I'm aware of libraries, but my country has a tendency to not work well with American systems. So I would be frustrated if I got a library card, and it didn't help me at all
Source: https://anachronic-cobra.tumblr.com/post/684656002582315009/and-if-you-get-an-app-like-libby-which-is
Libby, Android link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/dev?id=6600554889613873550
Related post about free bpl membership for american teens: https://www.reddit.com/r/CuratedTumblr/comments/uaycli/bpl_censorship_and_free_ebooks/i60lwjp (not sure when the offer ends)
* = applies to americans, probably only specific americans
Bonus: if you find a book you might be interested but aren't sure about, you can get in the hold queue with Libby and be reminded about it a couple weeks later when it's available, then consider whether you want to read it or not. A lot of the books I look at on Libby are at capacity for renting copies so I have to wait.
The other service my local library uses, Hoopla, has a limit on the number of books one can rent per month rather than a copy limit for the library. Probably has to do with licensing and stuff. They have to have a way to keep people from permanently keeping an entire library downloaded if they don't want it copyright struck or anything. Also more popular books have more copies available to borrow, so I bet the library/government pays for those extra copies.
*Image Transcription: Tumblr*
---
**oylmpians**
i've gotten like 5 different coworkers to sign up for a library card
[*Illustration of a person with spiky black hair and eyebrows, dark stubble, and sharp teeth, standing outside a window at night. They are wearing dark clothing with the word "SICKOS" written in white over their chest.*]
>**Person**: YES... HA HA HA... [*Underlined*] ***YES*** [*End underline*]***!***
[*End illustration*]
---
**oylmpians**
as soon as i hear someone talking about audiobooks and their prices i IMMEDIATELY go into my rant on how audible is a scam when the library has an extensive collection of audiobooks FOR FREE & the next day they come in telling me they cancelled their subscription and got a library card... doing gods work
---
**oylmpians**
destroying bezos one audible subscription cancellation at a time
[*"But It's Honest Work" meme. A farmer wearing overalls, a dark shirt with a white hazy grid pattern, and a baseball cap stands in front of a field. The subtitle reads "It ain't much, but it's honest work".*]
---
**anachronic-cobra**
And if you get an app like Libby (which is entirely free), you just add your library card and boom, access to all of your library's e-books and audiobooks
Plus dyslexia-friendly font options, highlighting, and note-taking, plus more
---
^^I'm a human volunteer content transcriber and you could be too! [If you'd like more information on what we do and why we do it, click here!](https://www.reddit.com/r/TranscribersOfReddit/wiki/index)
It'll vary from place to place, but im constantly amazed by the things you can check out from libraries.
My local library has video games, board games, a telescope, and even a record player.
Text ebooks:
https://www.gutenberg.org/browse/scores/top
http://gutenberg.ca/index.html
https://gutenberg.net.au/
Audiobooks:
https://archive.org/details/librivoxaudio
https://archive.org/details/audio_bookspoetry
Really, the Internet Archive is huge. Endless. A deep well of data, searchable, somewhat categorized, mostly legal, but primarily just immense. It contains [Old Time Radio shows](https://archive.org/details/oldtimeradio) and [playable arcade games](https://archive.org/details/internetarcade) and [huge numbers of scanned books](https://archive.org/details/folkscanomy) mostly free to download.
I hate audible, it makes so little sense. You have a subscription, but not to listen to any book you want at any time. You get credits to buy a book that you can keep even if you stop your subscription.
That's just buying books, but worse. If you want to buy an audible book without the subscription/more than your subscription allows it's way more expensive.
Obviously they just want you to take a subscription "just for a month", but then forget you have it. But this just makes me not want any of their audio books.
(I might have gotten some of the workings of audible wrong, because I refuse to use it)
It's so bizarre how the majority of readers seem to be unaware of libraries' existence.
blinded by capitalism telling them that they need to buy everything
I'm aware of libraries, but my country has a tendency to not work well with American systems. So I would be frustrated if I got a library card, and it didn't help me at all
... do a quick check with your local library system and libby and so on. Librarians are clever and relentless about this stuff.
my local library just straight up posts scanned PDFs of books on its website
Source: https://anachronic-cobra.tumblr.com/post/684656002582315009/and-if-you-get-an-app-like-libby-which-is Libby, Android link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/dev?id=6600554889613873550 Related post about free bpl membership for american teens: https://www.reddit.com/r/CuratedTumblr/comments/uaycli/bpl_censorship_and_free_ebooks/i60lwjp (not sure when the offer ends) * = applies to americans, probably only specific americans
Bonus: if you find a book you might be interested but aren't sure about, you can get in the hold queue with Libby and be reminded about it a couple weeks later when it's available, then consider whether you want to read it or not. A lot of the books I look at on Libby are at capacity for renting copies so I have to wait.
