Central Bedfordshire Council news and press releases

Your library - a gateway to the digital world

Wednesday, 2 October 2019

Want to produce your own version of Who Do You Think You Are? Or indulge in your secret love for K-pop or old skool jungle? Or binge read a year’s worth of Hello! magazine?

National Libraries Week (Monday October 7 to Saturday October 12) this year celebrates the many different ways libraries can help you in a digital world whether you are a digital native or a silver surfer.

Councillor Ian Dalgarno, our Executive Member for Community Services, said:

Libraries week is a celebration of our much-loved libraries, this year highlighting the different ways they can help people of all ages through digital support, services and activities.

Throughout the week we are encouraging people to try one of our e-resources and find out the great value and benefits they can access using their library card.

It could be using Ancestry UK for free at your local library to trace your family tree or getting some homework help via Britannica Library. Or perhaps downloading and streaming music for free via Freegal or using Theory Test Pro to ace your driving theory test.

The week will also see a big push to introduce more people to a free service for smartphones, tablets and e-readers our librarians have dubbed “Library in Your Pocket.”

The service allows library members to download ebooks and audiobooks for free and more than 100 popular magazines plus a year’s worth of back copies.

Libraries will be offering special workshops on the service on the following dates:

  • Biggleswade Library, 10am on Tuesday 8 October
  • Shefford Library, 9:30 am on Wednesday 9 October
  • Leighton Buzzard Library, 4pm on Thursday 10 October
  • Dunstable Library, midday on Friday 11 October