Open Library Reader

Open Library is an online library with millions of books to browse or check out. You can track the books that you're reading, want to read, etc. and read many of them right there.

PLEASE NOTE: This app is an interface to the openlibrary.org web site — if you don't use that site to read books, you may have trouble figuring out what the app is for. I encourage you to familiarize yourself with the site first, and then you'll understand what the app offers.

This app is one reader's effort to create the ideal portable experience for taking advantage of Open Library's amazing collection.

You'll get the best experience out of this app on an iPad, but you can use it on a smaller screen (if you don't mind squinting).

The moment you open the app and log in, any books you've already saved on the Open Library site are laid out on your screen. You can sort them by title, author, publication date, and date saved, see which books are available to read, and open them with a single tap.

Once you've opened a book in the familiar reading interface, a tap at the top of the screen will trigger the full screen mode, removing every distraction and expanding the book pages to the limits of your screen for the perfect reading experience.

Other features include:
- Built-in search: find and add books to your shelves from inside the app.
- Shelf management: move books between shelves, remove books, change the edition of a book.
- Related title search: choose a book on your shelf and quickly find more books like it.
- Checkout tracking: see at a glance how long you have left on limited-access books you've checked out.
- Customization: choose which shelves you want to see and manage the size of the books and their titles.

This app is essentially an alternative interface to the Open Library site — all of your data is stored there, and the books you read are hosted online, not in the app. As a result, an active internet connection is required when you are using this app.


Open Library is an initiative of the Internet Archive, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, building a digital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. The developer of this app has no legal or contractual relationship with Open Library or the Internet Archive, and bears no responsibility for the content found there.