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Open Culture

A daily index of the free courses, audiobooks, films and ebooks scattered across the rest of the internet.

Opens in a new tab. We do not control this site and it may have changed since we catalogued it.

How to get the most from it

Open Culture sits in Free Libraries under Learn, filed as coffee break.

  • Set aside five to fifteen minutes and give it your proper attention.
  • It works on a phone or a desktop, so open it on whatever is nearest.
  • It works with the sound off, so it is fine on a train or in a quiet office.
  • No account needed — you can start without signing up.
  • Go in expecting something useful and brainy.

About this category: Public-domain books, scanned art, academic archives and collections built by people who cared far too much about one subject. Bring time.

Good for

  • Filling a coffee break properly
  • Getting something practical done
  • Giving your brain a workout
  • A quiet break at your desk
  • Killing time on your phone
  • Trying it with zero commitment

Open Culture: quick answers

Is Open Culture free?

Yes. Open Culture is free to use and needs no account.

Do I need an account to use Open Culture?

No. You can use Open Culture without signing up for anything.

Does Open Culture work on a phone?

Yes. Open Culture works on phones as well as desktop browsers.

Is Open Culture safe for work?

Yes, we file it as safe for work. It also works muted.

How long does Open Culture take?

We file it as "Coffee break": Five to fifteen minutes of proper attention.

More in Free Libraries

All 19 in Free Libraries

Same mood: useful

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  • A hand-drawn library of mix-and-match people, free for anything, and quietly the source of half the internet's illustrations.

  • Free, ad-free versions of the actual academic instruments, with the collected raw data published for anyone who wants to poke at it.

  • A free street-view guessing game with unlimited rounds, built for people unwilling to pay a monthly subscription to look at roads.

Keep exploring

Have a site of your own? Suggest it for Detour or browse the AltFTool backlinks hub.