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[https://archive.org/about/faqs.php Frequently Asked Questions] Click on the sections at the top of this webpage, including
*Search Tips which includes the section "How do I sort search results".
*Books and Texts: Includes information about various alternative formats such as DjVu.
*Archive BitTorrents. Some books are available to read using this format.
*Borrow from Lending Library. Some books are only available to read using a system similar to a lending library - only one person at a time is able to read the book.
From c July 2020 the website was some months unavailable mid/end of the month with a message "Bandwidth Limit Exceeded" but was then available from the beginning of the next month. From 18 January 2021 some but not all, PAHAR files have been uploaded to the Internet Archive (Archive.org) as part of the Collection "Historical Resources of India", and currently, at 23 January 2021, [https://archive.org/details/IndiaHistory?and%5B%5D=subject%3A%22pahar.in%22&sort=-publicdate latest upload date] is 21 January 2021. Perhaps there will be more uploads in the future.
==Digital Library of India=====Current website===The Digital Library of India is available, although located in [[Calcutta]] and much reduced in content compared to what it had been in administered by the Ministry of Culture of the pastGovernment of India.
The current website is There are a number of [http://wwwnlirepository.dlinvli.ernetin/handle/123456789/1 Collections] including Gazetteers and Government Publications.Most of the other English language books appear to be inthe categories Monographs or E-Books, but not in Rare Books (as at 2020/06/30)
The digital files have the URL format Pdfs http://www.dli.ernet.in/handle/2015/97227 (The previous URL format was <nowiki>http://www.new.dli.ernet.in/handle/2015/97227</nowiki>)to read online.
There are currently (2019/01/27) no book files available with publication date after 1900The digital collection appears to be a selection of the Library's Collection only, and it is unclear whether the digital collection will increase.
It There is now necessary perhaps a possibility that the digital collection will be uploaded to register to download a book filethe Internet Archive, in the same way as happened with Central Secretariat Library digital collection, (but this had not happened at 2020/06/30).==Central Secretariat Library (CSL) Digital Repository==*[http://cslrepository.nvli.in Website]
In January 2017 many The Central Secretariat Library (but not allCSL) is one of the book files, from oldest libraries of the then larger Digital Library Government of India were uploaded to and is now located in Delhi, although originally established in 1891 as the Internet Archive Imperial Secretariat Library in Kolkata (Archive.org[[Calcutta]]). An example It is administered by the Ministry of Culture of the URL for an Internet Archive book file is https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015Government of India.97227
Many of the books currently available There are five main collections being [http://cslrepository.nvli.in the Digital Library of India may also be available on the Internet Archive (Archive/handle/123456789/8 Rare Books], [http://cslrepository.org), where you may read the book online, or download with multiple optionsnvli. You can find out by searching the latter sitein/handle/123456789/7 Gazetteer Reports] including modern publications, or by "creating" a but none in respect of Burma; Internet Archive URLand Committee Commission Reports, by substituting the numbers from the specific DLI URLSettlement Reports, in the example Internet Archive URL format aboveStatistical Abstract.
A new website was introduced in In January 2017 many (but not all) of the latter part of 2015, where all the digital book files , from the then Digital Library of India were Adobe pdfs. Previously uploaded to the website had used TIFF formatInternet Archive (Archive. Please be aware the cataloguing was, and still may be, erraticorg). The title may have spelling errors, or part An example of the title may be omittedURL for an Internet Archive book file is https://archive.org/details/in. The author, or the date of publication may be omittedernet.dli.2015. 97227
To locate the Advanced Search filtersNoted in October 2020, click on files were uploaded to the Search icon on Archive.org which were files from the Home Pageprevious Digital Library of India.The Search function was An example of the URL for an Archive. and still may be, org book file uploaded at times not as good as it could be, so if you can't find a title, try searching by author, or a different title wordthat time is https://archive.org/details/dli.ernet.238435
====Oldest website using TIFF format====The Digital Library of India commenced in the early 2000s<br> c October 2020. Please beware that many of the books were scanned at this time, and the quality of some of the images is poor by today's standardsFiles originating from DLI are being uploaded to Archive. The book page images were in the TIFF formatorg. These appear to be If you couldn't read the pages you needed to download a plug-in to read the TIFF formatfiles which were not previously uploaded.
