The British Library will have 60,000 digital books available on its 19th Century Historical Collection iPad app by the end of the year (The Guardian: “British Library offers classics via iPad”). Too bad it’s not free. The app is available at a subscription rate of £1.99 per month (about $3.25 USD).

You can check out the iPad app on iTunes here. The description notes that the app’s collection:

“includes classic novels, works of philosophy, history and science. Browse, search and read these historic books on a platform that enhances the reading experience. These digital book images have been captured in colour to preserve the look of the original book. Marbled papers, embossed covers, engraved illustrations maps, and beautifully coloured plates are intact and help create a unique reading environment.”

The BL also has a helpful Tumblr page where you can preview some of the curated images within the app, which you can visit here.