Do Any Logos Users Use Scribd?
I've been meeting with a couple fellow students to study for our comp exams, and the Scribd service has come up as a service they use to access some books/content.
I looked at their website, and it seems like a way to rent books and various content similar to Amazon Kindle Unlimited and Audible (I don't have an Amazon account at the moment).
Are there any Logos users around who subscribe to Scribd as a supplement to Logos, and if so, is it worth the $10/month, or would that money be better spent investing it in books to own versus a service of books to rent?
Usually, here's how my book purchasing/reading strategy goes:
1. I invest in eBooks in Bible software platforms as much as possible (currently Logos and Accordance, I used to purchase books in Wordsearch as well before the transition). I also keep e-Sword installed on a Linux machine around as a backup in case I need quick Bible study.
2. If I need to buy eBooks not available in Bible software, I first look at ChristianBook Reader (I try to support Christian vs non-Christian companies when possible), then I look at Barnes & Noble Nook (since I no longer have an Amazon account). I also have a Lifeway Reader account left over from the Wordsearch transition, but find its experience overall clunky (I wish Faithlife would acquire Lifeway Reader books and fold them into Faithlife eBooks).
3. If I need to purchase print books, I first look for them on ChristianBook, then Barnes & Noble. If it's a book that I don't need brand new, I check out ThriftBooks.
4. If I need to rent a book instead of own it, I either check it out from my school library (in either eBook or print form, depending on what they offer), or I check it out from my local library (generally eBooks, and I'm doing more of that now for books I'd read one time and pass on instead of buying them from retailers).
So I'm not sure if Scribd fits into my overall reading strategy or not.
Thanks!
Comments
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I tried it out and have found a few books I wanted to listen to or read. But I don't think I'll continue to subscribe after my free trial.
Dr. Kevin Purcell, Director of Missions
Brushy Mountain Baptist Association0 -
Good info. Thanks!
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I found Perlogo is also a good service like Scribd and has more resources
Mac
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Great. Thanks!
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I use Scribd, but generally not for ebooks. I use it as an alternative to audible. I am in my car for up to 2 hours/day. I use many apps for audiobooks, starting with the ones my local library subscribes to. The rules for how those apps work vary, but scribd works well. Due to the amount of audiobooks I listen to, there is an annoying thing about scribd, which is that the rules for how many audiobooks you can listen to in a month are not transparent. Once you run out, the bulk of the library goes "blank" until your "next month" begins (mine is on the 7th of the month). While this is annoying, for $10/mo I typically get 3-4 audiobooks... compare that to Audible at $15 (regular price).
Your primary use seems to be academic, mine is for pleasure. I do listen to an occasional book which I might own in Logos. Much of what I listen to falls into murder mystery / history / science / politics.
macOS, iOS & iPadOS |Logs| Install
Choose Truth Over Tribe | Become a Joyful Outsider!0 -
Good info. Thanks! A big chunk of my reading is academic, but I also do some pleasure reading on the side (it helps to break up my academic reading). I occasionally read current events books as well, plus books on various topics just to keep my overall education up.
I used to buy a lot of these books in the past. Most of them I've pivoted to checking out from my local library using Libby/OverDrive or Hoopla. I did signup for a trial of Scribd though to see if I'd get any benefit from it and will try it out even more next week.
On audiobooks, I haven't done much with them, and I could probably check those out from the library as well, but I'll try them out on Scribd. I probably wouldn't hit a listening limit since I'd probably only hit one or two per month. It'd be general reading I'd do more of.
If I like Scribd, I may even upload my unpublished papers there to help feed the content library.
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What's nice about audiobooks is that you can speed up the reading & maximize your time listening. I have gotten to the point where I can listen to everything (Libby/Hoopla/Podcasts) at a minimum of 1.75x speed. If you're an audio learner like myself, this is the way to go.
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Trying an audio book on it tonight. Enjoying the format. Something I haven't done enough of and need to do more of. It allows me to learn while I work!
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I may go for it at least while I'm in my PhD program.
I browsed and searched around it tonight, and there are enough books from my minor bibliography alone (going to compare it with my major bibliography next week) to save me enough money in book purchases and checking some print books out of my school library I'd have to pay to ship back. I'll still need to buy some books and still check some print books out (plus I can check out some eBooks from my school library), but there's still enough of a cost savings to benefit me.
Factor in an occasional audiobook, plus there's enough pleasure reading on there, and it looks like it's worth it. I may be able to benefit from a couple of the Perks as well.
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Another advantage I've found of Scribd is evaluating commentaries. Sometimes I'm not sure if I want to invest in certain commentary volumes for continual research purposes. I've noticed with Scribd, I can easily get a feel for which commentaries I want to invest serious funds into.
So I'm getting enough benefits with it to keep it as a supplement to Logos, and the $10/month is low enough to help me use my direct-purchasing more wisely where I'll be saving money on works I'd only read one and pass on and funnel those funds to resources I'll invest in for research purposes.
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Logos needs to take a look at Perlego's platform model. For $8/month (annual subscription) you can access thousands of theological books. Logos needs to have a subscription model for renting books, while still maintaining the purchase model. And look at the platform's "Read Aloud" and "TextColor by BeeLine" specs…
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