LIST: Free Online Libraries During COVID-19

Schools have been suspended in many countries around the world and many faculty members and parents are worried about how to continue the school year during and after the suspension. In response, many online libraries and resources have opened up their databases for free!

We have listed down some local and international collections that are now available for public access for students and academe.

National Library of the Philippines

The National Library of the Philippines will be accessible to those who request it through email. For foreign resources, email reference@nlp.gov.ph or for Filipiniana resources, email filipiniana@nlp.gov.ph indicating your name, affiliation, and desired topic/subject.

DepEd Commons

Free online learning portal for children studying in public schools by the Department of Education. Though the access is limited, DepEd Commons is a way for faculty and students to pick up education despite the suspension of classes.

Website: commons.deped.gov.ph

Cambridge University Press

Over 700 textbooks are available for free access until the end of May 2020. Access will be automatically arranged if you already have access to the current free reference collection, which includes Cambridge Histories, Cambridge Companions, and Cambridge Elements.

Website: cambridge.org

TumbleBooks

Osterhout Free Library’s online database is suitable for children from K-12 including picture books, textbooks, books for young adults, graphic novels, and video books.

Website: osterhout.info/tumblebooks

Scribd

Online audiobook and e-book subscription Scribd will be free for everyone for 30 days with no credit card or commitment required. The digital library has millions of ebooks, audioboks, magazine articles, and others.

Website: scr.bi/ReadFree

JSTOR

Journals, books, images and media, research reports, and more are now available and freely accessible worldwide. Additionally, they are welcoming requests for an expanded set of content for students displaced due to COVID-19.

Webite: about.jstor.org/oa-and-free

Project MUSE

An online database of scholarly content from institutions from around the world, Project MUSE has open access temporarily. Journals from participating publishers include Princeton University Press, Music Library Association, and even Ateneo de Manila University.

Website: about.muse.jhu.edu/resources/freeresourcescovid19

MIT Press

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Press is offering experts free articles on pandemics, the MIT Press Direct for displaced faculty and students, and PubPub, an open-source platform used for community publishing.

Website: mitpress.mit.edu/blog/updates-during-covid-19-pandemic

Intramuros Administration

The Intramuros Administration recently set up a virtual tour website that gives users a view of the historic walled city’s rich arts and culture collection. They have partnered with Google Arts and Culture for people to virtually visit sites, parks, and plazas.

Website: artsandculture.google.com/partner/intramuros-administration

Dark Horse Comics

Enjoy the first chapter of stories ranging from Umbrella Academy, American Gods; young reader selections like Disney’s Incredibles 2, Frozen, to graphic novels and more!

Website: digital.darkhorse.com/pages/246/free-dark-horse-comics

Do you know other online libraries that have opened up free access during the COVID-19 lockdown? Tell us in the comments below!

Also read:

• LIST: Free Books and Films Amid COVID-19 Quarantine
• LIST: Temporary Medical & Quarantine Facilities in Metro Manila for COVID-19 Patients
• Donate to COVID-19 Frontliners Through These Mobile Applications
• Reliable Sites and Database for Updates on COVID-19