Editing Baen Free Library

{{Short description|Digital library}}
The '''Baen Free Library''' is a [[digital library]] of the [[science fiction]] and [[fantasy]] [[publishing house]] [[Baen Books]] where 61 e-books as of June 2016 (112 e-books as of December 2008) can be downloaded free in a number of formats, without [[copy protection]].<ref>[http://www.baen.com/catalog/category/view/s/free-library/id/2012/?limit=36&p=2 Free Library - Categories] ''Baen Books Science Fiction and Fantasy'' Retrieved June 8, 2016.</ref> It was founded in late 1999 by science fiction writer [[Eric Flint]] and [[publisher]] [[Jim Baen]] to determine whether the availability of books free of charge on the [[Internet]] encourages or discourages the sale of their paper books.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allensmith.net/SciFi/Baen/Free.htm |title=Annotated Baen Free eBook Listing|author=Allen Smith|year=2009|access-date=2015-06-13}}</ref>

The Baen Free Library represents an experiment in the field of [[intellectual property]] and [[copyright]]. It appears that sales of both the e-books made available free and other books by the same author, even from a different publisher, increase when the electronic version is made available free of charge.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.baen.com/library/palaver6.htm |title=Prime Palaver #6 |publisher=Baen.com |date=2002-04-15 |access-date=2010-01-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100102041103/http://baen.com/library/palaver6.htm |archive-date=2010-01-02 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[Baen Ebooks]] also sells individual [[e-book]]s and a subscription-based [[e-book]] program. The books in the Free Library are available via the website for [[Baen Ebooks]] in various formats including [[HTML]], [[Rich Text Format]], and [[EPUB]] as well as unencrypted <kbd>[[Mobipocket|.mobi]]</kbd> for [[Amazon Kindle|Kindle]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baenebooks.com/c-1-free-library.aspx|title=Baen Free Library|author=Eric Flint|author-link=Eric Flint|year=2002|publisher=[[Baen Books|Baen Publishing]]|access-date=2015-06-13}}</ref>

== Baen CDs ==
In 2002, Baen also started adding [[CD-ROM]]s into some hardcovers of newest titles in successful series. They contain the complete series of novels preceding the printed book (for those books that were the latest in a series), other works by the same author, some works by other authors, and multimedia bonuses. The CD-ROMs have a prominent permissive copyright license which expressly encourages free-of-charge copying and sharing, including over the Internet.<ref>{{Cite newsgroup|author=Eric Flint|author-link=Eric_Flint|newsgroup=rec.arts.sf.written|title=Re: War of Honor comes with extra ebooks |date=2002-10-05 |access-date=2015-06-13 |message-id=tlEn9.47642$xI5.9721@sccrnsc02 |url=https://groups.google.com/forum/#!original/rec.arts.sf.written/oA0q_pi4zR8/nI40HbXDaeYJ}}</ref>

Some of these CDs also contain [[MP3]] [[audiobook]] versions. As of 2015 <kbd>CD 24</kbd> ''Invasion'' published in 2010 was the last promotional ''Baen CD''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://the-digital-reader.com/2012/12/07/free-ebook-site-baencd-fifth-imperium-shuts-down-as-sf-publisher-baen-books-moves-to-sell-ebooks-in-the-kindle-store/|title=Free eBook Site BaenCD (Fifth Imperium) Makes Changes as SF Publisher Baen Books Moves to Sell eBooks in the Kindle Store|work=Ink, Bits, & Pixels|author=Nate Hoffelder|date=2012-12-07|access-date=2015-06-13}}</ref>

* <kbd>CD 01</kbd> [[Honorverse]] also contains ''[[The Shadow of the Lion]]'' and ''[[1632 (novel)|1632]]'' among others.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/Baen01-HonorverseCD|title=Baen 01 - Honorverse CD (War Of Honor)|publisher=[[Baen Books|Baen Publishing]]|year=2002|via=the [[Internet Archive]]|access-date=2015-06-13}}</ref>
* <kbd>CD 06</kbd> [[Wind Rider's Oath]] and <kbd>CD 06b</kbd> ''[[Shadow of Saganami]]'' were published in 2004.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/Baen06-WindRiderCD|title=Baen CD-ROM Library Version 6 - The Wind Rider's Oath Disk|publisher=[[Baen Books|Baen Publishing]]|year=2004|via=the [[Internet Archive]]|access-date=2015-06-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/Baen06B-SaganamiCD|title=Limited Edition The Shadow of Saganami CD-ROM|publisher=[[Baen Books|Baen Publishing]]|year=2004|via=the [[Internet Archive]]|access-date=2015-06-13}}</ref>
* <kbd>CD 13</kbd> ''[[1634: The Baltic War]]'' and <kbd>CD 13</kbd> ''[[Jim Baen's Universe|The Best of Jim Baen's Universe 2006]]'' were published in 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/Baen13-TheBalticWarCD|title=Baen CD-ROM Library Version 13 - The 1634: The Baltic War Disk|publisher=[[Baen Books|Baen Publishing]]|year=2006|via=the [[Internet Archive]]|access-date=2015-06-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/Baen13-TheBestofJimBaensUniverseCD|title=Baen CD-ROM Library Version 13 - The Best of Jim Baen's Universe 2006|publisher=[[Baen Books|Baen Publishing]]|year=2006|via=the [[Internet Archive]]|access-date=2015-06-13}}</ref>
* <kbd>CD 22</kbd> ''[[Mission of Honor]]'' also contains [[Exodus (Starfire)|''Exodus'']] and ''[[1633 (novel)|1633]]'' among others.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/Baen22-MissionofHonorCD|title=Baen CD-ROM Library Version 22 - The Mission of Honor Disk|publisher=[[Baen Books|Baen Publishing]]|year=2010|via=the [[Internet Archive]]|access-date=2015-06-13}}</ref>
* <kbd>CD 23</kbd> ''[[1635: The Eastern Front]]'' features the [[1632 series|1632]] and [[Heirs of Alexandria series|Heirs of Alexandria]] series among others.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/23-TheEasternFrontCD/1635TheEasternFrontCD/|title=1635: The Eastern Front|work=baencd.thefifthimperium.com|year=2010|access-date=2015-06-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/Baen23-1635TheEasternFrontCD|title=Baen CD-ROM Library Version 23 - Eric Flint - The 1635: The Eastern Front Disk|publisher=[[Baen Books|Baen Publishing]]|year=2010|via=the [[Internet Archive]]|access-date=2015-06-13}}</ref>
* <kbd>CD 24</kbd> ''[[Cryoburn]]'' was replaced by <kbd>CD 24</kbd> ''Invasion'' in the [[Mercedes Lackey bibliography#Secret World Chronicle|Secret World Chronicle]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hell.pl/szymon/Baen/|title=Baen CDs|author=Szymon Sokół|year=2011|access-date=2015-06-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/Baen24-InvasionCD|title=Baen 24 - INVASION: The Secret World CD|publisher=[[Baen Books|Baen Publishing]]|year=2010|via=the [[Internet Archive]]|access-date=2015-06-13}}</ref>

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*[http://www.baen.com/library/ Baen Free Library]

{{Ebooks}}

[[Category:Science fiction organizations]]
[[Category:Science fiction websites]]
[[Category:American digital libraries]]
[[Category:Libraries established in 1999]]
[[Category:1999 establishments in the United States]]
[[Category:Baen Books]]