It’s hard to fathom that once there were only 100,000 websites, one of them being archive.org or better known as Internet Archive. Established back in 1996, Internet Archive a nonprofit organization, set out to archive the Internet itself to include web pages, books and text, audio recordings, videos, images and software programs. Thanks to funding and membership to several library associations, Internet archive provides free access to over 38 million books via Open Library and Children’s Library.

Created in January of 2005, the Children’s Library features books for children from around the world to include books from the University of California Libraries, The University of Florida’s “Literature for Children” collection, the National Yiddish Book Center, the New York Public Library, the International Children’s Digital Library, and other libraries.

The Internet Archive’s Children’s Library is different from the local public libraries as it focuses on old text and printed books. If you are looking for a 1916 version of The Tale of Peter Rabbit, or a 1910 version of Celtic Tales, you will find it here. There are newer books available, such as Is Your Mama a Llama or The Berenstain Bears. Also, there are many international books in different languages to explore.

A great resource, the Internet Archive Children’s Library offers the opportunity for anyone to have free access to the classics from leading libraries.