Free access for Indians to library of cricket books

A one-year free digital access to Indian and world cricket content is being offererd in a collaboration between Bloomsbury, Wisden, and UK-based Public Library Online.

"Under the initiative, all citizens with an Indian IP address will have free access for a year to a library of cricket books at Public Library Online from Wisden, the most distinguished cricket publisher in the world," Bloomsbury Publishing said in a statement today.

The library includes all four Wisden India Almanacks, the last five 'Wisden Shorter Almanacks', the 'Wisden Book of Test Cricket 2009-14', 'Wisden on the Ashes', 'Benaud in Wisden' and 'Don'ts for Cricketers.'

These are available for online streaming on any Internet-enabled device at Public Library Online through the url in.publiclibraryonline.com. The library is an 'online only' Ebooks licensing company with books from leading international publishing houses and offers concurrent online access to a range of fiction and non-fiction, from a range of renowned publishers.

The initiative is being launched to coincide with the 4th test match of India-West Indies series on the 18th of August 2016.

Jahir Hussain, CEO of Public Library Online said, "We are excited to offer public library online eBooks to the entire Indian Public. We feel proud to be part of the 'Digital India' chapters."

"The Wisden archives are an unparalleled resource, for curious readers and cricket buffs alike. For well over a century, Wisden has been one of cricket's conscience-keepers and the Almanack's essays have chronicled the sweeping, almost cataclysmic, changes the game has seen," Dileep Premachandran, Editor-in-chief of Wisden India said.

"Public Library Online has now taken an important first step in opening up this treasure trove to readers, in a country where cricket is so much more than just a game," he said.