The following information about TIFF plus-ins is retained because this format may be encounted in other online books.==National Digital Library of India==*[http://www.alternatiff.com/install-ie Alternatiff] for Windows users and [httphttps://fredrik.hubbendl.net/pluggeriitkgp.html Plugger] for Linux usersac. *Mac users who cannot read TIFF images can read about suitable plug-ins in this [https://web.archive.org/web/20131003100606/http://www.uspto.gov/faq/plugins/tiff.jsp link] from the US Patents Office, now archived, or consult Apple Help. *[http://www.lva.virginia.gov/public/tifftips.htm TIFF tipsWebsite] Library of Virginia [USA] has general information about viewing TIFF images.
==National Digital Library A portal sponsored by the Ministry of IndiaHuman Resource Development, NDL==*[https://ndlwith the aim of providing a single window search facility.iitkgp.ac.in Website]A It is not immediately clear which other digital libraries have contributed content, but includes portal website, which will include content from the previous Digital Library of India, but currently and also Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (3 June 2017GIPE) does notand South Asia Archive. From the description, The latter is a subscription website (with a red lock icon) and access to it appears that the main purpose through NDLI is limited to provide a single Search for many institutions, as "all the UGC colleges in India". For non Indian residents the actual digital files appear viewing of content will generally need to be downloaded from via the websites website of the participating contributing institutions, including Archaeological Survey of Indiaas it appears to register with NDLI, Central Archaeological Library, New Delhi, refer belowyou need to be an Indian resident at an educational institution. All database sources with a red lock icon require Prior registration is required to . However you can access files content from within NDL. One database included is the South Asia Archiveprevious Digital Library of India, see[[Subscription websites-online newspapers, journals (which shows a green lock icon) although it may be slow and directories#South Asia the Internet Archive|Subscription websites-online newspapers, journals and directories - South Asia (Archive]], but it is unclear who is able .org) may be preferable for those DLI files also uploaded to access this databaseArchive.org.
Pdf '''Some''' of these digital files to download are now also available at the Internet Archive (archive.org), see above, a collection [https://archive.org/search.php?query=subject%3A%22Archeological+Survey%22&sort=-date subject:'''"Archeological Survey"'''] as part of the [https://archive.org/details/digitallibraryindia Public Library of India Collection], with a Internet Archive URL in the format https://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.31291
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→National Digital Library of India
Various websites provide access to digitised copies of books. Most are '''free'''. Online books can contain a wealth of useful material with the added bonus of often having the ability to search the text. '''You will find many links to online books across the FIBIwiki. Use the Search at the top of this page to locate pages of interest'''.
Please note that links to historical books are provided as an information and research tool and FIBIS cannot verify the accuracy of such works nor guarantee they are free from bias. Readers are advised to note the date of any historical books and assess the material accordingly.
If you have any problems please email [mailto:jgdc99@gmail.com John Carpenter]
'''[https://help.archive.org/hc/en-us Internet Archive Help Center]''' (Archive.org page). For texts, click on the section Archive.org*Scroll to "Search" for Search Tips which includes the section "How do I sort search results", the latter in Search - A Basic Guide *Scroll to "Books and Texts Information" *Scroll to "Borrowing From The Lending Library". Some books are only available to read using a system similar to a lending library - only one person at a time is able to read the book. Includes information about signing up for an archive.org account, which is necessary to read books in the Lending Library.: The "default" borrowing time period is one hour. Additionally, some books are also available for a 14 day period. The latter option may be displayed, or for some books, there is a downward arrow icon on the "Borrow for 1 hour" heading, which can be clicked on to show a 14 day borrowing option, which can be selected if required. For books which can only be borrowed for 1 hour, the book may be re-borrowed at the expiry of that time.*Archive BitTorrents. Some books are available to read using this format. See Files, Formats and Derivatives/Archive BitTorrents Video presentation [https://www.familysearch.org/rootstech/rtc2021/session/navigating-the-internet-archive Navigating the Internet Archive] by Alexis Rossi from 2021 RootsTech, FamilySearch. Direct [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCcRM0Z72GA YouTube video].<br> Includes a section on Books ==Hathi Trust HathiTrust Digital Library==*[httphttps://www.hathitrust.org Website]*Watch a YouTube video for details of [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7i_eh-ZBJKg the new book reader introduced July 2021].
