Openlib: Open Source Publishing

What is Openlib?

What it is

Openlib is an open-source Android app written in Dart with Flutter that downloads and reads books from Anna’s Archive. It lives in the Flutter mobile-app ecosystem and is licensed under GPL-3.0, with public source code, GitHub releases, and links to Android package pages for com.app.openlib.

The concrete problem it solves is that Anna’s Archive has no API for a reading app, so Openlib sends requests to the site, parses the returned response into objects, extracts available mirrors, and downloads books for local viewing. It also provides an in-built viewer and external-reader handoff, which lets users browse, filter, sort, and read EPUB or PDF files without building a separate client.

Key capabilities

Browse trending books from Anna’s Archive inside the app.
Filter and sort book results before choosing a title to download.
Send requests to Anna’s Archive, parse responses into objects, and extract mirrors.
Download books from extracted mirrors for local reading.
Read downloaded EPUB and PDF files with the built-in viewer.
Open downloaded books in a separate ebook reader app.

Who uses it and how

Android users install the beta APK from GitHub releases or the linked Android package pages, then search, download, and read books locally.
Readers use the built-in viewer for quick access or open the file in another ebook reader when they prefer a different reading interface.
Developers clone the repository, run flutter pub get and flutter run, and use flutter build to produce the Android APK from source to test changes or produce a local release.
Contributors report bugs through the GitHub issue tracker while the project is beta and use the contribution guidelines.

Getting started

Android users can install the prebuilt APK from GitHub releases or the linked Android package pages. Developers can clone the repository, run flutter pub get and flutter run, and use flutter build to produce ./build/app/outputs/flutter-apk/app-release.apk, with flutter.minSdkVersion=21 or above set for Android.

When to use it — and when not to

Openlib is suitable for Android users who want a beta, GPL-licensed Flutter app for downloading and reading EPUB or PDF books from Anna’s Archive. Avoid it if you need a stable production release, Google Play distribution, or assurance that every title is legally available; the README warns of bugs and states that publishing it or forks on Google Play violates their terms.

project readme (upstream, from github) — read inline

Openlib

An Open source app to download and read books from shadow library (Anna’s Archive)

Note 📝

WARNING: This App Is In Beta Stage, So You May Encounter Bugs. If You Do, Open An Issue In Github Repository.

Publishing Openlib, Or Any Fork Of It In The Google Play Store Violates Their Terms And Conditions

Screenshots 🖼️

Description 📖

Openlib Is An Open Source App To Download And Read Books From Shadow Library (Anna’s Archive). The App Has Built In Reader to Read Books

As Anna’s Archive Doesn't Have An API. The App Works By Sending Request To Anna’s Archive And Parses The Response To objects. The App Extracts The Mirrors From Response And Downloads The Book

Features ✨

Trending Books
Download And Read Books With In-Built Viewer
Supports Epub And Pdf Formats
Open Books In Your Favourite Ebook Reader
Filter Books
Sort Books

Roadmap 🎯

Adding More Book Format supports (cbz,cbr,azw3,etc...)
Adding Support For Background Downloads
Adding Support For Multiple Downloads
Move existing books when changing the storage path

Building from Source

If you don't have Flutter SDK installed, please visit official Flutter site.

Git Clone The Repo

git clone https://github.com/dstark5/Openlib.git

Run the app with Android Studio or VS Code. Or the command line:
```
flutter pub get
flutter run
```
To Build App Run:
```
flutter build
```
The Build Will Be In './build/app/outputs/flutter-apk/app-release.apk'

Android

Make sure that android/local.properties has flutter.minSdkVersion=21 or above For setup guide see SETUP.md

Contributor required 🚧

We are actively seeking contributors. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting out, we welcome your contributions to help make this project even better!

Contribution 💝

Whether you have ideas, design changes or even major code changes, help is always welcome. The app gets better and better with each contribution, no matter how big or small!

If you'd like to get involved See CONTRIBUTING.md for the guidelines.

Issues 🚩

Please report bugs via the issue tracker.

Donate 🎁

If you like Openlib, you're welcome to send a donation.

Donate To Anna’s Archive.

License 📜

Openlib is a free software licensed under GPL v3.0 It is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY. GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

Disclaimer ⚠️

Openlib does not own or have any affiliation with the books available through the app. All books are the property of their respective owners and are protected by copyright law. Openlib is not responsible for any infringement of copyright or other intellectual property rights that may result from the use of the books available through the app. By using the app, you agree to use the books only for personal, non-commercial purposes and in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

Frequently asked questions

Is Openlib free to use?

Openlib is open source under the GPL-3.0 licence. There is no licence fee and no seat count — you can self-host it or, where the project offers one, pay a vendor for a managed version instead.

What does Openlib do?

An Open source app to download and read books from shadow library (Anna’s Archive)

What is Openlib written in?

Openlib is primarily written in Dart. Its source is publicly available at https://github.com/dstark5/Openlib, and it has 2,474 GitHub stars.