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

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.