Editing Project Gutenberg (section)

{{Short description|Online digital book library}}
{{Other uses|Project Gutenberg (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox library
| library_name = Project Gutenberg
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| established = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1971|12}}<br/>(first document posted)<ref name="gut1"/>
| num_branches = 
| collection_size = Over {{Num PG books}} documents
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| website = {{URL|https://gutenberg.org}}
}}

'''Project Gutenberg''' ('''PG''') is a [[Virtual volunteering|volunteer]] effort to [[Digitization|digitize]] and archive [[cultural]] works, as well as to "encourage the creation and distribution of [[eBooks]]."<ref name="hart1">
{{cite web|first=Michael S.|last=Hart|url=https://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenberg:Project_Gutenberg_Mission_Statement_by_Michael_Hart|title=Gutenberg Mission Statement by Michael Hart|date=23 October 2004 |publisher=Project Gutenberg|access-date=15 August 2007|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070714013839/http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenberg%3AProject_Gutenberg_Mission_Statement_by_Michael_Hart|archive-date=14 July 2007}}
</ref> It was founded in 1971 by American writer [[Michael S. Hart]] and is the oldest [[digital library]].<ref name="USINFO">{{cite web |last=Thomas |first=Jeffrey |date=20 July 2007 |title=Project Gutenberg Digital Library Seeks To Spur Literacy |url=http://www.america.gov/st/washfile-english/2007/July/200707201511311CJsamohT0.6146356.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080314164013/http://www.america.gov/st/washfile-english/2007/July/200707201511311CJsamohT0.6146356.html |archive-date=14 March 2008 |access-date=20 August 2007 |publisher=US Department of State, Bureau of International Information Programs}}</ref> Most of the items in its collection are the full texts of [[book]]s or individual stories in the [[public domain]]. All files can be accessed for free under an [[open format]] layout, available on almost any computer. {{As of|2024|02|13}}, Project Gutenberg had reached over 75,999<!--When you update this count, please also update the reference--> items in its collection of free eBooks.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=28 May 2025 |title=Project Gutenberg |url=https://www.gutenberg.org/ |url-status=live |access-date=28 May 2025 |website=Project Gutenberg}}</ref>

The releases are available in [[Text file|plain text]] as well as other formats, such as [[HTML]], [[PDF]], [[EPUB]], [[Mobipocket|MOBI]], and [[Plucker]] wherever possible. Most releases are in the [[English language]], but many non-English works are also available. There are multiple affiliated projects that provide additional content, including region- and language-specific works. Project Gutenberg is closely affiliated with [[Distributed Proofreaders]], an Internet-based community for proofreading scanned texts.

Project Gutenberg is named after the inventor [[Johannes Gutenberg]], whose works in developing printing technology led to an increase in the mass availability of books and other text.