While students in wealthy countries have access to well-equipped labs and current textbooks, students in developing nations often share outdated texts or have none at all. Free digital textbooks can help bridge this gap.
The Scale of the Problem
UNESCO estimates that 258 million children worldwide are out of school, and many more attend school without adequate learning materials. In sub-Saharan Africa, the student-to-textbook ratio can exceed 10:1.
Digital Distribution Advantages
- Zero marginal cost per additional reader
- Can be accessed on low-cost smartphones (the most common computing device in developing countries)
- Content can be translated by local communities
- Can be downloaded for offline access in areas with limited connectivity
Our Impact
LibreTxt materials have been downloaded in 140+ countries. Our most popular science texts have been translated into 12 languages by volunteer translators.