A short while back we learned about DailyLit , a service that delivers public domain literature works to your email inbox in easily-digestible chunks. But what if you don't feel like reading? Or what if your eyes are too busy doing something else, like knitting, or cooking, or solving Fermat's last theorem (what, it was getting a little too domestic there!)? In this modern age, we're all about multitasking, after all. Well, friends, reading the classics has entered the age of the internet: it's free and convenient, and doesn't even involve reading anymore! Now that's progress.

LibriVox is a free service that offers a growing collection (689 and counting) of public domain literature works as downloadable audio files. It's like books on tape, except it's free, and there's no tape -- just download the files directly to your computer. Even with the public domain limitation, and in spite of the significant time it takes to record entire books as audio files, there is still an impressive catalog. You've got your whole you-saw-the-movie-now-read-the-book camp. There's a sizable collection from the old Bard. You can even read up on baby-eating and crushing your adversaries and rising to the megalomaniacal power you unquestionably deserve. And their catalog is not limited to English: many languages are represented. Chapters are available as mp3s, ogg vorbis files, or podcasts.

It's a non-profit, volunteer-only project from some warm friendly folks up in Canuckistan. This means you get a broad range of voices reading the selections, from people who care about literature and sharing it with others. There are forums blogs, and plenty of bookish links that foster a sense of community, and the site's administrators make anyone interested in contributing their voice to the project feel very welcome.

So download a couple chapters, pick up your knitting needles, and get yourself edumacated!