Frequently Asked Questions. Find answers on how to access books, search the archive, download titles, and optimize your reading experience.
Table of contents
1. Accessing & Finding Books
How do I find books on Century Past?
The most effective way to find books is to use our Book Subjects Directory. This directory is organized to help you browse by specific topics and historical eras.
While there is a search field on the site, the Directory is the intended way to navigate the collection. Century Past does not host these books directly; we provide a curated gateway to major, free, and legal archives across the internet.
How do I search the Internet Archive via Century Past?
When you click a link on our site, it often takes you to the Internet Archive.
- To find Fiction: If you are searching their database, add
AND Fictionto your search terms. - To find Non-Fiction: If your results are too cluttered with stories, add
NOT fictionto the search box to filter them out. - Searching specific collections: We recommend viewing our dedicated post on “How to Search the Internet Archive” for advanced tips.
See our page How to Search Internet Archive for Books for instructions.
Can I find books in other languages?
Yes. On the Internet Archive, you can use the “Language” filter in the left-hand sidebar to narrow your results to Spanish, French, German, or other languages available in their collection.
2. Legality & The Hachette Case
Are these books legal to read?
Yes. All books linked by Century Past are hosted by legal archives. Most books published before 1929 are in the public domain and can be downloaded freely. Books published after 1929 are generally hosted by the Internet Archive and can be borrowed through their digital lending library.
Why were some books recently removed from borrowing?
Following a court ruling in the Hachette v. Internet Archive case, the Internet Archive was ordered to remove “Borrow” access for books that are currently commercially available as printed books or eBooks. They also remove books if requested by their publishers.
If you encounter a book that says “removed”, it is likely due to this legal decision. However, many books remain available for loans.
3. Devices & Reading Settings
Which devices are best for reading?
For the best experience, we recommend using an iPad or an Android Tablet.
- Why Tablets? Most books in these archives are PDF scans of original pages. Tablets allow you to “pinch-to-zoom,” making it easy to read small print or view detailed illustrations.
- What about Kindles? We generally do not recommend Kindle or similar e-readers for Century Past books. These devices are designed for reflowable text (like modern ebooks) and struggle to display PDF scans of historical books in a comfortable size of text. However, if a public domain book offers the opportunity for download in the EPUB format, we understand that will work fine in a Kindle.
What are the best screen settings?
To make digital reading more comfortable:
- Brightness: Adjust your screen brightness to match the ambient light in your room.
- Contrast: If a scan is light or faded, use your PDF viewer’s settings to increase the contrast.
- Blue Light: Use “Night Mode” or a “Warmth” setting on your tablet to reduce eye strain during long reading sessions.
4. Downloading & Formats
Should I read online or download?
- Online: You can read any book directly in your browser using the “Book Reader” on the archive site.
- Download: Available only for Public Domain books (normally that means books published before 1930). For offline reading, we recommend downloading the PDF file whenever possible. While other formats like EPUB are often available, the PDF version preserves the original typography and layout of the historical book.
What is the difference between “Download” and “Borrow”?
- Downloadable books (Public Domain) can be saved to your computer permanently.
- Borrow-only books (Copyrighted) require a free account at the Internet Archive. You can “check them out” for a limited time, and the file will expire and disappear from your device when the loan period ends.
How can I manage a large collection of books?
- If you download many titles, we suggest using a “Public Domain” filter in your file explorer or using library management software like Calibre to keep your digital library organized.