If you happen to’re a scholar, you realize that textbooks are costly. Likelihood is your main bills at school are tuition, meals, transportation… and studying supplies (like textbooks). You might need even tried to promote your books after you’ve got used them to recoup a few of the prices.
Fortunately, there are a lot of on-line sources these days that may make it easier to get textbooks at no cost! Reddit is one such useful resource. Listed here are a few of the greatest Reddit free textbooks communities and sources that might make it easier to lower your expenses at school. Able to dive into some homework with out breaking your financial institution? Let’s get proper into it.
Reddit Free Textbooks: Finest Subreddit Sources
From communities the place you may submit a textbook request to locations that supply consistently up to date hyperlinks to free textbook web sites, listed here are a few of the greatest subreddit sources that you need to take a look at in case you’re trying to save on textbooks.
R/Textbooks
Created in 2009, r/Textbooks is a subreddit devoted to all issues textbooks-related. You can change bodily textbooks with different customers, get suggestions of sure textbooks to get in your lessons, and (after all) get digital textbooks.
The good factor is that in case you occur to wish a textbook that they do not have, you may make a submit requesting the textbook with particulars, and the neighborhood will do all the things they will that will help you out!
R/Scholar
With over 83k members, r/Scholar is about as legit of a subreddit as you will get. This subreddit is devoted to requesting and sharing particular educational articles (in addition to Ebooks) from varied databases.
What you may discover once you go onto r/Scholar is that there are largely two kinds of posts: posts which have the tag “requesting”, and posts which have the tag “discovered”. As you may guess, once you wish to discover a textbook, you may make a submit “requesting” it after which later one, if someone occurs to search out a web based copy, they’re going to make a submit with the tag “discovered”.
One factor to notice is that many of the books requested on this subreddit are “scholarly” and excessive stage (often analysis papers and research carried out by graduate or Ph.D. college students).
R/Textbookrequests
Created in 2017, r/Textbookrequests is strictly what it seems like. You may go onto this subreddit and request any textbook that you really want. Often, somebody will remark the file for the textbook straight or give you an internet site/useful resource the place you can find the ebook.
As a result of r/Textbookrequests remains to be fairly new, it would take a while in your request to get fulfilled, however this can be a good place to request any textbooks you may want for the NEXT semester if you realize what they’re forward of time.
R/Freetextbooks
Much like the opposite subreddits, r/Freetextbooks is a spot the place you may put in requests for particular school textbooks and customers will reply with assist in the type of urged open academic sources, on-line bookstores that comprise your required textbook, or a free on-line model of your textbook.
R/Piracy
On the finish of the day, in case you do not buy textbooks the correct means (once you’re purported to) and as an alternative choose to attempt to discover free textbooks on-line, you are attempting to pirate the textbook. That is clearly frowned upon by textbook publishers and booksellers, who’re attempting to get your cash, but when you are going to be pirating, why not study to do it the correct means?
r/Piracy has been round since 2008 and has over 750k members. On the subreddit, you may discover a lot of up-to-date details about piracy, some useful logistical ideas, and even some sources the place you may be capable to discover the textbooks that you simply want.
Finest Locations To Get Free Textbooks In line with Reddit
If you happen to do not wish to be a part of one of many subreddits listed above, or you do not have Reddit in any respect, you may minimize proper to the chase by trying out a few of the greatest textbook sources based on Reddit. A cautionary observe: as a result of a whole lot of these on-line textbook / on-line ebook web sites are semi-legal, they should consistently change their URL and web site hyperlink to keep away from getting caught. For that cause, the hyperlinks to those web sites haven’t been included under, BUT they need to be findable with a fast Google search.
Libgen
Library Genesis (LibGen) is the most important free library within the historical past of mankind. With over 80 million scholarly journal articles, 6 million educational and common curiosity books, 2 million comics, and 380 thousand magazines, likelihood is, no matter you are on the lookout for, you may discover it on LibGen.
If you happen to’re wanting to buy textbooks in your programs, examine first to see if you could find the identical books on-line at LibGen at no cost! They’ve textbooks obtainable on nearly each topic together with algebra, calculus, sociology, anatomy, physiology, geometry, macroeconomics, microbiology, science, and engineering. If it is standard sufficient, it is most likely on LibGen.
Gutenberg
Why head to the bookstore when you may simply entry over 60,000 eBooks at no cost in Gutenberg’s library? Right here you may discover a few of the world’s best literature with books on practically each matter, and there is a probability that you will additionally decide up some on-line textbooks.
Undertaking Gutenberg is totally free and with out value to readers. On prime of that, you additionally need not obtain any particular app or Ereader. You may simply go to their web site (out of your laptop or telephone), seek for the ebook that you simply want, and begin studying proper out of your common browser.
Zlibrary
A web based useful resource that everybody is aware of about, zLibrary has all of the paperwork and books you may ever want. Not solely does it supply free textbooks, however it additionally has free novels, free analysis papers, and even free articles. The mission of zLibrary is to “make literature accessible to everybody” and through the years, they’ve been shifting nearer and nearer to engaging in their aim.
