Project Gutenberg May 2026

: This key partner site facilitates the conversion of scanned physical books into e-books through a collaborative online process. Legal and Technical Framework Permission How-to - Project Gutenberg

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 Project Gutenberg

The project operates under the philosophy that literature and information should be accessible to everyone at little to no cost. : This key partner site facilitates the conversion

The library is built and maintained primarily by volunteers who digitize, proofread, and format the texts. Hart, it focuses on digitizing and distributing literature

: 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.

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