The website adviseshas in the past advised ::"Hathi Trust HathiTrust is a partnership of major research institutions and libraries working to ensure that the cultural record is preserved and accessible long into the future."
Many of the online books originate from Google Books, but there are some volumes available which are not available on the Google Books website.
The books are available to read online, but can only be downloaded to your computer if you are associated with a participating institution. An advantage is that the pages may be rotated, which is a handy feature for the pages in some books, particularly Army Lists
There are some books which are Searchable, but are not generally available to read online due to copyright issues, unless you are a member of a participating institution, but note some members may '''not''' have access to in-copyright material. Most of these institutions are located in USA, but other institutions (at 2020/09) are: Australia: Australian National University, Canberra ACT; Monash University, Clayton Campus, Vic; University of New South Wales, Sydney and University of Sydney, NSW; University of Queensland, Brisbane; New Zealand, University of Auckland; Spain, Complutense University of Madrid; Lebanon, American University of Beirut. Enquire whether visitors are able to access the HathiTrust Digital Library database, and whether that includes in-copyright publications. [https://www.hathitrust.org/community HathiTrust Members]
==British Library Digital Collection==
Examples of books available to download include ''Gazetteer of Kangra District-Parts II to IV Kulu, Lahul and Spiti'' 1897, ''Official Account of the Abor Expedition 1911-12'' 1913, both listed under "Books-Indian Subcontinent" and under "Journals" many editions of ''The Indian Forester''.
==Digitised Books from GIPE, Pune==
*[httphttps://dspace.gipe.ac.in/xmlui/handle/10973/17705 Website]
Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (GIPE), Pune ([[Poona]]). Pdfs to download.
The website contains a number of Gazetteers which may be located by using Gazetteer as the search term. Other books available to download include ''Chronicles of the East India Company trading to China, 1635 to 1835'' by Hosea Ballou Morse 1926. Volumes [httphttps://dspace.gipe.ac.in/xmlui/handle/10973/23767 1], [httphttps://dspace.gipe.ac.in/xmlui/handle/10973/23769 2], [httphttps://dspace.gipe.ac.in/xmlui/handle/10973/23770 3], [httphttps://dspace.gipe.ac.in/xmlui/handle/10973/23771 4], [httphttps://dspace.gipe.ac.in/xmlui/handle/10973/23772 5] ==National Library of India Digital Collection==*[http://nlirepository.nvli.in Website], or access through through [https://www.nationallibrary.gov.in NLI]/Digital Collection.
Pdfs to read online. Many volumes have been uploaded to the Internet Archive, Archive.org, commencing 28 February 2020 (but currently 9 March 2020 not all) in the collection [https://archive.org/search.php?query=subject%3A%22Central+Secretariat+Library%22&sort=-publicdate "Central Secretariat Library"]. =DLI history=Digital Library of India, now closed== The Digital Library of India had many interesting books which were unavailable online elsewherehas been closed down as a separate entity, although texts labelled "Digital Library of India" are available through the National Digital Library of India, see next section.
===DLI history===
The Digital Library of India had many interesting books which were unavailable online elsewhere.
A new website was introduced in the latter part of 2015, where all the digital book files were Adobe pdfs. Previously the website had used TIFF format.
<br>January 2017. Roughly 80% of the books from the Digital Library of India became available on the Internet Archive (Archive.org). These books may be read online, in addition to the download options.
<br>c May 2017. Digital Library of India website no longer available due to maintenance and other issues. The last message on the website advised the website is closed to remove books still in copyright.
<br>September 2017. Further DLI books appeared to have been delated from Archive.org, and the collection was renamed the "Public Library of India" Collection.
<br> c September 2018. DLI website is available with reduced content, with no books published after 1900. It is now necessary to register to download books.
