Not wanting to catastrophise or anything, but now seemed like a good time to post about some free online resources that I love and which others may not be aware of.
In the coming weeks/months you might find yourself with some thumb-twiddling time (or possibly climbing the walls). What to do if you get bored of binge-watching and you’ve delved to the bottom of your physical TBR pile of books? What to do if, for reasons we don’t need to dwell on, you can’t physically nip down to the local library to restock on books, magazines, DVDs and CDs?
Well, you can still visit the library, even if you can’t do it physically, as long as you have internet access. Your public library service very likely offers a glorious multitude of online resources that you can use, as long as you’re a member (and it’s free to be a member so it’s all good).
Here are some of my favourite online library resources:
BOOKS: Obviously books! Your public library should give you access to one or more eBook and eAudio book providers. You may be able to do a single library catalogue search and get back all results, both physical and digital, and borrow from there. Or you might have to access your library’s online resources page and log into the eBook provider to search for eBooks from that particular provider. That might sound complicated, but it’s really not. It just means you might have to check in a couple of places. I regularly use BorrowBox and OverDrive and access the files of the borrowed eBooks through Adobe Digital Edition and CloudLibrary, which I’ve set up on my laptop. Chances are good your library has clear instructions on how to get started with eBooks and, if you get stuck, technical help is only a phone call away.
READERS’ ADVISORY (RA) SERVICES: Not sure what to read next? No handy librarian to ask? PM me, or DIY with eResources like Books and Authors or Novelist Plus or Who Else Writes Like? You’ll have to check to see what online RA services your library subscribes to, but they are fabulous ways to find read-alikes, genre and themed suggestions, and lists of recommended books. Then, once you’re armed with a few suggestions, you can check out the eBooks…
MUSIC: Free streaming and free downloads? Over 13 million songs with everything from classical music to Broadway showtunes to death metal? Yes! I hope your library service offers you access to Freegal like mine does. Freegal lets you search by genre or artist or song title, find new releases, music videos, most popular songs and albums, and also provides themed playlists. It’s great for finding old favourites and, if you search by song title, lots of versions of popular songs. It also has audio books and spoken word albums which include comedy routines and poetry readings and more. Hours of entertainment!
FILMS: I’m not that keen on the moving pictures thing, but if you are, check to see if your public library online resources include access to Kanopy, which lets you stream movies and documentaries.
LANGUAGES: Maybe you’ve always wanted to learn a new language? If your library has Mango Languages in its eResources, you’re in luck. Your library membership lets you log in to Mango and choose what you want to learn from over 70 languages. Best of all, if you want to impress everyone come next September 19, you can even learn Pirate.
MORE, SO MUCH MORE: Honestly, log into your library website, go to their Online Resources page and browse the list. Magazines, newspapers, articles, genealogy, video tutorials, educational kids’ games, car engine manuals (seriously!), craft and hobby resources – it’s kind of overwhelming how much stuff is just sitting there, waiting for you to discover it.
So brew your hot beverage of choice, find a comfy chair, and treat yourself to some online goodness. Learn new things, immerse yourself in fabulous fiction, discover songs you can dance to.
Stay safe, everyone, and let your library’s free online resources help you stay sane.