Residents are being encouraged to make the most of their ‘round the clock’ library service as libraries across Montgomeryshire celebrate the wide range of digital resources that are available.
Powys County Council’s Library Service is supporting #LoveDigital Week, which will run until November 28. The campaign brings together all the digital library services available.
The council says there are a wide range of library e-books, e-audiobooks, e-magazines and online reference resources that library members can use for free, day or night, using their smartphones, tablet computers and other mobile devices.
There will even be an event at Tesco on Friday from 12-2pm to promote the services available.
Cllr Graham Brown, Cabinet Member for Library Services, said: “We want to raise the profile of our libraries and their importance to digital inclusion here in Powys. We want to make people aware that we offer a library service that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“This demonstrates that we have made it easy for people to get information at whatever time it suits them and it’s free of charge.”
Library members can download e-magazines including bestsellers such as BBC Wildlife, Amateur Photographer, Auto Express, Marie Claire and The Economist as many times as they want, for as long as they want.
The Library Service also subscribes to some great online information websites including Britannica Online, Oxford English Dictionary and Driving Theory Test Pro. Library members can access these website free of charge from home using their library membership member.
Other online resources are available using computers in the council’s branch libraries and people can trace their family tree with Ancestry and FindMyPast and research academic articles from Access2Research.
Kay Thomas, the council’s Principal Librarian, said: “Our online services are proving really popular and we want to get the message out so even more people can enjoy them.
“Events will be taking place across the county in libraries and even supermarkets to help spread the message – you can download e-books, e-audiobooks and e-magazines free of charge and there are no fines to pay.
“Libraries have changed a lot in the last five years but they are still free to join.”