==DSpace at West Bengal State Central Library==
Some of the digital files from West Bengal State Central Library are now available at the Internet Archive (archive.org), refer above, as part of the [https://archive.org/details/digitallibraryindia Public Library of India Collection].
==Osmania University Digital Library [OUDL]of the West Bengal Secretariat== *[http://oudl.osmaniawbsl.acgov.in/ homePage.action Website] Osmania University is situated in Hyderabad. The library has a connection with the Digital website advises "The West Bengal Secretariat Library of Indiaat Writers' Building, Kolkata, however it is not known whether all one of the books available on OUDL are also available o the the DLI websiteoldest and largest library under Government of West Bengal". An example of a book available is [http://oudl.osmaniawbsl.acgov.in/handle/OUDL/2228 ''Fatehgarh And The Mutiny''] by C L Wallace 1933 The texts are available as pdfs to downloadaboutUs. The OUDL site appears to be available only during Indian office hours (IST 10 am to 6 pm), according to this [http://www.sanskritdocuments.org/scannedbooks linkaction About Us] (sanskritdocumentssets out the main holdings of the Library.org) (IST = GMT+5:30)
==Panjab Digital Library==
It is necessary to register to read more than the first few pages of each online book. The collection includes a number of [http://www.panjabdigilib.org/webuser/searches/mainpage.jsp?CategoryID=1&Searched=Gazetteer&x=16&y=12 Punjab District Gazetteers] (The spelling also includes [http://www.panjabdigilib.org/webuser/searches/mainpage.jsp?CategoryID=1&Searched=Gazeteer&x=20&y=9 Gazeteer]/ [http://www.panjabdigilib.org/webuser/searches/mainpage.jsp?CategoryID=1&Searched=Gazetter&typebox=1 Gazetter]/ [http://www.panjabdigilib.org/webuser/searches/mainpage.jsp?CategoryID=1&Searched=Gazeetter&x=13&y=9 Gazeetter])
==Rare Books On SindhSani Panhwar.com==*[http://wwwsanipanhwar.com Website] Scroll down to collection of books on Sindh and Vicinity, and General Books.panhwar With link to**[http://sanipanhwar.com/rarebooks/reaebooks.html Rare Books] including Administration Reports on various topics.htm Website]This link is part of the website [http://www.panhwar.com Panhwar.com] about Sindh.Many books on Bombay and Sindh. Must be downloaded Pdf format. A few books (as at 2020/10/17) from this collection have been uploaded to viewthe Internet Archive (Archive.org) by member [https://archive.org/details/@panhwar panhwar] including [https://archive.org/details/1950-while-memory-serves-by-tuker/mode/2up ''While Memory Serves''] by Lieut.-General Sir Francis Tuker. Digital reprint edition reproduced by Sani H Panhwar, originally published 1950.
==Tamil Virtual Library==
Tamil Virtual Library, a Division of Tamil Virtual Academy.
*[httphttps://www.tamildigitallibrary.in Website]
For examples of books and newspapers included on the Tamil Virtual Library, see [[Cemeteries# Inscriptions in online books|Cemeteries - Inscriptions in online books]] and [[Newspapers and journals online# Madras Courier|Newspapers and journals online - Madras Courier]].
Some, but not all, books from this Digital Library are also available as mirror versions on the Internet Archive (Archive.org). However, '''none''' of the previously mentioned publications are currently (2019/07/13) available on Archive.org.
