Dorset Library

Dorset Library Online Resources

If you are a Member of Dorset Libraries you have access to e-books, magazines and newspapers, available to download and read at home. Dorset Library is a member of Libraries West, who provide the online resources. There is also access to Encyclopedia Britannica and Oxford Reference amongst many other high quality reference sources

If you aren't a member of the library, full guidance on how to join online are given here. You need to have a library pin number for magazines and newspapers. If you have a library card but not a pin, you can also get one online. The guidance is under Membership about 2/3 the way down the page linked - here. If the pin refresh doesn't work, Libraries West advise you to rejoin online.

On this page, I focus on magazines, newspapers and reference sources - only because this is what I make use of - but it is well worth checking the other online resources from this Dorset Libraries page link.
All the resources are usable on a tablet (app available for iOS, Android & Kindle Fire) or on a PC using the web browser - smart phones as well, although you would probably need a magnifying glass.

Magazines

With your library card number and pin, you can download magazines for free. Dorset Libraries make the magazines available via the Libby app (available for Apple IOS, Android, Kindle Fire) or on PCs via the web browser.
This picture is a Libby page on my iPad.

Click this Link for the Dorset Council web page explaining how to get started. It has links to the app required and instructions for library membership.

Magazines Services Overview

you can check out as many magazine issues as you like
choose from around 3,000 different titles across a wide range of genres including computers & technology, crafts, current affairs, entertainment, food & cooking, lifestyle, science & nature, sports and home & garden
checkout editions for 21 days. Loans expire automatically after 21 days but if you haven't finished reading them you can renew for a further 21 days as many times as you like
checkout as many editions as you like at any one time - there are no loan limits!
titles are always available to checkout so you won't ever need to reserve them
all titles are unabridged, interactive and in full colour
available at the same time as they appear on newsagents shelves
each title comes with at least 12 months of back issues to explore

Using Libby
The Libby app works well, but finding your way around may not initially be obvious. It is well worth clicking and using Libby Help - Getting Started.

Getting started with Libby provides a useful video
Navigating the app explains the icons.

Newspapers

With your library card number and pin, you can read magazines for free. Dorset Libraries (as a member of Libraries West) currently make the Newspapers available via the RB Digital app - available for Apple IOS, Android, Kindle Fire or on PCs via the web browser. (the service is due to follow magazines in migrating to Libby middle of May.)

Click this Link for the Libraries West web page explaining how to get started. It has links to the app required and instructions for library membership.

Available titles include - Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, Daily Telegraph, Guardian, Independent, Observer.
Daily, weekly and monthly newspapers from over 100 countries (and in 60 languages), including 166 local, regional and national UK titles are available.
Newspapers can be streamed online via a tablet, smart phone (app available for iOS, Android & Kindle Fire) or web browser. Note that you do need to be connected to the internet to read the papers.
Titles available on the day of publication, including supplements and up to 3 months back issues for most titles
Use the search function to find articles

Using RB Digital to read Newspapers

Reading Newspapers is a little more convoluted than magazines (above), but it is worth persevering because it is simple once you have been through the process a couple of times.
The RB Digital app gives you authorised access to the PressReader website which allows you to read the newspapers.
Selecting newspapers shows the PressReader display and selecting access takes you to the PressReader website with your free access to Newspapers authorised.

PressReader opens showing featured newspapers. Click on UK to get familiar titles (or countries to read newspapers from another 100 countries).
Click on a newspaper and then Read Now to start reading your newspaper.

Knowing about three controls will help in early stages of getting used to reading:

Select page view to see pages as published or text view to see articles better formatted for reading on screen (see picture).
Click on the banner at the bottom. In page view, it shows the newspaper pages. In text view it shows articles. In either case, click on the page or article takes you there (see picture).
In text view, the article may be truncated, it which case, clicking on the small green arrow at the end of the portion shown reveals the rest of the article.

Reference

Wikipedia is quite amazing, but sometimes you may need a different type of material or indeed, to check that a mistake hasn't got past their organisation of amateur editors. Dorset Library provides a page of links to available authoritative reference material. Click here or on the image to jump to the page. Please pay attention to the log on instructions for each link because they are not all the same.
I would like to bring your attention to 2 in particular - Encyclopedia Britannica and Oxford reference

Encyclopedia Britannia is probably the world's most famous and authoritative source of information. Britannica promises fact-checked, insightful articles, biographies, and interactive features, curated from the rich knowledge of leading contributors from around the globe and thoroughly vetted with a meticulous editorial process. The web site is easy to use and very readable. See above for access.

Oxford Reference is the online service covering 25 different subject areas, bringing together entries across Oxford University Press’s Dictionaries, Companions and Encyclopedias. Subject areas are: Archaeology, Art and Architecture, Classical Studies, History, Language Reference, Law, Linguistics, Literature, Media Studies, Medicine and Health, Music, Names Studies, Performing Arts, Quotations, Philosophy, Religions, Science and Technology, Social Sciences and Society and Culture.
See above for access.