online education

In recent posts we’ve talked about video streaming services, music services, and online gaming. An additional form of entertainment we haven’t covered is books. While many of us still like the feel of a book in our hands, having access to books online gives us convenience and options to access books we might not be able find locally. Whether you’re looking to read fiction, academic texts, or even audiobooks, there are a wide variety of platforms offering both free and paid options. Let’s take a look at some of the ways to access books online.

Free Online Book Resources

If you’re looking for free options to access books online, there are several platforms that offer vast libraries of free, downloadable, or borrowable books.

Public Domain & Open Access Platforms

Project Gutenberg
If you’re a fan of classic literature, Project Gutenberg is a treasure trove. It provides over 60,000 free eBooks, including works from authors like Shakespeare, Jane Austen, and Mark Twain. These books are in the public domain, meaning they are free to download and read. You can download the books in various formats, including ePub, Kindle, and plain text.
LibriVox
For audiobook lovers, LibriVox offers free audiobooks of public domain works, read by volunteers from all over the world. It’s the perfect solution if you prefer listening over reading, and you’ll find a huge range of classic novels and literary works available.
Internet Archive & Open Library
The Internet Archive is an ambitious project to digitize books, movies, and other media. It houses millions of free texts, from historical documents to modern-day books. The Open Library, a subsidiary of the Internet Archive, is a global initiative aiming to create a web page for every book ever published. While the books are often available for borrowing digitally, some can be downloaded for free.
Google Books
Google Books provides access to millions of books, many of which are fully available in the public domain or with a preview option. Although not all books are free, Google Books often allows you to view a significant portion of a book before deciding whether to buy or search for a free version elsewhere.
Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB)
DOAB provides access to academic books that are published under an open-access license, meaning they are free to read, share, and download. If you’re in need of scholarly resources, DOAB is an invaluable tool. This can be a great way for students in college to save funds on textbooks where the courses use open access license materials.

Library Services: Borrowing Books Online

Public libraries have gone digital too! Many libraries now offer online borrowing services for ebooks and audiobooks.

Digital Library Platforms

OverDrive & Libby
If you have a library card, you can access OverDrive’s website to borrow ebooks and audiobooks. OverDrive’s app, Libby, is user-friendly and compatible with most devices, making it a go-to service for library patrons. The platform boasts millions of titles across various genres and is available to users worldwide, depending on their library’s licensing agreements.
Hoopla Digital
Hoopla is another great option linked to many public libraries. It offers not only ebooks and audiobooks but also movies, music, comics, and TV shows. Depending on your library’s partnership with Hoopla, you can borrow content for free using your library card.

Paid Book Platforms

While free resources are abundant, paid services often provide access to a wider range of titles, including the latest releases, exclusive content, and bestsellers.

Subscription-Based Services

Amazon Kindle Unlimited
Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited program offers an all-you-can-read subscription service, providing access to over 4 million ebooks and audiobooks. With a monthly subscription fee, you can read as many books as you want from the Kindle Unlimited catalog. The service works with any Kindle device or the free Kindle app available on smartphones, tablets, and PCs.
Scribd
Scribd is another subscription-based service offering unlimited access to a large library of ebooks, audiobooks, and even documents. With a monthly subscription, you can access books across genres, as well as magazines, sheet music, and more. Scribd is popular among readers who like to explore a wide variety of content.
Audible
Owned by Amazon, Audible is the world’s largest provider of audiobooks. With a subscription, you get one credit per month, which can be exchanged for any audiobook, plus discounts on additional purchases. Audible is particularly popular among audiobook listeners, offering a massive catalog that spans genres from fiction to self-help.

Ebook Purchases and Rentals

Amazon Kindle Store
For those who prefer buying their books outright, the Amazon Kindle Store is a top destination for ebooks. You can purchase Kindle books directly or rent textbooks for a limited time.
Apple Books & Google Play Books
Both Apple and Google offer ebook stores where you can purchase and download books to read on your devices. These platforms also offer audiobooks, providing flexibility for your reading preferences.
Kobo
Kobo is another ebook platform that competes with Amazon’s Kindle. It offers both individual purchases and a subscription service. You can read Kobo Ebooks on Kobo e-readers or through the Kobo app on various devices.
Chegg & VitalSource
If you’re a student, Chegg and VitalSource offer academic textbooks for purchase or rent. These platforms are known for their affordable textbook rentals, making them a go-to for students looking to save money.

