New Lending on Open Library

We've simplified lending to have one interface across Open Library and Archive.org on mobile and desktop. This means a slightly new path to downloading EPUBs/PDFs for existing Open Library users. The good news is that users can now early-return their own books and also download in multiple formats. Thanks for your patience as we streamline our lending experience.

The short description

All loans start by going directly into BookReader. Users can download EPUBs and PDFs from there by clicking the Download button to the right of the Return button on desktop/laptop or under Loan Information on mobile.

Longer lending description

Borrowing a book takes you straight into BookReader. You can search, use the read aloud feature, zoom in and out, and change the number of pages you see at once. The book will be available in your browser for 2 weeks. From here you can also download the item by clicking the download button which will give you a choice of formats as seen here.

You must install Adobe Digital Editions or an equivalent ebook reader that can handle Adobe's DRM (alternative options here) before you can read the offline version of your book.

When you want to return the book, you can return it from Adobe Digital Editions (if you chose to download) and from the BookReader. This will end your loan and remove the item from your loans list.

Mobile lending

In addition to the new borrow features, we have updated the bookreader to display better on mobile devices. The layout now changes when you are on a very small screen in order to make it easier to use. You will see one page at a time, and some of the functions are located in the menu on the left.

If you would like to download an offline copy of the book accessible through Adobe Digital Editions or equivalent (don’t forget to download the app first!) open the menu and choose Loan Information.

From here you can download a PDF or EPUB to read offline, or return the book.

Please let us know if you have additional questions about how this works or if you experience unexpected results.