Comprehensive eBook Collections
- Internet ArchiveOver 6,000,000 fully accessible public domain eBooks on the internet.
- Project Gutenberg [Public Access]Free e-books to download and read.
- Directory of Open Access Books (doab) [Public Access]Browse by subject, title or publisher. Search and Advanced Search options.
- Digital Public Library of America (DPLA)Image, text, video and sound collections from libraries across the U.S.
- Library of Congress: Digital CollectionsDigitized rare books and more.
eBook Collections - Some Free
- HathiTrust This link opens in a new windowHathiTrust is a collaborative repository of digital materials created and maintained by a partnership of major research universities and libraries.
Open Educational Resources (OERs)
You can also find free textbooks online! See the Open Educational Resources guides for more information and additional links.
- Open Textbook LibraryBrowse or Search for subjects such as Writing and College Success, as well as disciplinary topics. From Open Textbook Initiative, University of Minnesota.
- OpenStaxNonprofit organization affiliated with Rice University that produces openly licensed textbooks for college and Advanced Placement (AP) courses. OpenStax textbooks are among the most commonly used open textbooks across the country and may offer free ancillary materials for instructors.
Public Domain
According to the U.S. Copyright Office, "A work of authorship is in the “public domain” if it is no longer under copyright protection or if it failed to meet the requirements for copyright protection. Works in the public domain may be used freely without the permission of the former copyright owner."
Under current U.S. copyright law, every January 1 until 2073, works published before 1978 enter the public domain:
- 75 years after publication or
- 50 years after the death of the creator
After 2073, copyright will expire 70 years after the death of the creator.
Many of these public domain works are available through Hathi Trust, Google Books, and Internet Archive.