You probably have an ordinary school textbook that you simply want for certainly one of your lessons, search up the title in zLibrary first. There’s a probability that it’ll present up as a PDF and also you received’t want to purchase the bodily copy in any respect.
zLibrary recommends that you simply create an account on their web site (to trace your downloads and in addition get elevated obtain limits) however this isn’t required in any respect. You may totally use their web site with out an account, particularly if it is the case that you simply simply want a ebook or two.
School College students Textbooks
Checked all of the open content material sources listed above and nonetheless have not discovered your textbook? Concern not, as School College students Textbooks provides nearly any textbook you may consider at a fraction of the value. And don’t fret, you will not be shopping for used textual content books in poor situation, you may be shopping for digital books that can arrive in your e-mail instantly.
You probably have a ebook that you simply want by Pearson, Cengage, or Mcgraw-Hill (large textbook publishing firms), ESPECIALLY be certain that to take a look at School College students Textbooks as they nearly have all of the books written by these authors.
Textbookly
If you happen to REALLY cannot discover your textbook, there’s nonetheless another web site you need to take a look at earlier than working to your school bookstore: Textbookly. Textbookly is an open textbook checker you need to use to check the costs of latest and used textbooks. No extra fretting over whether or not you are being ripped off within the textbook market anymore.
You may seek for your textbook by way of identify, writer, or ISBN (ISBNs are Worldwide Normal E book Numbers) and just be sure you’re getting one of the best worth potential. The good factor is that not solely will Textbookly let you know what the bottom textbook costs are, it’ll additionally let you know precisely the place to get them.
Recap: Reddit Free Textbooks
No matter whether or not you are trying to purchase new textbooks in your lessons or trying to do a textbook rental, it is essential to first see if you will get your textbooks at no cost. One strategy to go about it’s to make use of Reddit!
As a fast recap listed here are a few of the greatest subreddits to take a look at in case you’re trying to discover open textbooks sources:
- r/Textbooks
- r/Scholar
- r/Textbookrequests
- r/Freetextbooks
- r/Piracy
And, in case you actually do not wish to undergo the difficulty of sifting by way of these subreddits for solutions, listed here are some Reddit-suggested locations the place you may be capable to discover your wanted textbooks:
- LibGen – No matter whether or not you want college textbooks or highschool textbooks, you may most likely be capable to discover it on the most important free digital library on the planet: LibGen.
- Gutenberg – See a well-known ebook in your syllabus that your professor requires you to purchase? Head over to Gutenberg as an alternative and get it at no cost!
- zLibrary – With the general public curiosity at coronary heart, zLibrary’s mission is to make training and books accessible to all. What this implies is that you simply’re very prone to discover the textbook that you simply want on this web site.
- School college students textbooks – A improbable useful resource to purchase low-cost on-line books, particularly if it is a ebook by Pearson, Cengage, or Mcgraw-Hill (a few of the main textbook publishers on the planet).
- Textbookly – Earlier than heading to your campus bookstore / campus retailer to purchase your college textbooks, be certain that to examine Textbookly to see in case you’re getting one of the best worth. Textbookly will scan all of the markets (for used books and new books alike) and offer you a worth comparability in your textbook.
Some honorable mentions are:
- Openstax
- Flat World Information
- Chegg
- OpenCourseWare
- Open SUNY Textbooks
- Open Textbook Library
- PDF Search Engine
If worse involves worst and you’ll’t discover your textbook on ANY of those sources, contemplate:
- Renting as an alternative of shopping for (what number of time have you ever checked out your textbook after the course completed).
- Shopping for a used textbook as an alternative of a brand new one.
- Promoting textbooks after you’ve got used them.
- Enrolling in ebook rental packages and renting OUT your textbooks (you may be capable to make a pleasant passive earnings stream).
- Going to your college bookstore and seeing in the event that they’re prepared to do a worth match.
- Getting your textbook in paperback as an alternative of hardcover.
- Searching for free archived textbooks that accomplish the identical factor because the paid model.
- Taking part in textbook buyback packages and getting a few of your a reimbursement.
- Buying textbooks from pals who’ve already taken the course (and can most likely promote to you at a reduced charge).
So there you may have it: a few of the greatest locations to get free textbooks (based on Reddit) and a few of the greatest subreddit sources. The subsequent time you could purchase books for lessons or really feel the necessity to go to your school retailer for textbooks, take a look at a few of these sources first. Your pockets will thanks for it!
FAQ About Free Reddit Textbooks
Is getting free pdf textbooks on-line authorized?
- Although some colleges will suggest you buy textbooks from their very own ebook retailer (or on-line library), if you could find school textbooks on-line that may suffice, there’s nothing stopping you from doing so. In spite of everything, the web is an open useful resource and the onus is on the web sites themselves to cope with copyright legal guidelines.
Is Reddit a reliable supply?
- Reddit is a good supply of data for lots of various subjects and the positioning additionally offers inbuilt suggestions when it comes to upvotes. If worse involves worst and you do not just like the free books and low-cost textbooks Reddit recommends, you may at all times discover a completely different useful resource to depend on.
Jeff is a present Harvard scholar and writer of the weblog Monetary Pupil who’s keen about studying, residing, and sharing all issues private finance-related. He has expertise working within the monetary business and enjoys the pursuit of economic freedom. Exterior of running a blog, he likes to cook dinner, learn, and golf in his spare time.