Here’s something that just might spark some more interest in the Amazon Kindle….

The British Library is set to release thousands of old classics from the 1800′s in e-book format, all of a sudden making the Kindle a great toy again. What’s even more awesome about the re-releases is that all the classic e-books will retain the original typefaces and illustrations.

Starting this spring, readers will be treated to the classics from Charles Dickens, Alexandre Dumas, Arthur Conan Doyle, Jules Verne, and thousands of others. The copies are sure to be beautiful, especially when read in high-contrast e-ink readers like the Kindle.

The philantrophic organization responsible for this movement happens to be Microsoft, who worked closely with the British Library and donated a large amount of money to make the project happen.

Still no word as to what Amazon will be doing to save the Kindle, though. The onslaught of e-readers in the market, many with touchscreen support, has left the Kindle in the dust. Should be interesting to see whether they’ll come up with something in time for the new library’s spring release. There are rumors that Amazon is planning on adding touchscreen support to their Kindle lineup which seems more likely now with their purchase of Touchco, a touchscreen company.

Via: Crunch Gear