Google adds hundreds of free textbooks as sources in Gemini Notebook, available from Japan

Google announced on October 29 (US time) that hundreds of textbooks can now be accessed for free inside Gemini Notebook. Users can add textbooks from providers in the United States and India as "sources" in the product. The announcement was reported in Japanese by ITmedia AI+, which says the feature also worked from Japan.

What is available

The textbooks come from providers including:

• OpenStax, which publishes open-licensed textbooks in the US
• Open Textbook Library, also a US provider of open-licensed textbooks
• S Chand Publishing, an Indian publisher

Subjects include computer science, business, the humanities, mathematics and medicine. The feature is free.

How it works

A "Textbooks" option now appears in the source selection screen in Gemini Notebook. Clicking it opens a list of available titles. Once a textbook is added as a source, users can:

• Ask questions answered from the textbook's content
• Generate practice problems
• Create flashcards

Availability

Google's announcement names the US and India as the locations of the providers. ITmedia AI+ checked the feature in its own Google Workspace environment in Japan and found the "Textbooks" option present in the source selection screen. The source does not state a wider country or plan rollout.

Relation to Expert Intelligence

In August, Google announced "Expert Intelligence" for Gemini Notebook, which lets users add books purchased on Google Play as sources. ITmedia AI+ describes the textbook feature as an extension of that capability.

What this means

Gemini Notebook sources are no longer limited to material users already own or upload. Google Play purchases came first, and now a library of free textbooks sits in the same source picker. For students and self-learners, that means grounded Q&A, practice problems and flashcards can be built from a textbook without buying it. The inclusion of open-licensed US providers alongside an Indian publisher also shows Google drawing on content from more than one country. Pricing for any paid tiers and the full title list were not detailed in the report.