Google Gemini Notebook just gave students free access to hundreds of textbooks

Google is making it easier to find answers in textbooks, create study guides, and prepare for exams without spending a penny on the included books.

By Sudhanshu Kumar Mangalam Published October 30, 2026 10:38 AM

Gemini Notebook branding on a MacBook — Pranob Mehrotra / Digital Trends

Google’s Gemini Notebook just received another major set of features that students around the globe will likely find useful. The company is opening up access to hundreds of textbooks, including titles from India’s S Chand Publishing, OpenStax, and Open Textbook Library. Better yet, all the books in this new catalog are available for free. Considering how expensive textbooks can get, I can see why students would appreciate this one.

Turn your textbooks into personalized study guides

Gemini Notebook has a new feature that lets users ask questions about specific chapters or concepts after adding a textbook to it. It can prepare practice quizzes and even turn the material into flashcards and study guides. All answers provided by the AI come with citations and links to the original material, so users can check the source of the information or dive deeper into the topic. To get started, open Gemini Notebook, select Add sources, and choose Textbooks to browse the available collection.

Google has been making life easier for students lately

Over the past few weeks, Google has also given Gemini Notebook a built-in lecture recorder on mobile and tools to review slides and video outlines before generating them. The main Gemini app has also gained interactive visual lessons that explain complex subjects, including how jet engines work and the physics behind lightning.

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I can see the appeal for students who want to record a lecture, look up unfamiliar concepts in a textbook, and then quiz themselves on what they’ve learned. It’s a pretty good time to be a student, considering how many useful learning tools are now available for free.

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Sudhanshu Kumar Mangalam

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Sudhanshu Kumar Manglam is a tech journalist at Digital Trends, where he covers consumer technology, science, and games.

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