Sources, levels and original guidance
How Linden builds a trustworthy reading page.
Linden separates source text, bibliographic fact, provisional language estimates and original editorial guidance so readers can see what each claim is based on.
01 · Source editions
Every text begins with a recorded edition.
Book pages retain the public-domain provider, source URL, publication context, translator or editor when known, and the date the source record was checked. Full text is enabled only when a complete source payload and its provenance are present.
- Source links remain visible on the book page.
- Translations are treated as distinct rights-bearing editions.
- Historical science and social claims are labeled as primary-source material, not current fact.
02 · English Level Calibration V2
A practical estimate, not an exam result.
Complete texts are sampled for language signals such as sentence length, word frequency and structural rhythm. Guide-only records combine edition metadata, Project Gutenberg readability information when available, subject vocabulary and form.
- A2–B1: a possible first original with visible context and selective lookup.
- B1–B2: steady independent reading with historical or subject support.
- B2–C1: sustained argument, dense syntax or specialist vocabulary.
Every level remains provisional and shows its evidence type, confidence and calibration date. Reader interest and prior knowledge can matter more than the label.
03 · Original editorial guidance
Guides should help a decision.
Linden’s book introductions, reading approaches, questions and selection pages are written for this collection. They are not copied publisher descriptions or automatic chapter summaries.
- Each book guide identifies a useful audience and a specific source of difficulty.
- Search-oriented collections are created only when they solve a distinct reading need.
- Contemporary-book pages contain commentary without reproducing copyrighted text.
04 · Artwork and portraits
Visual provenance stays explicit.
Original Linden covers and historically informed editorial portraits are labeled as original artwork rather than documentary images. Historical source images, when used, retain their source and reuse record.
- Generated portraits are interpretations, not archival photographs.
- Cover art contains no publisher branding or invented endorsement.
- Responsive image variants preserve one consistent crop across devices.
Ongoing review
Transparency is part of the method.
Rights and canonical-host checks are maintained alongside source records. Source and factual records are reviewed as part of Linden’s editorial maintenance.