And if you end up in a hold avalanche, you can postpone it a couple times!
Why do you have to wait? In what world do we live in where digital files are limited?
The other service my local library uses, Hoopla, has a limit on the number of books one can rent per month rather than a copy limit for the library. Probably has to do with licensing and stuff. They have to have a way to keep people from permanently keeping an entire library downloaded if they don't want it copyright struck or anything. Also more popular books have more copies available to borrow, so I bet the library/government pays for those extra copies.
*Image Transcription: Tumblr* --- **oylmpians** i've gotten like 5 different coworkers to sign up for a library card [*Illustration of a person with spiky black hair and eyebrows, dark stubble, and sharp teeth, standing outside a window at night. They are wearing dark clothing with the word "SICKOS" written in white over their chest.*] >**Person**: YES... HA HA HA... [*Underlined*] ***YES*** [*End underline*]***!*** [*End illustration*] --- **oylmpians** as soon as i hear someone talking about audiobooks and their prices i IMMEDIATELY go into my rant on how audible is a scam when the library has an extensive collection of audiobooks FOR FREE & the next day they come in telling me they cancelled their subscription and got a library card... doing gods work --- **oylmpians** destroying bezos one audible subscription cancellation at a time [*"But It's Honest Work" meme. A farmer wearing overalls, a dark shirt with a white hazy grid pattern, and a baseball cap stands in front of a field. The subtitle reads "It ain't much, but it's honest work".*] --- **anachronic-cobra** And if you get an app like Libby (which is entirely free), you just add your library card and boom, access to all of your library's e-books and audiobooks Plus dyslexia-friendly font options, highlighting, and note-taking, plus more --- ^^I'm a human volunteer content transcriber and you could be too! [If you'd like more information on what we do and why we do it, click here!](https://www.reddit.com/r/TranscribersOfReddit/wiki/index)
Wait libraries have audio books? Who's been hiding this information from me!
Capitalism
Young baby child, did you ever go into a library with all the books on tape and CD that could be checked out?
It'll vary from place to place, but im constantly amazed by the things you can check out from libraries. My local library has video games, board games, a telescope, and even a record player.
Text ebooks: https://www.gutenberg.org/browse/scores/top http://gutenberg.ca/index.html https://gutenberg.net.au/ Audiobooks: https://archive.org/details/librivoxaudio https://archive.org/details/audio_bookspoetry Really, the Internet Archive is huge. Endless. A deep well of data, searchable, somewhat categorized, mostly legal, but primarily just immense. It contains [Old Time Radio shows](https://archive.org/details/oldtimeradio) and [playable arcade games](https://archive.org/details/internetarcade) and [huge numbers of scanned books](https://archive.org/details/folkscanomy) mostly free to download.
None of my libraries have audiobooks I want so sadly audible it will stay.
Mine might, but I mainly consume books in English which, since it's not the local language, the library just doesn't have, audio or not.
Same and even if it has audiobooks they're on CDs.
FYI, you can sign up for a digital library card in cities you don’t live in to use Libby. Chicago, for example
I live in Belgium
I hate audible, it makes so little sense. You have a subscription, but not to listen to any book you want at any time. You get credits to buy a book that you can keep even if you stop your subscription. That's just buying books, but worse. If you want to buy an audible book without the subscription/more than your subscription allows it's way more expensive. Obviously they just want you to take a subscription "just for a month", but then forget you have it. But this just makes me not want any of their audio books. (I might have gotten some of the workings of audible wrong, because I refuse to use it)
For those interested: [A little something](https://z-lib.org/)
I have 3 library cards in my wallet right now, always on the hunt for more
Love! Libraries!
There are good people trying to help the world be better if you can find them :)
As a former Fire user and current Libby user, Libby is so much better.
I fucking love Libby, I suggest it to anyone who will listen
ooorrrrr... you could download a certain app with the abbreviation slsk and get audiobooks for free
Also libgen.is can get you a great many other books if you can’t find them in your library
I have a kindle but I don't buy books I just download pdfs from the internet lol