Where to Find Banned eBooks

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Find eBooks Near You

1. Start at your local library: Books are rarely banned on a national scale. Many book bans occur at the local level. Check your local library or school library before looking elsewhere. Many local libraries are collaborating with virtual book lending apps like Overdrive and Hoopla, making it possible for you to borrow both hard copies and ebooks.
2. Join your county or state library: Some states and counties offer free library memberships to state/county residents and residents in neighboring counties. If the book you want to borrow is banned in your city or town, you may be able to find it at your state or county library. Examples of libraries like this include Enock Pratt Library (Baltimore, MD) and Free Library of Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA), both of which offer memberships to people who live in their state even if they don't live in the city that is home to the library.
3. Check the free online libraries: There is a small collection of free libraries available online. I've made a couple lists of the libraries I've found so far (10 Free Online Libraries and 7 Free Online Libraries). Most free online libraries focus on classic Western literature and books that have entered the public domain, so it is difficult to find books that are currently facing bans and challenges in local communities. However, many classic books have been banned at various points in American history, and some still are banned from time to time. Willa Cather, for example, is a Black author whose books have achieved classic status and have been alternately taught in or banned from schools. The author's rumored lesbianism is often credited as a cause for bans of her books.
4. Search Google Books and WorldCat: I've found Google Books to be a useful resource when searching for both modern and classic literature. Some books are present in their entirety and others have long previews. You can use Google Books to find the nearest library that stocks your book of interest (although it doesn't necessarily show whether the book is in hard copy or ebook form). Alternatively, this site will also tell you where to buy the book online. WorldCat is a website that works similarly. By using their search engine, you can find libraries near you that stock the book you hope to read.
5. Look up your favorite books on Amazon: Occasionally, Amazon Kindle or authors will list ebooks for free. This is a great way to get to know a new author's style or to get books on a budget. It's also worth keeping an eye out for banned books and books with diverse characters because books are often listed for free temporarily as a way to promote new and diverse authors or to highlight a book that is garnering public attention.
6. Check YouTube for free readings: YouTube is filled with book readings, recordings of author Q&As, and book presentations hosted by libraries, bookstores, colleges and universities, and nonprofits. Be prepared: You'll also find plenty of arguments in favor of banning books.
7. Look for free audiobooks: I've also made a blog post about free audiobook libraries. You can find it here. Free audiobooks aren't everyone's cup of tea, but they can make reading more accessible to people with limited vision, dyslexia, and other print-related disabilities.
8. Watch for out-of-state book lending: Occasionally, more widely recognized libraries will temporarily lend select books to readers from out-of-state. This usually happens when a controversial book ban has reached widespread news networks. The New York Public Library has famously done this in the past.
9. See If You Have a Little Free Library: Technically, this is a way to get a hard copy, rather than an ebook, but if you're having a lot of trouble finding books digitally, it may be worth checking out. Little Free Libraries tend to take on the culture and attitudes of the neighborhood, so if you can't find diverse books near you, but have the ability to visit a more welcoming town or neighborhood, swing by the local Little Free Library. You probably won't find the specific book you're looking for, however, you may find a gem if you're open to the possibilities. You can search for Little Free Libraries on their website.

Sources

“The 20 Best Places to Find Free Audiobooks Online.” Discovery. Accessed February 22, 2023. https://reedsy.com/discovery/blog/free-audiobooks.

Crimmins, Tricia. “10 Free Audiobook Sites for Discovering Your next Literary Obsession.” Mashable. Mashable, October 29, 2021. https://mashable.com/article/free-audiobooks.

Edu, Team Leverage. “Free Online Libraries You Should Know About.” Leverage Edu. Leverage Edu, June 28, 2021. https://leverageedu.com/blog/free-online-libraries/.

“Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free & Borrowable Books, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine.” Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free & Borrowable Books, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine. Accessed February 17, 2023. https://archive.org/.

“The Online Books Page.” The Online Books Page. Accessed February 17, 2023. https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/.

“Page by Page Books. Read Classic Books Online, Free.” Page by Page Books. Accessed February 17, 2023. https://www.pagebypagebooks.com/.

Publicliterature.org. Accessed February 17, 2023. https://publicliterature.org/.

“Take a Book. Share a Book.” Little Free Library, November 16, 2022. https://littlefreelibrary.org/.

VanRy, Nikki. “14 Websites to Find Thousands of Free Audiobooks Online.” BOOK RIOT, March 9, 2022. https://bookriot.com/11-websites-find-free-audiobooks-online/.

“| Pikes Peak Library District.” | Pikes Peak Library District. Accessed February 17, 2023. https://ppld.org/.

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