==Kerala State Central Library Rare Books Online==
==Archaeological Survey of India, Central Archaeological Library, New Delhi==
*[httphttps://www.asi.nic.in/asi_ca_lib.asp central-archaeological-library/ Central Archaeological Library] with a link to a List of digitised books., which may however be incomplete, and a**[https://asi.nic.in/book-search/ Book Search] which however at a recent access (2020/07/27) was not working. Previously there were pdf files to download, but it is not clear whether this is still possible directly from the website. If however you have the ASI catalogue reference, you can derive a pdf URL in the format http://www.ignca.nic.in/aspAsi_data/searchBooks31295.asp Search for digitised books]pdf
Some editions of these digital files ''Bengal, Past and Present'' from the ASI Library are now also available online at the Government of India website [https://indianculture.gov.in Indian Culture], see the Fibiwiki page [[Bengal, Past and Present, Journal of the Calcutta Historical Society]]. ==Asiatic Society of Mumbai, Granth Sanjeevani. Pay/subscription==*[https://granthsanjeevani.com/jspui/ Website] The Asiatic Society of Mumbai, Granth Sanjeevani database currently includes over twenty thousand digitised books in English from its own collection, including some not apparently online elsewhere, in addition to digitised newspapers, including an almost complete run of the ''Bombay Chronicle'' (1913-1959). Also included are some editions of ''The Pioneer'', Allahabad. A paid personal or institutional membership is required to access the contents. Note however, in 2020 mirror versions of many books were uploaded to the Internet Archive (archiveArchive.org), see abovea free website, as part of in the [https://archive.org/details/digitallibraryindia search.php?query=subject%3A%22Granth+Sanjeevani%22&sort=-publicdate Granth Sanjeevani Collection], part of the Public Library of India Collection].It appears editions of ''The Pioneer'', Allahabad were '''not''' uploaded (as at 2020/10/22)
==National Library of Singapore: BookSG==
==FamilySearch Digital Library==
Previously known as Family History Books from FamilySearch
* [https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/ Website]. To access the books. These *[https://www.familysearch.org/family-history-library/digital-library FamilySearch Digital Library] Includes Helpful Resources. From [https://www.familysearch.org/family-history-library/welcome-to-the-family-history-library Family History Library]/Family History Library Collection. Contact email is <nowiki>DigitalLibrary@familysearch.org</nowiki>*[https://www.familysearch.org/blog/en/family-history-books can also be accessed through / "Is Your Family in the Updated Digital Library?"] FamilySearch blog 5 April 2019. Details some of the functions available.*FamilySearch Help articles**[https://www.familysearch.org/cataloghelp/helpcenter/article/search how-do-i-find-a-digitized-book-in-the-familysearch-digital-library How do I find a digitized book in the FamilySearch CatalogDigital Library?], which also contains additional books which **[https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/what-are-the-icons-on-the-familysearch-digital-library-book-viewer What are digitised the icons on the FamilySearch microfilms from various sourcesDigital Library book viewer?]**[https://www.familysearch. Note org/help/helpcenter/article/the-online-book-that is necessary to be '''signed -i-was-reading-in''' to [[FamilySearch]] to access -the -famlysearch-digital-library-timed-out The online book files.that I was reading in the FamlySearch Digital Library timed out]
Hosted by FamilySearch, this is a searchable site containing many family history related books from a number of major US Libraries. In addition there are now many books which are mirror copies from the Internet Archive, Archive.org, (see above), (where you may prefer the online viewing format, and downloads are possible), added February 2019. This is an ongoing project.
Note that is necessary to be '''signed in''' to [[FamilySearch]] to access the book files. Books can also be accessed through the [https://familysearch.org/catalog/search FamilySearch Catalog], which also contains additional books which are digitised FamilySearch microfilms from various sources. If the Digital Library catalogue reference indicates "Access Level Public", you can read the book online, and it is also possible to download, either a specific page, or the entire book file. If the catalogue reference indicates "Access Level Protected", it is not stated who, if anyone, can access the book. For members of the public, the access message is "Due to copyright restrictions, this book cannot be viewed online". There are limited number of books where the Access Level is "Member Permission" where the access message is "This book may only be viewed online at the Family History Library, a family history center, or one of FamilySearch’s partner libraries". The material is accessible on a Family History Library computer, see [[FamilySearch Centres]].
Some books which which are digitised FamilySearch microfilms which were filmed in institutions such as the British Library, even if the books would otherwise not be subject to copyright restrictions, can only be viewed at [[FamilySearch Centres]], or perhaps also at FamilySearch Affiliate libraries (See [https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/FamilySearch_Online_Book_Collection_FAQs explanations on website] for further details. However currently (2019/02/15) this page has not been updated to reflect recent changes)
An example of a "Public access" book available is the [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/1931667 ''Indian Army List'' April 1921] which may be read online, or downloaded. This is the link through the Main Catalogue. URL though the Digital Library is https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/286965-indian-army-list-april-1921 and if you want to save the link to a particular page, say digital page 161, the format for that page is https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/idviewer/286965/161, see the Share icon on the far right hand side of the book reader.
==Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek==
==Bayerische Staatsbibliothek - Bavarian State Library==
*[https://www.bsb-muenchen.de/en/ Website]
[https://www.bsb-muenchen.de/en/search-and-service/searching-and-finding/ Search] for books and maps. The search result will indicate whether the item is available online. It is understood most of the online books are also available on the Google Books website. If searching for maps, use the search term plan in addition to map. There is a digital category [http://daten.digitale-sammlungen.de/~db/ausgaben/uni_ausgabe.html?projekt=1352889503&recherche=ja&ordnung=sig Karten und Pläne]. The search here is however limited to title words. Some maps were located using the words India, Calcutta and Indus. The maps (and possibly even the books) may use a Tiff TIFF format. If so you may need a plug-incannot see the images, see [[Online books#Digital Library of India| Online books-Digital Library of India]] for more detailsyou will need to download suitable software.
==Savifadok- Heidelberg University==
Savifadok: English Books from British India collection, Heidelberg University Digital Repository, South Asian Studies. Currently (September 2013} consists of a small collection. The website also contains other items such as [http://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/savifadok/volltexte/2009/254 Burma/Myanmar Bibliographic Project: A Collection of Publications in West-European Languages] by Siegfried M. Schwertner. An extensive bibliography, with separate downloads for each letter of the alphabet.
==South Asia Open Archives (SAOA), part of JSTOR.org==
[https://www.jstor.org/site/south-asia-open-archives/saoa/ Website]
South Asia Open Archives (SAOA) is hosted on JSTOR.org as part of the library-contributed Open Access collections on JSTOR.
While there are some digitised books, the main content appears to be official reports and journals. Those in English include [https://www.jstor.org/site/SAOA/SouthAsiaOpenArchivesSAOA/LandSettlementReports-26610308/ Land Settlement Reports], [https://www.jstor.org/site/south-asia-open-archives/saoa/report-native-papers-bombay-presidency-berar-26318836/ Report on native papers published in the Bombay presidency and Berar, for the week ending...] 1874-1880; [https://www.jstor.org/site/south-asia-open-archives/saoa/report-native-papers-1876-1916-26318835/ Report on native papers for the week ending ...] Calcutta, Bengal 1876-1916; [https://www.jstor.org/site/south-asia-open-archives/saoa/selections-vernacular-newspapers-26318842/ Selections from the Vernacular Newspapers Published in the Panjab, North-Western Provinces, Oudh, Central Provinces and Berar] 1881-1901; [https://www.jstor.org/site/south-asia-open-archives/saoa/selections-native-newspapers-26318838/ Selections from the native newspapers published in the United Provinces of Agra & Oudh] 1903-1912. There are Census reports from 1871 to 1951, and trade related reports.
==Gallica==
*[http://gallica.bnf.fr Website]
There are a surprisingly large number of English books, especially scientific journals, and travelogues. Somebody in France was systematically collecting these throughout the early and mid 19th century. There was an earlier version of the "Great Game" going on between Britain and France. My 4 x great uncle John Croft Hawkins, a Bombay Marine officer, took the first steam vessel up the Euphrates to Hit in what is now Iraq. I knew he had done this, because it is mentioned in his obituaries, but do you think I could find an account of it in the British papers? No, either it was so "secret" that the papers were hidden away and lost, or the ants had got it. Yet I have found a nearly contemporary French account of his progess! I have found books in Galica that are not available in Google Books, and some that are only Snippet View in Google Books are available in Full View.
==Arthur Paul Afghanistan Collection==
*[https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/afghanuno/index.html Website]
'''Digitized Afghanistan Materials in English''' from the Arthur Paul Afghanistan Collection at the University of Nebraska-Omaha.
[[Category:Online books| ]]
[[Category:Research methods]]
