As we enter the colder months of the year, entertaining our children (and ourselves!) can become more challenging. Libraries have so much to offer for the entire family, whether you’re looking for a new audiobook to listen to during your workouts, an educational video to complement your kids’ homeschool curriculum, or an ebook to read as a family for fun. While access remains limited for many local libraries in Massachusetts, there are lots of ways to still enjoy all the free resources our libraries have to offer from home.
Boston Public Library eCard
If you live in Massachusetts, you are eligible for a free Boston Public Library (BPL) eCard, which provides access to multiple online services for ebooks, audiobooks, streaming video, and magazines. To take advantage of this amazing benefit, you must live, work, attend school, or own property in Massachusetts, and be over 13 years old. You can apply for a BPL eCard for free at https://www.bpl.org/ecard.
While many of these services are also offered by local libraries, the BPL eCard can provide broader access on each platform. In some cases, you can log into a service with both library cards to maximize access to all that the library system has to offer.
Libby
With the Libby app, you can use your phone, tablet, e-reader, or even the browser on your computer to reserve, download, and enjoy thousands of ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines. You can use the app to browse, borrow, and place holds, as well as sync with other devices — such as an e-reader — to do your reading. The best part about downloadable ebooks, magazines, and audiobooks is that the whole process is automated — you can be alerted when a title you have on hold is available, and items return automatically when your borrowing period is up, so you’ll never have to worry about being overdue!
To get started with Libby, download the Libby app in the App Store or in Google Play, or go to www.libbyapp.com, and log in with your library card number. You can log into Libby with both your local library card and your BPL eCard at the same time to maximize available selections.
Kanopy
Many libraries offer access to Kanopy with your library card. Kanopy has thousands of movies, documentaries, and educational videos that can be watched on your TV, smartphone, tablet, or computer. To use Kanopy, head to www.kanopy.com, find your library, and sign up with your library card. The Kanopy app is available in the App Store, Google Play, Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast, FireTV, and more.
RBDigital
RBDigital is a collection of magazines and audiobooks that can be borrowed, downloaded, and read on your device. For magazines, RBDigital offers access to back issues, as well as a subscription option to automatically check out the next issue when it comes out. RBDigital also includes access to comics and graphic novels — there truly is something for everyone! To use your BPL eCard on RBDigital, create a free account on the RBDigital website with your card number. Then, download the free RBDigital app on your device to read.
Hoopla
Hoopla is a streaming media platform that offers movies, TV shows, music, ebooks, and comics that can be streamed on your mobile device, computer, or TV. You can stream any of their hundreds of thousands of titles (!), or download them to watch later. Just like with other digital library services, titles are automatically removed from your device and returned at the end of your loan. To access Hoopla with your BPL eCard, just download the Hoopla app to your device and enter your library card number.
Even without pandemic closures and restrictions, it can be hard to get to the library. These tools make it much easier to access all of the resources of our local library in a way that is a little more flexible around our busy lives — and all for free!
