Did you know that April 23rd is World Book Day, according to a 1995 UNESCO decision? The date was chosen because it was on this day that William Shakespeare was born and died.
This is one of the most important days for anyone who likes to read, be it books, magazines or even podcasts: World Book Day.
To mark this date, we went in search of some of the most prestigious digital libraries, where you can find everything from Luís de Camões’ “Os Lusíadas” to children’s literature for the little ones.
It’s all here, in a collection of thousands of books and documents, for you to read whenever you feel like it, in digital format and for free.
Some free sources
National Reading Plan
Here you will find the suggestions of the National Reading Plan, i.e. the books that have been carefully selected as recommended reading for all Portuguese, especially the little ones.
Its mission is to define and effectively implement public policies that enable the general population to develop greater reading skills and habits, so that they can respond fully to the challenges posed by personal, professional, social and cultural development contexts .
National Digital Library
The National Digital Library (BND) aims to make digitized manuscript and print content from the collections of the National Library of Portugal, the Évora Public Library and, occasionally, the Ajuda Library available free of charge online to everyone.
Most of the works on offer are in the public domain and can be freely used without copyright restrictions. However, the BND may include content that is still protected by copyright, duly marked and only accessible on the BNP’s internal network.
Camões Digital Library
The Camões Digital Library makes texts and documents of great cultural and linguistic importance available online , namely The Lusiads.
Its aim is to broaden access to Portuguese, reaching a growing number of speakers and students around the world.
The platform offers complete works for free reading, without the need to register, covering both public domain content and current editions protected by copyright, with access levels defined in collaboration with publishers and partner institutions.
Public Domain Portal
Launched in November 2004 with an initial collection of 500 works, it is a virtual library created to promote the sharing of knowledge, making texts, sounds, images and videos of literary, artistic and scientific relevance accessible to everyone.
The aim is to broaden access to works in the public domain or duly authorized, enhancing the cultural heritage of the Portuguese language and the world.
Europeana – European Digital Library
Europeana is a digital platform that offers free access to millions of items of European cultural heritage, including works of art, books, music, videos, newspapers, archaeological objects, fashion, science, sport and much more.
It is aimed at enthusiasts, professionals, teachers and researchers, with the aim of inspiring new perspectives , informing, sharing and enjoying Europe’s rich cultural heritage, as well as encouraging the creation of new content from these materials.
This portal brings together collections from more than 4,000 cultural institutions across Europe, such as museums, libraries, archives and galleries, through a network of aggregators that ensures the integration, enrichment and reliability of the data.
In addition to access to information, Europeana encourages the creative reuse of its content in educational, artistic, scientific and technological projects, promoting innovation, teaching and collaboration between users.
Adamastor Project
In this library you will find a series of free books in EPUB format, with no restrictions whatsoever.
We suggest a visit to the Literary Podcasts area , where you can find some works in audio format in Portuguese and English.
Project Gutenberg
We end with the oldest digital library in the world, founded in 1971 by Michael S. Hart, considered the inventor of the eBook.
This project was born with the aim of encouraging the creation and distribution of free electronic books, making literature and other cultural content accessible to anyone with Internet access.
The first eBook was the US Declaration of Independence, typed by Hart, whose mission was to
to break down the barriers of ignorance and illiteracy and give as many eBooks to as many people as possible.”
Project Gutenberg’s collection of works exceeds 70,000 titles, consisting mainly of works in the public domain, available in various formats such as plain text, HTML, PDF, EPUB and MOBI, and this collection is expanded by volunteers from all over the world, a bit like Wikipedia.
And since it’s almost the season to travel, take a look at these titles.