Project Gutenberg May 2026

is the world's first and largest provider of free electronic books (e-books), hosting a library of over 75,000 titles . Founded in 1971 by Michael S. Hart, it focuses on digitizing and distributing literature for which U.S. copyright has expired, making it a cornerstone of the public domain movement. Core Mission and Philosophy

: Although heavily English-centric (over 21,000 books as of 2008), it hosts significant collections in French, German, Finnish, Dutch, and dozens of other languages. Project Gutenberg

: Books are provided in simple formats (like plain text and HTML) that can be read, used, and searched by almost any computer or program. is the world's first and largest provider of

: While primarily known for classic literature, the collection includes audiobooks, maps, and specialized data sets. copyright has expired, making it a cornerstone of

: The initiative aims to break down barriers to education and personal betterment by enabling unlimited redistribution of classic works. Collection and Operations

The library is built and maintained primarily by volunteers who digitize, proofread, and format the texts.