EOD or eBooks on Demand

This is a European Union project with over 40 European libraries participating in a joint effort to make older books available to the public. The site allows users to search for a title, request the book, then the holding library digitizes it for a fee and delivers the user an ebook. There are currently over 900,000 public domain books available in PDF.

“European libraries are hosting millions of books published from 1500 to 1900. Due to their age and value, they are often only accessible to users actually present at these libraries.”

“With the EOD service these hidden treasures now become available to everybody – just a few mouse clicks away. Users are to order eBooks via library catalogues; the libraries then digitise the requested item and send it to the user via the EOD service network. The books digitised in this way are incorporated into the digital libraries of the participating libraries and thus be accessible on the Internet. As of 2009, these books can also be ordered as a reprint in the form of a “real” trade paper book in addition to the digital version.”

“ Whenever you see a catalogue entry with this sign, you will be able to order this book as an EOD eBook!”