LibGuides: Explore Textbook Alternatives for IU Southeast Courses: Online Text of Classic Works

Sources for Full Text of Classics

When older out-of-copyright books are assigned, you may be able to find free full text online. An internet search for the title in quotes with the words full text may find it [example Google Search: "Ragged Dick" "full text"]

You may find multiple copies of a work on these sites. A good strategy might be to provide links to more than one source of the book. This lets students choose which version they like best--some are simple text and some have a "turn-the-page" feel, etc.

Below are links to sites that offer full text of classic books.

Page by Page Books
Provides many full text titles. Uses a very simple format that doesn't require any software downloads.

HathiTrust Digital Library This link opens in a new window
Not everything in the Hathi Trust is full text, but many classic books are full text here.
ACCESS NOTE: IUS students, faculty, and staff can log in (select Indiana University as your partner institution) for additional access to digitized books and journals.

Internet Archive
Many books available. Often provides multiple format options.
Project Gutenberg
Large collection of full text and audio versions of classic books.
PublicLiterature.org
Provides full text of many classic works, and as well as contributed selections from modern authors.
Feedbooks
Download many public domain books.
Open Source Shakespeare
Complete collection of works in very accessible html format.
Perseus Digital Library
Particularly strong collection of classic works on history, literature and culture of the Greco-Roman world, but also includes other areas of the humanities.
Internet Sacred Texts Archive
Large collection of "electronic texts about religion, mythology, legends and folklore, and occult and esoteric topics." Simple html versions of public domain works.
RPO - Representative Poetry Online
From the University of Toronto Libraries, a web anthology of 4,800 poems in English and French by over 700 poets spanning 1400 years
Classics in the History of Psychology
"an effort to make the full texts of a large number of historically significant public domain documents from the scholarly literature of psychology and allied disciplines available on the World Wide Web."

It's a good idea to also stock print copies at the book store for students who prefer print. Some high quality editions of classics might be found with university presses (see University Presses & Scholarly Publishers page). The following publishers produce inexpensive print versions of classics: