University Libraries

Ohio Digital Library: Summer Reading at Your Fingertips
By Tina Beis
With summer on the horizon, traditionally it is a time to grab a beach read or to take a break from scholarly reading with a fiction book. While many physical library locations are closed due to the pandemic, Ohio residents can still access thousands of leisure reading titles online for free through the Ohio Digital Library. The Ohio Digital Library is a program of the State Library of Ohio and is supported in part by federal funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
You can use any Ohio public library card to access titles or sign up in just a few seconds using a mobile number with an Ohio area code. A variety of mysteries, science fiction, graphic novels, thrillers, historical fiction, children’s books, nonfiction titles and more are instantly available. In addition to ebooks and audiobooks, you can stream popular films and read digital magazines.
Sampling of titles
In a recent search, Becoming by Michelle Obama, The Alice Network by Kate Quinn, The Reckoning by John Grisham, Born a Crime by Trevor Noah, Dark Sacred Night by Michael Connelly, and Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty were just a sampling of readily available book titles.
How to read them
You can read the books on a Kindle, e-reader, or web browser, or you can download the free Libby or OverDrive apps to read on your iPad, iPhone or Android device.
Need help? Remember, you can always ask a librarian!
— Tina Beis is an assistant professor and discovery services librarian in the University Libraries.