Scribd Redesigns Browser For eBook Subscription Service

By Dianna Dilworth 

scribdappeBook subscription service Scribd has redesigned its browser experience. The goal is to make shopping around for books to read more akin to the physical world than the digital world. For example, the new browser features niche shelves, guest curated collections and personalized staff picks, as a physical bookstore would have.

The Scribd library has more than 500,000 titles available to subscribers who pay $8.99 a month. The new browser lets readers search for titles based on keywords including “Arthurian Legends,” “Private Eye Mysteries Set In LA,” or “Nordic Noir” rather than simply fiction & literature or nonfiction.

The idea is to make it feel like you are talking to someone in a bookstore who might give a more personalized recommendation. “Our goal with the new browse experience was to retain the same human touch that we have come to love about personal recommendations from a trusted friend, but use the power of technology to extend it to our catalog of over 500,000 books,” explained Jared Friedman, co-founder and CTO of Scribd, in a statement.