Hanging out on the internet

New app from the British Library lets you explore historical books on your iPad

One of the joys of tablet devices is being able to sit back and relax while you explore a wide range of often beautifully presented content. A case in point is the new app from The British Library. In partnership with developer BiblioLabs, a selection of over 1000 19th Century books.

[…]

Search through categories like ‘History of Asia’ and you’ll find little-known titles like ‘Intimate China. The Chinese as I have seen them’, by Alicia E. Neva Bewicke. Yes, hardly a popular tome, but if you’re interested in the world as people 200 years ago saw it, this app is a treasure trove.

You can get it on iTunes here, for free—for now. According to the post, “the plan is to charge subscription fee for an enhanced version, featuring 60,000 titles, which will be released later in the summer.”