Edit Article

wikiHow to Find an Online Library

Libraries are already a convenient resource for research and entertainment, but online libraries make the process even more convenient. Online libraries may offer a selection of e-books in both digital text and audio format, and usually, the service is provided free of cost.

Steps

  1. 1
    Visit your local public library's website. Nowadays, many public libraries work in cooperation with various e-book providers to establish a collection of digital books available for lending. Your local library may be included. These e-books include both current and classic selections and are often available in both text and audio form. Digital lending technology makes it possible for these libraries to lend out a restricted number of books for a restricted period of time. When the time expires, the books automatically stop working on the patron’s computer and are once more made available to other patrons.
  2. 2
    Do a search of public libraries with an online library.[1] If your public library does not have e-book lending services, or if you are uncertain about what public libraries are available in your area, you can access a searchable database of libraries with online e-book services. Be aware, however, that you will need a library card before you can check out digital books from a public library’s collection. Many libraries require you to be a citizen of the county or city that they are based in before you can apply for a library card.
  3. 3
    Find out if your university has an e-book library. Just like some public libraries have an e-book collection, some university libraries do, as well. Many of the e-books available through university libraries are academic in nature, but you might be able to find some that are not. To borrow e-books from a university’s online library, you usually need to have a valid and current student ID number.
  4. 4
    Check out university resources. If your university does not have an e-book library, it might be able to point you to a few free online libraries you can make use of. In addition to free online libraries, some universities partner with massive online libraries that offer a paid service. This service is paid for by the university, making it free for students to use. These libraries typically specialize in offering digital versions of academic journals and other periodicals, but they do occasionally offer digital books. The resources will be strictly academic in nature, however.
    • Even if you are not a student at the university, a university website might be able to direct you to a helpful resource. Only students with valid student IDs can access paid services for free, but any free resources listed by the library will generally be available to the public.
  5. 5
    Do a broad Internet search. One of the fastest ways to find an online library is simply to do a search using your favorite Internet search engine. A good set of basic search terms to use would be “online libraries” or “list of online library services.” An even better set of basic search terms would be “free online libraries” or “free list of online libraries.” Even though the concept of a library connotes the idea of a free lending service, some websites claiming to offer online library services first require you to sign up for a paid membership.[2] These websites are fine if a small fee does not bother you, but free online libraries often have comparable collections.
    • Narrow your search down to specific book types. If you are interested in a more specific type of book, such as novels or academic journals, specify that in your Internet search. Try a search like “free online novel library” or “free academic journal collection.”
    • Know what to expect. Free online libraries usually allow you to “borrow” a book and keep it forever, which could be considered an advantage over online libraries connected to public libraries or universities. Independent online libraries rarely have the latest and greatest novels, though. Instead, they usually only provide books for which the copyright has expired or current Kindle or Nook e-books that are being offered by the author for free.[3]
  6. 6
    Consult websites that provide online library lists.[4] As you search for online libraries, you may stumble across a handful of websites that do not actually offer online library services, but instead provide a list or directory of online libraries available. These lists can be very valuable since they provide you with lists and a brief but informative explanation of what makes a certain library’s services stand out above the rest.
  7. 7
    Read the terms of services before borrowing. Before borrowing from any online library, make sure that you understand the rules and conditions of borrowing. Some libraries are free while others require you to pay a small membership fee for partial or full access. Some libraries allow you to keep the books you check out forever, while others place a limit. Libraries may also place a limit on how many titles can be checked out at once or during one day.

Community Q&A

Ask a Question
200 characters left
Submit

    Article Info

    Categories: Libraries | Databases

    Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 2,638 times.

    Is this article up to date?
     
https://www.wikihow.com/Find-an-Online-Library
www.wikihow.com
crawl=CC-MAIN-2017-47
166735
application/http; msgtype=response
sha1:5KR5JEQOBWSBNDTMFRESM553D7VXFXZQ
<urn:uuid:a2fe1950-2e14-448b-84fe-5e225903bad1>
2017-11-20T15:50:50Z
151.101.34.110
application/xhtml+xml
sha1:7RWC3JUA3KGLKPF6GFYZOTMPG5XKYK4N
<urn:uuid:3d8e28f6-9d73-4f8c-80ea-36ca59d070e5>
https://www.wikihow.com/Find-an-Online-Library
response
<urn:uuid:a92043b4-1dd2-42b0-a07b-a32efedb5130>
robots: classic
hostname: ip-10-229-84-28.ec2.internal
software: Nutch 1.6 (CC)
isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2017-47
operator: Common Crawl Admin
description: Wide crawl of the web for November 2017
publisher: Common Crawl
format: WARC File Format 1.0
conformsTo: http://bibnum.bnf.fr/WARC/WARC_ISO_28500_version1_latestdraft.pdf