Library resources

Library resources

This time we look at the resources available from our local library, from Devon libraries and also nationally. Just read on and click or tap on any of the links that interest you. There is also available as a PDF document (Portable Document Format), which you can download, save and store on your computer or tablet if you wish - just click or tap on the image at the bottom of this webpage, or if you cannot see an image, try clicking or tapping on  this link: Library resources

Our local library

If you have not already done so, please register for a free library card (which gives you your unique number and you are also given your own PIN number). You can do this by calling into Exmouth library or any other library in Devon, or online. This entitles you to borrow books, CDs and DVDs from any library in Devon free, to use the computers in each library free for a limited time and also access to free WiFi, and many other things such as the use the free ejournal, ebook and audiobook services (see below).

Libraries Unlimited is the charity responsible for running Devon libraries (50 libraries in total). It has the vision "to make a positive difference to people's lives and communities through a shared love of reading and access to high quality information and facilities". The main website is https://www.devonlibraries.org.uk/web/arena.

Details of opening hours and events organised at each of our local libraries are on these links:

Devon Libraries ebook service

You can borrow a wide selection of ebooks and the best way to do this is via a free app called BorrowBox, which you can download to your device (computer, tablet or phone) via your app store. More details are at https://www.devonlibraries.org.uk/web/arena/ebooks. You can have up to seven ebooks at any time and keep them for 21 days (just like print books), and then they automatically expire (unless you apply to renew). If your book is in use by someone else, you can reserve it free of charge, and then you get an email when it is ready for you to borrow.

There's an excellent range, with currently over 13,000 ebooks you can borrow, many of which you can borrow straightaway and several of which you can borrow with no queue.  You can reserve any that are currently booked out, and this is also free to do. There are many different categories of fiction and non-fiction, and you can also refine your search (e.g. featured, explore, genres, available now, new additions and most popular). You can also search for individual books by title, author, genre, etc.  You can then read them on your computer, tablet or mobile phone once you have downloaded them (which means that you can do this offline). To do all of this just go to https://devon.borrowbox.com/ebooks/featured 

Devon Libraries audiobook service

You can also borrow a wide selection of audiobooks through the free Borrowbox app. From there you can choose from nearly 8,000 audiobooks currently which you can borrow, and just like the ebooks many of these you can borrow straightaway and several of them you can borrow with no queue.  You can have up to seven audiobooks at any time and keep them for 21 days (just like print books), and then they automatically expire (unless you apply to renew). You can reserve any that are currently booked out, and this is also free to do. There are many different categories of fiction and non-fiction. And as with ebooks you can also refine your search (e.g. featured, explore, genres, available now, new additions and most popular). You can also search for individual books by title, author, genre, etc. You can then listen to them on your computer, tablet or mobile phone once you have downloaded them (which means that you can do this offline). To do all of this just go to https://devon.borrowbox.com/eaudiobooks/featured 

Devon Libraries ejournal service 

You can also borrow a wide selection of magazines and journals through the free BorrowBox app. These are easy to read on computers, mobile devices such as a tablet (iPad or Android) or even a phone, via the BorrowBox app. You can have up to seven magazines or journals at any time and keep them for 21 days (just like print books), and then they automatically expire (unless you renew).

There is a really good selection now, and if you take advantage of any of these it could save you hundreds of pounds against the commercial subscription rate. There are currently nearly 300 titles. They are all available immediately with no waiting time or reservation required.  There are many different categories. And as with ebooks and audiobooks you can also refine your search (e.g. featured, eMagazines, eNews and genres, or you can search for individual title). This covers over 30 genres with subjects as diverse as art, boats, cars, computers, cycling, entertainment, family history, film, food, gardening, geography, health, history, knitting, lifestyle, music, photography, science, trains, travel, walking, wildlife, and more besides. In addition it includes many daily papers. You can also subscribe to any that you particularly like so that you receive the next edition automatically. You can also look at back-copies. You can then read them on your computer, tablet or mobile phone once you have downloaded them (which means that you can do this offline).To do all of this just go to https://devon.borrowbox.com/epress/featured 

Other Devon Libraries resources - including free streamed music

This link - https://www.devonlibraries.org.uk/web/arena/referenceonline - tells you about all of the other free reference services offered by Devon Libraries (including a number of Oxford Reference resources).

Amazingly this also includes free access to the whole of the Naxos Music catalogue, and you can listen to all the albums (more than 143,000 discs, which is over 2 million tracks!) by keying in your own library number. The music is then streamed to you, but you do need to be online to listen to it. See https://devonlibrary.naxosmusiclibrary.com/recentadditions.asp. The Naxos Music Library is also available as an downloadable app for your tablet or smartphone from your usual app provider (and you will need to register to use this - and it's free - and once done, it's excellent).

National Resources

There are some outstanding resources available free from national libraries. For instance, take a look at the home page of the National Library at https://www.bl.uk/learning. This website also features some really interesting online resources, which you can browse free at https://www.bl.uk/learning/online-resources. 

So what do you think?

Has this Topic of the Month been useful and has this been of interest to you? Is there too much information - or too little? Any comments on these resources? Do you find them easy to access? Do you want to discuss this with other members? You can get in touch in the way shown in the Contact section of our website. Do let me know if you want to have a conversation over a tea or coffee.  And of course you can always get in touch with each other!

Connect & Learn Topic - Libraries - May 2019.pdf