Course Affordability

This page describes resources unaffiliated with UIUC which may be able to provide access to materials or equipment students need for courses. This includes public libraries, makerspaces, and free online libraries. 

Public libraries are an excellent resource for students. In addition to the books in their catalogs, public libraries often have useful online resources, makerspaces, and libraries of things (which may include things like WiFi hotspots and laptops). 

Students who have a mailing address in Champaign or Urbana are eligible to get a library card at the Champaign Public Library or the Urbana Free Library. These libraries have a reciprocity agreement, so users of either library can access the catalogs of both libraries. In addition to having a wide array of physical books, newspapers, and magazines, the libraries have a wide variety of online resources which may or may not be accessible to users of the other library.

Champaign Public Library has online resources including films, research materials in multiple disciplines, and market data.

Urbana Free Library has online resources including business and consumer listings, language learning resources, and scientific research.

In addition, the Champaign Public Library has the Studio, which includes a makerspace, recording booths, computer lab, and gaming area. There is also the Makerspace at Douglass Branch, which has a variety of equipment available for use. The Studio and the Makerspace have limited hours which are listed on their websites, and there may be an additional fee for the use of equipment or materials.

Internet Archive is a nonprofit, online library with millions of free texts, movies, software, music, websites, and more. It is a good place to check for academic articles and textbooks, though the textbooks may be older editions. Internet Archive also offers access to more recently published books through their Open Library site, where one can borrow textbooks, novels, children’s books, and more for a limited time.

Internet Archive’s main project is to digitize and offer permanent access to books in the public domain (published before 1929), government documents, web history archives, and historical collections. It also provides specialized services for adaptive reading and information access for the blind and other persons with disabilities. 

HathiTrust Digital Library is a collection of books, digitized primary sources, images, and more. HathiTrust Digital Library provides long-term preservation and access for materials in the public domain (in other words, no longer under copyright). It also has some in-copyright content. Its materials come from a variety of sources, including Google, the Internet Archive, Microsoft, and in-house partner institution initiatives. In addition to historical collections, HathiTrust Digital Library has materials such as textbooks, articles, and sheet music in its catalog, though these are likely to be older editions.

Project Gutenberg is a volunteer-driven, free digital library that offers over 75,000 free eBooks for public use. All of their eBooks are in the public domain and were published prior to 1929. They offer works in many languages, but most books are in English. This is a good place to find classic literature, as well as texts on history, arts and culture, science and technology, and more.