📖 Cheap E-books, Audio Books, Streaming (for €1/month)
Berlin’s public libraries give you access to English e-books, international newspapers, e-learning platforms, and movie streaming—for less than €1 per month.
Yes, libraries. Those houses with books inside which you can borrow and then need to bring them back in time. Lots of walking and carrying. But nowadays, this is much easier – since also Berlin’s libraries have a big online offer. And they cooperate with other platforms, so your membership is valid in many places.
Online Offer
- Overdrive: E-books & audio books, fiction + non-fiction, recently published, not only in German but also in English, French, Italian, Russian, Arabic.
- Onleihe: E-books, e-papers & magazines
- Pressreader: International newspapers & magazines (e.g. Guardian, Washington Post, Forbes, Vogue, Le Figaro, El País, Wyborcza, Izvestia)
- Statista: Verifiable and relevant statistics on markets, politics, and social issues from 18,000 sources
- LinkedIn Learning: Online courses on IT, business, and creative topics
- Lecturio: Online courses on career, finance, lifestyle, medicine, software
- LinguaTV: Online language courses in English, French, Italian, Spanish, and German as a foreign language
- Duden: Full access. The “German Oxford dictionary” – what Germans check when in doubt about their language
- Ava: Artsy films and documentaries, some with English subs
- Filmfriend.de: Movies, series, documentaries
And of course, there are still the classic libraries with paper books, not only in German. And not only books, but also DVDs and board games! Take a look into their collection, the whole website is also available in English.
Pricing
The regular fee is €10 for a whole year, students pay €5, and if you are unemployed, it is free.
Become a member
There are around 80 libraries in Berlin, and one pass works for them all.
- Find a library on Google map.
- Go in person to one of them (check their opening times, they are also on Google)
- Bring your ID or passport, and if it does not contain your address: your Meldebestätigung (=receipt of your Anmeldung)
- If you want a discount: proof for being a student or unemployed
- Fill out a form on the spot
- Pay the yearly fee
- Get your new library ID
Subscibe to our free newsletter.
