When writing academic papers, it is essential to have credible sources to support your claims. There are many databases that give access to journals, articles, books, documentaries, etc. However, these usually cost a lot of money that you probably don’t have any time to lie around.
The good news is that there is a solution. There are multiple completely free online libraries and websites that allow you to view and download the electronic versions of whatever you need. They can be hard to find on your own, so here is a list of free places on the web to get the best academic resources and reading for pleasure.
1. Free-Ebooks
The title says it all! From this site and after signing up, you can download many different free e-books to use whichever way you want. If you happen to be an aspiring author, you can also upload your own e-books.
2. FreeComputerBooks
For anyone who is studying in the Tech, Math, Programming, etc. fields, this site will be of great use. Here you will find a massive collection of books, lectures, and articles separated by category. Definitely extremely useful!
3. Scribd
This site is a little different. It is an online document sharing site. It supports Word, PDFs, and Powerpoint, in addition to other formats. You will mostly find novels, but there is also a selection of resources that could be used for essay writing.
4. SnipFiles
Free e-books and software galore! It’s all legal too, like many of the sites listed here. Use the search option to find exactly what you are looking for.
5. BookYards
This web portal is a great resource for educational materials that can be cited in any paper you need to write. All content is free.
6. FreeBookSpot
Download free e-books easily on FreeBookSpot. There are as many categories as you can think of including agriculture, programming, chess, history, art, and so on. The last recorded number of books on this site was 4,485—about the same as your typical brick-and-mortar library!
7. Overdrive
If you live in or visit the U.S., you have access to Overdrive. Overdrive is basically the online version of all libraries in the city. It is a downloadable app. You don’t have to be in the U.S. to use it, but you do need a valid library card. You have access by inputting your card number. There are e-books and audiobooks that can be “rented”, just like at the normal library.
8. U.S. Library of Congress
The U.S. Library of Congress is a digital archive that is open to anyone. It is one of the best resources available and is extremely credible. Thousands of newspaper clippings, articles, books, photographs, exhibits and more are at your fingertips.
9. Bartleby
This specific reading library online caters to the academic world by offering awesome reference works, plus scientific and historical texts.
10. Online City Libraries
Major cities such as New York Public Library and Chicago Public Library are putting parts of their collection online. All you need is to subscribe and sign up to get access to what is available.
There is no need to leave home if you need some sources to create a college paper. Look through this list, visit each online library, and you are most likely to find what you need. Good luck!