How OpenMind Works
We index and provide access to public domain and openly licensed ebooks and audiobooks from trusted external sources.
Three steps to your next read
No sign-up. No payment. No waiting. Just books.
Find a Book
Search by title, author, or genre — or browse curated categories. Every result is vetted, public domain, and legally free.
Read or Listen
Open any ebook in our built-in reader with adjustable font size and layout. For audiobooks, our player streams directly — no download required.
Download Freely
Every file is available for offline use. EPUB for ebooks, MP3 for audiobooks. No account needed to download.
Where our books come from
We only index content from established, legally sound open-access repositories.
Project Gutenberg
The oldest digital library, with over 70,000 books whose copyright has expired in the United States. Books are free to read and reuse where they are in the public domain. Users should check local copyright laws before downloading or redistributing.
LibriVox
Volunteer-recorded audiobooks of public domain texts. Every recording is released into the public domain and free to use without restriction.
Open Library
An initiative from the Internet Archive aiming to create one web page for every book ever published. Metadata and covers sourced from here.
OpenMind indexes metadata and links to original public-domain sources. We do not claim ownership of third-party texts, audiobooks, metadata, or covers.
Built on open principles
OpenMind exists to make knowledge accessible to everyone, everywhere, permanently.
Always Legal
Every book on OpenMind is either in the public domain or released under an open license. We verify copyright status before publishing.
Always Fast
Books are served via CDN-backed file URLs. The reader and player load instantly — no buffering, no waiting.
Always Free
No paywalls, no subscriptions, no ads. OpenMind is an open-access project. Read as much as you want, forever.
Multiple Languages
While most books are in English, we also index works in German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and more.
Frequently asked questions
Are these books really free?
Most books on OpenMind are sourced from public domain or open-access repositories. Availability and rights may vary depending on your location.
Do I need an account?
No account is required to read or listen. A free account is needed to download content. Registering also enables optional features like bookmarks, favorites, and reading history.
What formats are available?
Ebooks are available in EPUB and sometimes HTML/plain text format. Audiobooks stream as MP3. Our in-browser reader and player support all formats without any plugins.
Can I use these books commercially?
Public domain works can generally be used commercially. However, specific Open Access or Creative Commons licenses may restrict commercial use. Always check the rights badge on each book.
How often is the library updated?
We regularly import new titles from Project Gutenberg, LibriVox, and Open Library. New public domain works also enter the catalog each year as copyright expires.
Can I upload my own books?
Yes. If you hold the rights to a work or if it is under a compatible open license, you can upload it via our contribution portal. See our Upload Policy for details.