How to Read Scientific Papers from arxiv.org on Kobo E-Readers

Aug 11, 2023
kobo ebook research arxiv

Reading scientific papers on arxiv.org directly from your Kobo E-Reader without needing a USB connection sounds like a dream, right? This guide will walk you through the process, step-by-step.

The Challenge with PDFs

Many scientific papers on arxiv.org are in PDF format. Directly saving these PDFs to Pocket means they won’t appear on your Kobo E-Reader at all. Thus, to ensure the content is accessible and optimized for reading, we need a different approach.

Step-by-step Guide:

1. Set Up a Pocket Account on Your Kobo E-Reader

Turn on your Kobo E-Reader.

Tap the More option, usually represented by three dots (...).
Navigate to Settings.
Scroll and find the Accounts section.
Choose Pocket, then Sign in or create an account.
Follow the prompts to set up an account. Remember, the Firefox login option won’t work here.

2. Access Your Pocket Account on a Computer or Mobile Device

Go to Pocket’s website.
Use the credentials you set up on your Kobo to log in.

3. Install the Pocket Browser Extension

Head to your browser’s extensions or add-ons marketplace.
Search for and install the Pocket extension.
Once installed, you’ll gain the ability to add pages to Pocket via the browser’s context menu (right-click).

4. Make the arxiv PDF Reader-Friendly

Go to the arxiv page of your desired paper.
In the URL, change the “x” in “arxiv” to “5”.
For example:
Original URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1706.03762
Modified URL: https://ar5iv.org/abs/1706.03762
This change converts the PDF into a responsive webpage, optimized for e-readers.

5. Store the Converted Page in Pocket

Right-click on the page.
Select the Save to Pocket option from the context menu.

6. Access and Read the Paper on Your Kobo E-Reader

On your Kobo E-Reader, from the home screen, tap the More tab on the right.
Tap My Titles (next to the Pocket logo. You should now see a list of all articles you’ve saved, including the recently added paper.
Tap on the desired paper to read it in a format optimized for the Kobo.

Conclusion

By utilizing ar5iv’s rendering tool and the Pocket extension, you can enjoy a seamless experience reading scientific papers from arxiv.org on your Kobo E-Reader. This method bypasses the need for USB transfers, making the entire process wireless and hassle-free.