How to Read Books for Free—Without Having to Visit Your Local Library
Having to go to the library to check out books is one of those things that became antiquated during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. But now that libraries are back open, you can continue to take advantage of the convenience of building your own personal library without ever having to leave home.
CHC has details on how to get an e-reader if you don’t have one, then where you can stock it up.
- Get an E-Reader
An e-reader comes in many forms. You can download an app to your smartphone or tablet (Amazon’s Kindle, for example) or you can purchase devices that are made solely for reading. Kindle sells a version, and there are others too. The benefit of a specific e-reader device is that the screen is made to resemble reading off a page, which isn’t as straining to the eye as a typical device.
- Where to Get E-Books
A good place to start is through your local library. Most libraries lend electronic versions of books since the pandemic. If you need help getting started, you can bring your device to a library to get set up.
Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg is a digital nonprofit library that is stocked with books that have had copyrights expire, meaning they are now part of the public domain. Downloading instructions are available on the website.
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is full of not only works pertaining to the United States government but also everything from biographies and international history to old newspapers and playbills of Broadway shows.
Amazon Prime Reads
Amazon boasts approximately 150 million subscribers to its Prime service in the United States, where the most commonly used perk is free shipping. But you can also take advantage of Prime Reads. Amazon will send you an email every month with a selection of free books to download direct to your Kindle or other e-reader device.