Conclusion

Being connected provides opportunities for accessing books online whether for entertainment, study, or research. With options ranging from free public domain sites like Project Gutenberg to subscription services like Kindle Unlimited and Scribd, there’s something for every type of reader. Libraries, too, have adapted, offering online borrowing services like OverDrive and Hoopla, ensuring that books remain accessible to everyone. Whether you are unable to travel to your local library or your community does not have a library, having access to books online gives you and others in your community the opportunity to be entertained and to continue to learn.

When we think about online education, we often think back to COVID and the only learning available to our youth was online through our local schools, or the ads for all the online Universities we see. However, there are a variety of online learning offerings available for youth and adults that can complement classroom lessons, teach digital, soft, and hard skills to improve job performance; help start a new career; introduce a new hobby; or expand opportunities for lifelong learning.

Online education allows you to learn on your schedule and balance the responsibilities of work, family, and other activities. For young people it allows them to balance schoolwork with sports, music, spending time with friends and other extracurricular activities. Online learning lets education fit into life and not force fitting life into learning.

Online learning allows you to access courses and training from institutions across the country and around the world. This is especially important for those that might be limited by residing in remote areas or with limited transportation options. Many platforms offer accommodations for learners with disabilities, ensuring that everyone can participate.

Modern online learning platforms have moved on from lectures to using multimedia tools and interactive elements such as discussion forums, quizzes, and virtual simulations to make learning engaging and fun. The interactive style of courses not only helps people stay interested but helps to build a sense of community with your fellow students. Using these new online methods enhances learning and allows you to build relationships and expand your professional network. These connections can lead to mentorships, new collaborations outside of the classroom, and even job prospects.

Online education allows you to learn at your own pace and tailor your educational experience to meet your needs. Personalized learning paths allow you to focus on areas where you need improvement and move through subjects you’ve already mastered. Customizing your learning path on subjects helps keep you motivated and engaged.

Online learning is also affordable. Cost for course work that can lead to a degree can be less than a traditional college and eliminates the cost for commuting, rent or residence fees, and other expenses. There are also free classes available and platforms such as Khan Academy, Coursera, edX, and others that offer a variety of content at no or low cost.

Online learning helps promote the idea of being a lifelong learner. You can stay relevant in your current career, learn new skills, or just learn about something you are interested in. For kids, it can help prepare them for a future career by allowing them to learn more about coding and other digital skills that will be important in today’s digital world. Online courses in many cases emphasize hands-on, practical, real-world learning experiences that better prepare people for their jobs or future careers. Platforms such as FutureLearn and Skillshare are great for finding courses that inspire lifelong learning.

While online learning provides an opportunity to continue to learn while working, consideration must still be given to balancing work, family, and other obligations with your learning experience. Make sure to not to take on an online learning workload which does not allow time to take care of your family, your job, and yourself. For young people, parents will also need to work with their kids to balance their screen time with school, extracurricular activities, friends, and family. While there is benefit to online learning, there needs to be time to take care of yourself and your responsibilities both mentally and physically to avoid burning out and stay motivated to continue your online learning experience.

Sites for online learning/More information:

The Best Online Learning Services for 2025 – PCMag – https://www.pcmag.com/picks/best-online-learning-services

Khan Academy – https://www.khanacademy.org/

Coursera –https://www.coursera.org/

edX – https://www.edx.org/

FutureLearn – https://www.futurelearn.com/

Skillshare – https://www.skillshare.com/en/

Code.org – https://code.org/

Udemy – https://www.udemy.com/

Masterclass – https://www.masterclass.com/

Digital Skills Library – https://digitalskillslibrary.org

Denver Public Library – https://denverlibrary.org/techclasses