list of links to eBooks and Audiobooks you can find for free online.  These sites provide access to books in the public domain - that is, books that are not under copyright - and a few other books offered free on a short-term basis by the copyright holders.

Please note that these sites are not part of the Library.  The Humboldt County Library and its staff are not responsible for the content found on any of these sites.

Archive 

Among other projects, Archive provides free eBooks and audio books, with much of the world's great literature. Since 2005, the Internet Archive has worked with over 1100 libraries and other groups to provide free reading matter online. Archive includes classic books, rare books and papers, and a wide range of writings from North America, Europe and Asia, in more than 184 languages.  


BookBub

This site will send emails to alert you to new and popular books that are available briefly as free or bargain priced eBooks - in other words, special offers from publishers.  Books that start off as free may move out of 'free' status, so it pays to be alert when choosing books from Bookbub. You must sign up with an email address.  Expect them to 'track your reading interests.'  

 

Children's eBooks Online

These books are easier to admire than to read, as each page was saved as a photo file. 'The largest collection of illustrated antique books online…we think' says the motto on this Rosetta Stone project.  There are also a few audio books.  All are in jpg format, color photos of each page of these lovely old books, some with a choice of  languages.  They are free except for those in the 'Museum Store' section.


ManyBooks  

ManyBooks is an easy to use site that offers thousands of free (mostly vintage) books in a range of formats ready for your device.

 

OpenLibrary


OpenLibrary is a free, digital lending library with millions of eBooks and some audio books. The books are both old and new, for all ages, to read online or download. You will need to sign up for a free OpenLibrary card to use these books. Another project of Archive.

 

Project Gutenberg

The oldest eBook site and one of the largest, this offers over 60,000 free ebooks as epub books, or free kindle books, to download or read online.  Most are older classics.