The Free Library: Your Online Literary and Information Portal
August 18th 2007 21:46
Full-Text Books and Periodicals Literally at Your Fingertips
The Free Library is a website that features full-text versions of a fairly large number of books and periodicals, listed under ten main categories. They are the following:
-Business and Industry
-Communications
-Entertainment/The Arts
-General Interest/Information
-Health
-Humanities
-Law/Government/Politics
-Recreation and Leisure
-Science and Technology
-Social Sciences
Each of the above categories contains anywhere from 2 to 30 subcategories. (Business and Industry tops the list, with 30.)
The Free Library Describes Its Site
Here is The Free Library's own description of its site:
Since 2003, The Free Library has offered free, full-text versions of classic literary works from hundreds of celebrated authors, whose biographies, images, and famous quotations can also be found on the site. Recently, The Free Library has been expanded to include a massive collection of periodicals from hundreds of leading publications covering Business and Industry, Communications, Entertainment, Health, Humanities, Law, Government, Politics, Recreation and Leisure, Science and Technology, and Social Sciences. This collection includes millions of articles dating back to 1984 as well as newly-published articles that are added to the site daily.
The Free Library is an invaluable research tool and the fastest, easiest way to locate useful information on virtually any topic. Explore the site through a keyword search, or simply browse the enormous collection of literary classics and up-to-date periodicals to find exactly what you need.
The Free Library is an invaluable research tool and the fastest, easiest way to locate useful information on virtually any topic. Explore the site through a keyword search, or simply browse the enormous collection of literary classics and up-to-date periodicals to find exactly what you need.
Browsing and Search Options to Suit Any Purpose or Preference
In addition to the customary search capability offered by most websites, (with the ability to search by Keyword, Title, Author, and Topic), The Free Library offers several browsing options to help you quickly and easily locate the information or publication you seek.
You may browse by Category, Name (of publication), Date (of publication), Author, or Literature, each of which will generate a list of available works appropriate to the selected criterion. (The default is Category, and, therefore, when you first access the site, you'll see a Category list on the homepage.) These five options are listed at the top of the page.
You may also browse by Topic, simply by scrolling down to the bottom of the homepage, where you'll find a second list of browsing options. (Most are the same options found at the top of the page.)
A Great Resource for Reading and Research
While some categories do not contain more than a handful of periodicals (and some even fewer), the number of available books appears to be quite extensive. In both cases, there's little doubt that this site would prove a valuable resource for meeting many of a writer's reading and research needs. (As mentioned in the site's introduction, new periodicals are added daily.)
There's also little doubt that, for the writer--or reader--who would enjoy reading entire books online (or would appreciate being able to refer to them for research or review purposes), this site would be a logical--and helpful--choice!
Have a look, and see if you don't find some valuable resources on this site!
Happy reading!
Jeanne
Did you enjoy this post? Don't leave me lonely--Please comment!
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Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
Gosh, what a great resource, thank-you,
Tracy
Comment by Jeanne Dininni
Writer's Notes
Glad to help! Hope you get a lot out of this site! I have a feeling there's a great deal of diverse wisdom here just waiting to be tapped!
Thanks for commenting!
Jeanne
Comment by David
The best way to avoid this problem:
is to read and comment on other Blogs. (Even if they're not your absolute cup of tea. You often strike up virtual friendships with people who disagree totally with your philosophical, theological outlook on life. It doesn't hurt half as much as bloggers think it does, or damage their precious reputations as beyond-reproach, morally-upright cyber crusaders. Sometimes you learn something you didn't already know - even about the writing process).
David ...
Comment by Jeanne Dininni
Writer's Notes
Thanks for the great advice! Commenting on other blogs is a PR practice I'm aware of and one I engage in quite often--and not only for its PR value, but because I enjoy interacting with other bloggers/readers!
My manner of requesting feedback, quoted in your comment, is simply meant to be an engaging method of drawing my readers' attention to comments and "encouraging" interaction on my blog. (It's still in the experimental stage, and its wording may yet change.)
Thanks for responding!
Jeanne
Comment by Lily
Ars Poetica
This is a fabulous find! thank you...
I was just recently told of 'Project Gutenberg', an excellent library of authors, many genres.
~Lily
Comment by Jeanne Dininni
Writer's Notes
You're more than welcome! The Free Library does appear to have quite a comprehensive selection of reading material.
Thanks for the lead on Project Gutenberg! I'll definitely check it out!
Another interesting one is Bibliomania, which I discuss in another post.
Thanks for stopping by!
Jeanne
Comment by Lily
Ars Poetica
~Lily
Comment by Ash
Flashes of memories
Some great info you have available here. Great site. I often wonder about which way the literary world is going - we will soon have to have small computers attached to our beds as paperbacks become more and more obsolete. The internet is a great resource for information though.... so much available at our fingertips.
ash
Comment by Jeanne Dininni
Writer's Notes
Hope you'll manage to find some time to do a little online reading. I know you'd enjoy it.
Jeanne
Comment by Jeanne Dininni
Writer's Notes
It does seem to be a great site, doesn't it? I can certainly relate to your comment about little computers attached to our beds! After all, we carry around cell phones, palm pilots, and iPods, already--which seem to have rendered many of our other old stand-bys obsolete! But, despite the value of the internet, I, for one, hope books never go out of style!
Thanks for the visit!
Jeanne
Comment by Chic Critique
Cheers
CC
Comment by Jeanne Dininni
Writer's Notes
No problem! Hope you'll receive many hours of reading pleasure from this site! It certainly contains enough reading material for that!
Thanks for dropping by!
Jeanne