What is the Open Textbook Library?

The Open Textbook Library (open.umn.edu/opentextbooks) is a catalogue of free, peer-reviewed open educational resources (OER) for higher education, maintained by the University of Minnesota. It lists over 1,000 textbooks across subjects including biology, chemistry, economics, history, mathematics, nursing, psychology, and sociology. All books are free to download, adapt, and use. Most are available as PDF; many also offer direct EPUB downloads.

Do Open Textbook Library books already come as EPUB?

Many do — look for the 'EPUB' download button alongside the PDF button on each book's page. If an EPUB version is already available, download it directly rather than converting the PDF. If only a PDF is available, or if the EPUB version has formatting issues, converting the PDF via toolkit.bot often produces a cleaner reflowable EPUB for e-reader reading.

What subjects does the Open Textbook Library cover?

The library covers a wide range of higher education subjects: biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, computer science, economics, business, accounting, history, literature, political science, psychology, sociology, nursing, public health, philosophy, engineering, and more. It's particularly strong in STEM introductory courses and social sciences. All books are peer-reviewed by faculty who have used them in courses.

Are Open Textbook Library books legally free to download and convert?

Yes. Open textbooks in the library are published under Creative Commons licences (typically CC BY or CC BY-SA), which explicitly allow free download, reproduction, and adaptation. Converting a PDF to EPUB for personal reading is well within the terms of these licences. You may also adapt and redistribute the converted version under the same licence terms.

What other sources offer free open educational textbooks?

Other major OER textbook repositories include: OpenStax (openstax.org) — high-quality peer-reviewed textbooks for introductory college courses, most available as PDF and EPUB; MIT OpenCourseWare (ocw.mit.edu) — lecture notes and readings in PDF form; LibreTexts (libretexts.org) — modular open textbooks with PDF export; Saylor Academy (learn.saylor.org) — free course materials with PDF readings. All can be converted to EPUB for e-reader reading.

How to Download Open Textbook Library Books as PDF and Convert to EPUB (2026)

Updated June 2026 · Research

The Open Textbook Library offers over 1,000 free, peer-reviewed textbooks for higher education — all legally free to download and use. Most are available as PDF; many also offer EPUB downloads. For books only available as PDF, or where the provided EPUB has formatting issues, converting the PDF to EPUB gives you a clean reflowable version for comfortable reading on Kindle, Kobo, or your phone.

Open textbook sources with free PDF and EPUB downloads

Platform	URL	Subjects	Formats
Open Textbook Library	open.umn.edu/opentextbooks	All higher ed subjects	PDF, EPUB (many)
OpenStax	openstax.org	Introductory STEM, humanities	PDF, EPUB, web
LibreTexts	libretexts.org	STEM, social sciences	PDF export, web
MIT OpenCourseWare	ocw.mit.edu	All MIT subjects	PDF (lecture notes)
Saylor Academy	learn.saylor.org	Broad higher ed	PDF
Project Gutenberg	gutenberg.org	Classic literature, history	EPUB, PDF, TXT

How to convert an Open Textbook Library PDF to EPUB

Go to open.umn.edu/opentextbooks and find your textbook
Check if an EPUB version is available — click the EPUB button if so
If only PDF is available, click Download PDF
Go to toolkit.bot/pdf2epub and upload the PDF
Download the EPUB with chapter navigation built from section headings
Send to Kindle via email, or transfer to Kobo by USB

Frequently asked questions

What is the Open Textbook Library?: The Open Textbook Library (open.umn.edu/opentextbooks) is a catalogue of free, peer-reviewed open educational resources (OER) for higher education, maintained by the University of Minnesota. It lists over 1,000 textbooks across subjects including biology, chemistry, economics, history, mathematics, nursing, psychology, and sociology. All books are free to download, adapt, and use. Most are available as PDF; many also offer direct EPUB downloads.
Do Open Textbook Library books already come as EPUB?: Many do — look for the 'EPUB' download button alongside the PDF button on each book's page. If an EPUB version is already available, download it directly rather than converting the PDF. If only a PDF is available, or if the EPUB version has formatting issues, converting the PDF via toolkit.bot often produces a cleaner reflowable EPUB for e-reader reading.
What subjects does the Open Textbook Library cover?: The library covers a wide range of higher education subjects: biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, computer science, economics, business, accounting, history, literature, political science, psychology, sociology, nursing, public health, philosophy, engineering, and more. It's particularly strong in STEM introductory courses and social sciences. All books are peer-reviewed by faculty who have used them in courses.
Are Open Textbook Library books legally free to download and convert?: Yes. Open textbooks in the library are published under Creative Commons licences (typically CC BY or CC BY-SA), which explicitly allow free download, reproduction, and adaptation. Converting a PDF to EPUB for personal reading is well within the terms of these licences. You may also adapt and redistribute the converted version under the same licence terms.
What other sources offer free open educational textbooks?: Other major OER textbook repositories include: OpenStax (openstax.org) — high-quality peer-reviewed textbooks for introductory college courses, most available as PDF and EPUB; MIT OpenCourseWare (ocw.mit.edu) — lecture notes and readings in PDF form; LibreTexts (libretexts.org) — modular open textbooks with PDF export; Saylor Academy (learn.saylor.org) — free course materials with PDF readings. All can be converted to EPUB for e-reader reading.