As we lead people into Bible engagement, there’s one great blessing we shouldn’t ignore: the text itself is readily available online. Bible Search, Bible Gateway, YouVersion and other services offer a free Scripture library unimaginable even thirty years ago. While our own Bible Resource Center provides a variety of articles and handouts for all levels of Bible study, it’s still a challenge to find major commentaries, detailed maps, and other references to help your people get the most out of Scripture.

The number of books about the Bible is immense, even if you consider only the fraction that is actually helpful. Perhaps you’ve amassed a personal library of Bible reference books, but it’s tough to keep that collection current. And, since most publishers do not post their best content for free, we still face the perennial problem of budget.

How will the people you lead gain access to the best reference books? While you can cultivate some godly character by lending out volumes from your personal library, the practice can strain a relationship. But here’s a secret for when budgets are tight and free online resources fall short. Consider some new resources available through your public library—most of which are out of the range of search services like Google, part of what is sometimes called the deeper Web.

Many public libraries now offer the Overdrive service to lend ebooks and audiobooks. But I recently discovered two other library-based services offering more variety: the ebook-focused Freading, and the glitzier Hoopla, which allows patrons to download ebooks and audiobooks plus music, movies, and television shows. My library system provides all three.

All three services skew toward the popular end of the spectrum, but I found many substantive resources, and new books are added regularly. Each service includes Bible-related materials for all ages, including text and audio Bibles, devotionals, Bible art, reading guides, timelines, and maps. I can imagine downloading several of these resources for use in an adult education class (projecting a map or discussion questions) and just recommending them for people to dig deeper on their own.

Comparing three library platforms

There is as yet no centralized search of these services, so you need to know that each is there before you can find out what they offer. I discovered some overlap of titles, but more differences.

Each service offers a phone app and support for viewing in your browser. Freading allows you to use several apps that support the Adobe Digital Editions platform, so I haven’t tried its proprietary app. The Hoopla iPhone app felt underbaked and the Overdrive app is slightly confusing.

On the web, Hoopla has a good favorites feature but a mediocre browsing experience. Freading has the best search results interface but no way to track your favorites. I had technical difficulties getting Hoopla titles to appear in my web browser (Firefox), but it worked fine from Safari.

Overdrive has a set limit of downloads (determined by your library) available to you at one time. And like physical library books, there are limits (in this case artificial) on the number of available copies to lend: if other patrons have a title checked out, you have to wait.

Hoopla and Freading offer the patron a set number of total downloads per week or month, but do not seem to limit downloads of individual items (so it might be possible for a class to all download the same resource for a two-week study). Checkout periods seem to parallel traditional library policies.

Hoopla is the only one to try Amazon-like recommendations, but this feature also needs work. If I like the “Bible Translations Comparison” booklet, I should like three books in the “Ten-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse” series. Well, why not?

What’s inside?

Even the limited offerings of Bible-related books on these services can be overwhelming. On Hoopla, a search for “Bible” returned 1665 hits (but then subtract the topical “bibles” for diet, beer, and menopause). Many recent books appear alongside some expected classics, and there is a surprising amount of substance among the expected dreck. I found some old friends, some old dead-ends, and many new discoveries. I hadn’t realized that there is a new Catholic/Ecumenical edition of The Message with Deuterocanonical books. And Hoopla is unique in hosting several titles in the Catholic Berit Olam Old Testament commentary series and the NavPress LifeChange series.

Freading at first seemed to offer fewer titles, but many are better or deeper than its competitors. I found the full ESV Study Bible (not a typical choice for a library book, but perhaps a checkout can help you determine whether it’s worth a purchase), the ESV Literary Study Bible, and the graphic two-volume Brick Bible (not recommended for Sunday school use). A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament and Shining Like the Sun: A Biblical Theology of Meeting God Face to Face are now on my to-read list.

Overdrive is the weakest in these topics. It features a growing selection of resources including the usual titles in “religion and spirituality,” but its Bible content has been pretty sparse.

Hoopla and Freading offer several books directed at helping Catholics get into the Bible. And I was surprised at the number of books from several traditions offering advice on praying with the Bible.

If your library offers them, it’s worth spending a few minutes looking around these three services. You might find just the resource to invite someone to dig deeper into God’s Word.