If you're a book nerd who misses spending hours at the local library,Korea thumbing through thousands of titles and roaming the shelves, then Library Explorer might help ease the sadness. Currently in beta, the interface allows you to virtually navigate a "physical" library.
The project comes from Internet Archive — a non-profit website that gives you access to free music, books, websites, software, and more. But as part of its Open Library platform (which offers access to a catalogue of millions of ebooks), Library Explorer is meant to elevate the experience of simply searching for books by scrolling through a web browser.
When you're on the Library Explorer page, you'll see tall bookshelves that you can click on. As with any local library, it leverages the Dewey Decimal and Library of Congress classification systems. So, it allows you to easily search for a specific book you're looking for, while also potentially discovering something new.
At the same time, you can also use smart filters based on your interests. So, you can do things like personalize single rows of books, expand shelves, or curate the experience based solely on your interests. For example, when clicking on the "juvenile" filter, the entire library will transform into books for children. If you click on the "biography" filter, you'll strictly see titles of biographies.
You also have the ability to customize the look and feel of the library via the Settings menu. When you click on the tab, you can opt to see the books in 3D and choose between the classification systems you want the books organized in.
But one thing Library Explorer doesn'tdo is feed you an algorithm. Unlike Netflix and YouTube, which show you recommendations based on past content you've watched and searched for, this portal pushes you to find things on your own. That way, you have more opportunities to stumble upon books outside of your bubble.
While I've only quickly skimmed through Open Library and all its features, I can confirm it's a lot more fun than scrolling through something like the Amazon app for books. It's also the closest I'll get to a public library for a very, very long time.
Best Presidents' Day deal: Save $250 on Peloton Bike
Cozy up with 'Hilda,' the best holiday hidden gem Netflix binge
Trump proves
A squad of Stormtroopers stormed Ireland and danced like no one was watching
11 Tech Products That Were Supposed to Fail... But Didn't
How to generate your Apple Music 'year in review'
Kids, cute animals, and cheese make for memorable nativity scenes
Hey Siri, this rapper sounds just like you
The Portable Workstation: Dell XPS 13 + 32 UltraSharp 4K Monitor
Chris Rock, Louis CK, and Ricky Gervais draw fire for a 2011 HBO clip
Obama photographer Pete Souza on Trump: 'We failed our children'
Here's how Airbnb is trying to convince its hosts to join its fight against New York state
Kim Kardashian snapped some nudes, because that's what Snapchat is for
Instagram's botched experiment is a reminder that the future of Facebook is Stories
We'll always, er, sorta, have the Paris Climate Agreement
Hey Siri, this rapper sounds just like you
Palmer Luckey shows Oculus how to fix Oculus Go with simple mods
Australia's extreme heatwave is 'the face of climate change'
Trump praises storm response as historic disaster unfolds in Houston
NASA gets ever
Her father refused to, so woman's boss walks her down the aisle to marry her brideUber CEO admits he needs a rightStephen Hawking reminds us technology will kill us all and it's all our fault'The Americans' is hitting a little too close to home in Season 5Google Pixel 2 might not have a headphone jack, report saysEmma Watson defends her 2014 comments about BeyoncéHyperloop One shows first photos of its desert test loop11 times Emma Watson was the hero we all neededShut it down: Jesus is on Tinder nowCalm down. Here's what you actually need to know about the WikiLeaks dump13 mildly sassy outA camera made from 23,000 drinking straws offers a very unique perspectiveTrump still refuses to wear his tie correctly and tapes it down insteadEd Sheeran's 'Divide' has a billion YouTube views less than a week after its releaseWatch this flock of birds form hauntingly beautiful patterns in the skyZayn accepted an award he didn't win, so iHeartRadio made up a new category for himSwitch and 'Zelda' were Nintendo's biggest U.S. launches everThe reasons why social media can make you feel both magical and miserableSexual abuse survivor Thordis Elva defends forgiving her rapist on TV'Supergirl' is planning the 'Lois and Clark' reunion of our dreams Elena Ferrante‘s Children’s Book Is Being Translated and It Sounds Terrifying Corgi derby sees small dogs vying for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee crown The best October Prime Day deals under $25 The Rediscovered Prison Memoir of a Black Man in the 1850s Adventures at the Ninety Whither the Fog Machine? and Other News by Dan Piepenbring Ryan Gosling's Ken in 'Barbie' floods the internet with thirsty memes Best Beats deal: The Beats Studio Buds are 40% off for Amazon's October Prime Day TikTok trend reminds people to be kinder to themselves The Borges Memorial Library: A Brief Survey of Imaginary Books Read an Interview with Paul Beatty, NBCC Fiction Winner Whiting Awards 2016: Brian Blanchfield, Nonfiction The 10 best and funniest tweets of the week, including a tornado warning and New Jersey 13 best scary movies on Paramount+ to send a chill down your spine The best Prime Day kitchen deals: Vitamix, KitchenAid, and more Kurt Klaggsburn’s Evocative Photos of Rio in the 1940s Ben Lerner on John Ashbery Best October Prime Day TV deals: Grab your cheap QLED now for the rest of football season Nicholson Baker on the Joys of Pockets Visiting the Automaton of Marie Antoinette