Last edited by Jessamyn West
May 5, 2013 | History
Frequently Asked Questions
We've tried to make these comprehensive and they are updated pretty often. If you are having a current or ongoing problem, please see our Troubleshooting Page and contact us if you can not resolve it.
Open Library Information
- What is Open Library?
- How is Open Library different from Project Gutenberg?
- Have you heard of WorldCat? How is Open Library different?
- How do I sign up for Open Library?
- How can I contribute information to Open Library?
- Where can I see what other people are up to on Open Library?
Open Library Services
- May I donate books to Open Library to be digitized and added to the website?
- I wrote a book, and I have it in digital form. Can I make it readable on Open Library?
- I found a very old book in my basement. Do you want it?
- I have an old book that I think might be worth something. Can you tell me how much?
- Can you tell me more about a book listed in the Open Library catalog?
- Can you put me in touch with an author?
- Can I buy books from Open Library?
- Can you send me a copy of a book?
Reading Books on Open Library
- Which books can I read? And how do I find them?
- How do I read or download books on Open Library?
- I have found a book but there isn't a readable version. Is something wrong?
- What is the difference between "Works" and "Editions"?
- If this is a library, why can I only read some of the books?
Borrowing Books on Open Library
- How does borrowing a book work through Open Library?
- How do I get set up to borrow books through Open Library?
- What books can I borrow? How can I find them?
- Which reading devices can be used to read the ebooks borrowed through Open Library?
- How many Internet Archive books can I check out at once?
- Can I return a library book early?
- How can I see which books I've checked out?
- Can I put a library book on hold?
Hardware and Software
- Where do I get Adobe Digital Editions?
- How do I authorize Adobe Digital Editions? Who is my ebook vendor?
- Can I borrow books using my ereader?
- Can I borrow books on my my Nook?
- Can I borrow books on my Kindle?
- Can I borrow books on my Ipad?
Editing Open Library
- Can I edit any page on Open Library?
- How do I edit a book record?
- What is the difference between a "work" and an "edition"?
- How do I add a new author?
- How do I add a picture to Open Library?
- Can I see a list of all the stuff I've edited anywhere?
- I find duplicate authors. Can they be merged?
- I find duplicate edition or work records. Can they be merged?
- Could you add a book record to Open Library for me?
- What does "History" mean in the context of Open Library?
- How do I create a List?
Print Disabled Books on Open Library
- What do you mean by "print disabled" books?
- What is DAISY?
- How do I read a DAISY book?
- What are protected DAISYs?
- Why are some DAISYs protected?
- How can I get a key for my device?
- Why can't I get a key?
- Where else can I get DAISY books?
- What kind of DAISY does the Internet Archive produce?
- Will Internet Archive DAISY books work on the new NLS Digital Talking Book Player?
- Is the Open Library website accessible to the blind and visually impaired?
Using Open Library Data
- Who owns the Open Library catalog?
- Does Open Library have an API?
- Can I download Open Library?
- Can I download a small piece of Open Library? Say, just three records?
- Can I export a bibliography?
- I have a bunch of book records to share with Open Library. How do I do that?
- I'm a publisher. I have a CSV file of all our publications. Can I share that on Open Library?
- I work on a book-related website and would like to share information with Open Library. Who should I talk to?
History Created October 26, 2009 · 130 revisions
| May 5, 2013 | Edited by Jessamyn West | moved questions to this page instead of having htem be one more level down. |
| April 19, 2013 | Edited by Jessamyn West | typo! |
| April 14, 2013 | Edited by Jessamyn West | adjusted titles |
| March 28, 2013 | Edited by Jessamyn West | made troubleshooting link more clear |
| October 26, 2009 | Created by George | Created initial list of FAQ. |