Digital Library Services

Good news! Your Toronto Public Library card now gives to access to over 3,500 full-text ebooks through MIT Press Direct. These research books cover topics such as economics, technology, science, philosophy and more. The best part is that these books are always available – there are no waitlists or limits on how often you can access the titles. The books are available in PDF format with no digital rights management, so no extra software or account is necessary. Simply download the chapter(s) you wish to read and you're all set!

Here are some recently published titles available from MIT Press Direct that caught my eye (you will need a library card or Digital Access Card to access these):

From Big Oil to Big Green: Holding the Oil Industry to Account for the Climate Crisis by Marco Grasso

Does Big Oil have a moral obligation to make reparations for the harms done by fossil fuels? Marco Grasso thinks so. Looking at climate change through a moral framework, Grasso argues that oil companies must lead the way in decarbonization efforts to make up for the harm they have caused the environment.

The Clockwork Man by E.V. Odle

This science fiction novel was originally published in 1923. Billed as "the first-ever novel about a cyborg," the plot involves a machine-enhanced man from the future visiting 1920s England. In the future, all men have been cast out from physical reality for being too violent and sexist.

The Digital Closet: How the Internet Became Straight by Alexander Monea

Can algorithms have a heteronormative bias? This book argues that straight culture has pushed 2SLGBTQ+ content to the fringes of the internet. Monea looks at the overlapping pressures from culture, politics and technology that have caused this situation.

The Parent Trap: How to Stop Overloading Parents and Fix Our Inequality Crisis by Nate G. Hilger

A combination of social science research, historical case studies and journalistic investigation, The Parent Trap argues what many us already know – that parents are overworked and under-supported. Hilger not only believes that parents are being setup to fail, but that this is also harming the future success of their children