Secrets to building an ebook library
The latest in our paid series: "How to Build a Personal Library Without Breaking the Bank."
This post is the latest one in my paid series "How to Read Voraciously and Build a Personal Library Without Breaking the Bank." This is the seventh post in this series. Here are the previous posts:
(Part One) This Habit Can Save You Hundreds of Dollars on Books!
(Part Two) Mindful Practices of Book Buying
(Part Three) Being Generous in Our Bookbuying Habits
(Part Four) How to Make the Most of Your Local Library
(Part Five) The Joy of Library Book Sales!
(Part Six) Audiobook Deals ... And Where to Find Them
Before diving into this post, a quick reminder of this virtual event that is happening this evening (or afternoon, if you are on the west coast of North America):
When it comes to ebooks, readers have a wide spectrum of opinions about them: some are adamantly opposed, and on the other end of the spectrum, some readers prefer to read ebooks. And of course, there are a range of opinions between these extremes too.
Personally, I prefer to read print books, but do read ebooks fairly frequently, when that is the cheapest or most expedient option (e.g., when the ebook is immediately available from the library). Also, if I can get an ebook for a bargain price (say $3 or less), I often will buy it, even if I already have a print copy of the book. I like the searchability of ebooks, especially for nonfiction books that I have already read and might like to reference occasionally. Their portability is another clear benefit; when I travel, I don’t like to lug around a suitcase full of print books – although I do regularly carry two or three books with me – but my ebook library goes with me wherever I travel.
As we have emphasized throughout this series, knowing yourself and your own reading habits and preferences is a key part of thrifty reading. If you are adamantly opposed to ebooks, you’re not going to buy them. But if you read ebooks, even if only on rare occasions, knowing how to get them affordably can be immensely helpful.
For me, the first place to start when I’m looking for an ebook that I want to read is my local library. Nothing beats being able to read a book for free, especially when it also is available for immediate download. (See the earlier post in this series: How to Make the Most of Your Local Library .)
If a book that you want to read is and older one in the public domain, you can likely find a free ebook of it online. (The definition of what works are in the public domain varies from nation to nation, but in the United States, any work published before 1929 is currently in the public domain.)
Google Books is a major source for public domain ebooks, including thousands of obscure titles. Google Books has made hundreds of thousands of public domain books available for free, and there have only been a handful of times that I was looking for a public domain book, and could not find it on Google Books. You can read ebooks through the Google Books website or download them in PDF or EPUB formats. Look for the red “Read Ebook” button in the upper left corner, let your cursor hover over it and a menu will drop down where you can download the ebook in the format you prefer (see image below). Also note that Google Books has a really nice “My Library” option where you can create your own personal library of titles within Google Books. This tool is particularly helpful if you are using Google Books across a number of different devices.
PDF files read well on laptops or tablets.
EPUB files work better if you’re reading on a Kindle.
(Here’s a handy guide showing you several ways to upload EPUB files to your Kindle.)
Other substantial collections of public domain ebooks (in either PDF or EPUB formats) include Project Gutenberg and Archive .org . For readers seeking works in theology or church history, the Christian Classics Ethereal Library has a large collection of titles available for download, including the full 38-volume Church Fathers series.
If the book that you’re looking for is not in the public domain and is not available through your library, I offer my best tips below for finding an affordable ebook edition below. (However, be forewarned that if you urgently need to read the book, you might not be able to find it for a discounted price. Most of the strategies below involve watching for when certain ebooks go on sale.)