Google has expanded its artificial intelligence-powered learning platform, Gemini Notebook, to give students access to hundreds of textbooks at no additional cost, including titles from Indian publisher S Chand Publishing and US-based educational providers OpenStax and Open Textbook Library.
The feature allows students to select textbooks directly within a notebook and ask questions about their contents. Responses include inline citations and links to the original source, enabling students to check the material used to generate an answer.
Students can also convert textbook content into personalised study guides, practice quizzes and flashcards. The feature is intended to make course materials easier to use for revision and self-directed learning.
How students can access the textbooks
Students can browse the available catalogue through Gemini Notebook by following these steps:
Open Gemini Notebook and select a notebook.
Click on “Add sources”.
Select “Textbooks” to browse the available titles.
Add a textbook to the notebook and ask questions or create study materials based on its contents.
Google has said the textbooks available through this feature can be accessed at no additional cost. The announcement does not mean that every textbook is available free of charge; access depends on the titles included in the catalogue.
S Chand among the participating providers
The inclusion of S Chand Publishing gives the feature an Indian publishing partner alongside OpenStax and Open Textbook Library, which provide educational materials for students and educators.
OpenStax, operated by Rice University, publishes openly licensed textbooks across subjects including mathematics, science, economics and the social sciences. Open textbooks are designed to reduce the cost of educational materials, although availability and licensing terms vary by title.
The new catalogue builds on Google's existing Expert Intelligence initiative. Introduced in September, that initiative allowed users to bring eligible e-books purchased through Google Play Books into Gemini Notebook and use their contents for research and learning.
The latest expansion adds a collection of textbooks that students can browse directly, without having to purchase each title through Google Play Books.
Answers linked to textbook sources
A key feature of the service is that answers are grounded in the selected textbook, with citations and direct links to the source material. Students can use these references to verify explanations rather than relying solely on an AI-generated response.
The tools can also help students prepare for examinations by turning chapters into quizzes and flashcards, or by creating study guides around the material they need to revise.
However, citations do not guarantee that every generated answer is correct. Students still need to check the original passage, particularly when using the tool to understand technical concepts or prepare for assessments.
Google's wider push into AI-powered learning
The textbook expansion follows Google's broader effort to integrate AI into education and research. Its Expert Intelligence initiative was designed to help users work with trusted source material through its AI products, rather than relying only on general responses generated by a model.
Google has also been researching ways to adapt learning materials to individual students. Its separate Learn Your Way research project explores how textbook content can be presented through personalised text, quizzes, narrated slides, audio lessons and mind maps.