Turn Wikipedia pages into eBooks with new export option
Wikipedia have added a handy new feature to their online, crowd-sourced encyclopaedia, allowing users to download pages in eBook formats for offline reading.
Users now have the option to export pages in EPUB, PDF, OpenDocument and OpenZIM files, meaning that basically any eReading device (including Amazon Kindle’s and smartphone’s such as the iPhone) can grab Wikipedia pages as offline books. It’s an option that’s been available to signed Wikipedia members for a while, but the first time its been opened up to all comers.
“EPUB files can be used very easily in an offline environment,” Tomasz Finc, Director of Mobile at the Wikimedia Foundation, said in a statement.
“They can be opened and distributed just like normal files. Plus, there are readers for almost every platform.”
To create an eBook, simply click on the “Create a Book” option in the side bar, then tag articles you want as you browse the site. Once you’ve selected what you want, hit the “Manage Your Book” option, and click export options. Here you can arrange articles into chapters before exporting them in your favoured format.
If you’re a traditionalist, Wikipedia also offer a print service, via PediaPress too.
