Why are these old books?

LibriVox records texts that are public domain in the United States. Its policy treats a work published more than 95 full calendar years ago as public domain there, so many titles date from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Volunteers using their own voices, with no experience required. Each uses their own equipment, so recording quality and accents vary from reader to reader.

A part of a book, usually a chapter, that one reader records. In a group project different volunteers claim different parts, so one audiobook can have many voices.

LibriVox Audiobooks Screensaver

The LibriVox Audiobooks screensaver shows public-domain books as volunteers finish recording them, gathered key-less by the pipeline: the title, the language it was read in, and how many hours of audio it runs to. It's free, runs in your browser, and ESC exits.

How the LibriVox Audiobooks screensaver works

The background pipeline reads this from LibriVox and saves a snapshot the saver loads.

Public-domain books as volunteers finish recording them, gathered key-less by the pipeline: the title, the language it was read in, and how many hours of audio it runs to..

It refreshes on a schedule, so what you see stays current.

Colours can be changed in settings; nothing is stored beyond your own browser.

How LibriVox produces its recordings

LibriVox is a volunteer project whose stated aim is to make books in the public domain available as audiobooks narrated by real people, released free online. Anyone can join in any language, and readers choose the books they want to record. A work is either read by one person as a solo project or split among several readers as a group project, where volunteers claim parts, usually chapters, and post their finished recordings.

Every recording is proof-listened before a book is catalogued: a listener checks the files for mistakes, long pauses and stumbles, and the reader uploads a corrected version if needed. Only then are the files prepared and published to the catalogue and the Internet Archive. Recordings must be made by volunteers in their own voices, and AI-generated audio is not allowed.

Public domain here means the United States. LibriVox’s policy is that a text published more than 95 full calendar years ago is public domain in the US, which is why many titles are nineteenth- and early twentieth-century works. A book already in the catalogue can be recorded again, so the same title may appear in several versions by different readers.

A worked example

Public-domain books as volunteers finish recording them, gathered key-less by the pipeline: the title, the language it was read in, and how many hours of audio it runs to.

Settings & tips

Accent and Background recolour the display.
Run automation/run.py librivox to refresh the feed.
Press ESC to leave fullscreen.

Frequently asked questions

Is this real data?: Yes — it comes from LibriVox and is refreshed on a schedule.
Is a key needed?: No. This source is fully key-less.
Is it free?: Yes — free, no download, in your browser.
Why are these old books?: LibriVox records texts that are public domain in the United States. Its policy treats a work published more than 95 full calendar years ago as public domain there, so many titles date from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Who reads the books?: Volunteers using their own voices, with no experience required. Each uses their own equipment, so recording quality and accents vary from reader to reader.
What is a section?: A part of a book, usually a chapter, that one reader records. In a group project different volunteers claim different parts, so one audiobook can have many voices.

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