Would you like free access to daily newspapers, magazines, books and more, all at your fingertips ?
Today’s libraries offer far more than shelves of printed literature. With a smartphone or tablet and an internet connection, you can borrow books, read daily newspapers and magazines, listen to audiobooks, and access a wealth of other resources – without leaving home.
In addition, millions of books with expired copyrights are now freely available online.
Together, these resources provide an extraordinary library that you can carry wherever you go and access anywhere, anytime – all free, without pop-up advertising or on-selling your data to 3rd parties, whilst also saving trees ! …
1. Accessing Your Local Library
Joining your local public library is the gateway to a remarkable collection of digital resources. Membership is generally free and registration is straightforward.
Join Your Library
Most councils provide a public library service for their residents. In many cases you can join online through the library’s website, although you can also register in person at your local branch.
Once your membership has been approved, you will receive a library card number together with a PIN or password.
Install the BorrowBox App
Many Australian public libraries use the free BorrowBox app to provide access to their digital collections.
The app is available for iPhones and iPads and for Android phones and tablets from the BorrowBox website, or from your usual app store.
After installing the app, simply search for your local library, enter your library card number and PIN, and your membership will be activated – this only needs to be done once.
Start Borrowing
You are now ready to browse your library’s digital collection.
Depending on your library’s subscriptions, you may have access to:
- Daily newspapers
- Australian and international magazines
- eBooks
- Audiobooks
- Journals and other publications
Borrowing is as simple as selecting an item and tapping Borrow. The publication is then immediately available for reading or listening.
Unlike traditional library books, there are no overdue fines. At the end of the loan period the item is automatically returned, and if nobody else is waiting you can often borrow it again.
Many of these resources can be accessed using a computer, but smartphones and tablets generally provide the simplest and most convenient go-anywhere experience.
2. Accessing a Wider Range
Your local library offers an excellent selection of daily newspapers, modern books and periodicals, but no library can stock every title ever published.
Fortunately, there is another remarkable source of free reading.
When a book’s copyright expires, it enters the public domain. These books may be copied, downloaded and read legally at no cost. As a result, tens of thousands of classic works are now available to anyone with an internet connection.
Whether your interests include history, biography, exploration, travel, science, philosophy or classic fiction, there is an astonishing amount of material waiting to be discovered.
Install an eBook Reader
To read downloaded books, you will need an eBook reader.
For Android devices, ReadEra is an excellent free choice which can be installed from Google Play Store. It supports the most common eBook formats, automatically organises your books and remembers exactly where you finished reading.
For iPhone and iPad users, Apple Books is already installed and provides an excellent way to read downloaded EPUB books.
Where to Find Free Books
After your eBook reader has been installed, two of the best sources of public-domain books are Standard Ebooks and Project Gutenberg:
Standard Ebooks specialises in producing beautifully formatted editions of classic literature at:
Each book is carefully edited and presented with modern typography, attractive layouts and fully functioning tables of contents, making them a pleasure to read on modern devices.
Project Gutenberg is one of the world’s oldest and largest collections of free electronic books at:
Its catalogue currently contains more than 75,000 titles covering almost every imaginable subject, including history, biographies, travel, science, exploration and classic literature.
Simply search for a book or author, download the EPUB version, and open it in your eBook reader.
A Library Without Walls
By combining your local library with public-domain collections, you gain access to an extraordinary range of reading material.
Your library provides daily newspapers, current magazines, recently published books and audiobooks.
Public-domain collections add thousands of classic works that have informed, entertained and inspired readers for generations.
The result is a personal digital library that is available anywhere, anytime – whenever you are relaxing at home, waiting for an appointment, or traveling interstate or overseas.
For many people, discovering these free resources is like finding a second library that they never knew existed. Best of all, with just a little initial set-up, you can enjoy years of reading and listening without paying a cent.