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| A hoard of books - loved to tatters? always intended to read? |
When I got seriously unwell in 2013 it was crunchtime. For years before I got even mildly or moderately unwell, I used to use exercise to relieve stress, then as my health declined and I couldn't do that anymore, I used books. Then one horrific day in spring 2013 I realised that I could either hold the pages open or read, but I couldn't do both. Shortly after that I realised I couldn't actually concentrate on a new story, I could only follow one I already knew and found even the simplest audiobooks beyond me. Fortunately over the years, my brain has returned (mostly) and I can now read ebooks and also listen to audiobooks. However, the intervening years being sustained by the welfare state has meant I've had to ferret out free (and legal cos I'm law abiding at heart) ways to read (when I say read, I mean actual words on a page or screen and words that are spoken - basically someone else's words being downloaded into my head by ears or eyes isn't any different really).
So. I thought I'd share some of those resources. Why? Well because when your whole world is turned upside down and you feel like someone has thrown you into a cement mixer and won't let you out - immersing yourself in someone else's words to the extent that reality recedes for a while is a very very healthy safety valve for one's mind and emotions. And also, after you've finished the book, it's in your head so you can think about bits of it for a while instead of facing yet more horrible reality without needing to download a new one into your brain.
Your Local Public Library
I adore libraries! I have happy memories of school libraries, college libraries, members libraries, and friends book collections that I have used and borrowed over the years - but above all I have an abiding love of the public library.
Our library here in Gainsborough is a Carnegie Library - there are so many throughout the world. Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish American businessman turned philanthropist (the Bill Gates/Warren Buffet of his day I suppose) in the early 20th century who funded the construction of libraries on condition that the local authorities committed to funding their continued use. He was ruthless in business, started from nothing and ended up a steel magnate, with a heart for providing others with access to knowledge that if they cared to use it, could help them progress in life. As buildings they are light and airy in that Victorian/Edwardian way of public buildings with a distinct wish for natural daylight (horrible to heat and maintain I understand) but functional. Each one had a toilet. Everyone could use it when it was open, and people who could prove their address (for chasing up unreturned books) could borrow books for free (as opposed to the earlier tradition of subscription libraries and institutes restricted to particular trades or occupation). And many still in use globally even now. A decent article on Carnegie Libraries is here https://www.npr.org/2013/08/01/207272849/how-andrew-carnegie-turned-his-fortune-into-a-library-legacy a quick google provides other interesting ones covering different aspects too.
These days Libraries aren't just fiction, non fiction, reference and local newspapers and periodicals - although they still offer those services - for the moment in the UK Public Libraries remain open, and you can borrow up to 20 books at a time from some of them. You can also use the catalogue (available online from your home) to order books in stock from other libraries in your county/area for free to pick up from your closest library. They also have DVDs and Audiobooks and Music/CDs.
Crucially they are ALSO increasingly offering services online for members in their homes - such as ebooks, audiobooks and magazines. The offerings have gone from mere 10s of titles to now hundreds, mostly relatively new titles.
Our local library for example offers (as part of Lincolnshire Libraries) all accessible from my laptop, tablet or phone:
- 2 different sites for borrowing ebooks. One allows you 10 books for up to 21 days, the other I think 3 books.
- audiobooks
- freegal - which apparently contains 15million songs (not that I've ever tried it) and last but not least
- magazines - nearly 100 different ones ranging from men's health to women's gossip to crafts to photography to current affairs to interior design.
Given this Coronavirus is going to be going on for months and months in waves, frankly, I suggest nipping down to the local library as soon as you can to sign up for whatever your county offers. They may not be geared up to issue library cards remotely in the event of the closure of libraries.
Project Gutenberg - out of copyright ebooks
For the law abiding, be aware that these books are out of copyright in the USA, which doesn't mean they are in your country so it's up to you to check you aren't breaking the law.
Project Gutenberg has over 60,000 ebooks covering an astonishing range of subjects, mostly in english but also in other languages. They are available for download in a variety of formats including epub and kindle for download as well as being readable in your browser.
Find it here - https://www.gutenberg.org/
What is Project Gutenberg? It was founded in 1971 - and is the oldest digital library - by the writer Michael S Hart, public domain books are digitised by volunteers to a high standard (often with fewer annoying typos and errors than ebooks you pay for on Amazon I've noticed). Many libraries and collections all over the world are actively working with Project Gutenberg to digitise their collections of the written word.
If you are interested in the idea of getting involved in proofreading as a volunteer activity, Distributed Proofreaders who provide most of the books to Project Gutenberg would love to have you. There's no commitment - you register and do a page at a time at your convenience. I do it, it's really fulfilling and there's a great community in the forums. You can also Smooth Read the books that have been created by volunteers before they are released to Project Gutenberg if proofreading isn't your thing. Find it here - https://www.pgdp.net
Librivox - out of copyright audiobooks
I've never actually used this site, but it's a separate but complimentary site to Project Gutenberg, being volunteer read public domain audiobooks downloadable for free.
Archive.org - millions of books, films, music, software websites
Not everything on archive.org is public domain, so be careful if you are law abiding.
That said, many libraries who are providing public domain books for digitisation to Project Gutenberg/ Distributed Proofreaders have scanned/photographed copies of their book collections on here, as well as user provided titles. An astonishingly wide range of material.
You Tube - audiobooks
Yes there's audiobooks on you tube, full books and exerpts. Some of variable quality, nevertheless they are free and exist.
Audible and Kindle - free ebooks/audiobooks and sample chapters/novellas
I've been surprised by the range of free material on Audible and Kindle. Sometimes merely for a week or so, sometimes for longer.
Finally, various publishers do offer free ebooks/audiobooks as part of their marketing campaigns. Twitter and Facebook and Reddit (either ads or other promotions or just word of mouth) are good places to find out about what's on offer.
I hope that's given you something to get your teeth into. Personally I find losing myself in a book is one very very good way to pass what sometimes seem like endless hours of the day, in an unrelieved stream of days that quickly become indistinguisable from each other without the routine of work or going outside to punctuate it.
Happy Reading!
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