The Henry Bloom Library has expanded its online offering with the introduction of a selection of popular magazines in digital format.

Available to library members for free downloading from douglaslibrary.im the Zinio for Libraries magazine selection ranges from health and lifestyle, music, cooking and gardening to automotive news, cycling, gadgets and gaming. Titles include Cosmopolitan, BBC Good Food, Countryfile, Women’s Health, Top Gear and Q Magazine.

There is also a new service for fans of graphic novels and comics – Comics Plus Library Edition - which provides library members with access to more than 16,000 titles including major series such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Ghostbusters, Angry Birds, Star Trek and Transformers.

Borough librarian Jan Macartney said: ‘We’re thrilled to have expanded our virtual library with the Zinio for Libraries product which can be enjoyed for free anytime, anywhere on desktops and mobile devices and, with the multiple download facility, it means there’s no need to wait to read your favourite magazine. The service is quick and very user-friendly and is a good fit with our aim to broaden our reach and attract as wide an audience as possible to the enduring appeal of reading.’

Regeneration and community committee chairman Stephen Pitts said: ‘The Henry Bloom Noble Library is all about innovation: providing customers with the widest selection of reading material and means of access. With this in mind we have invested in this new service, a digital newsstand which offers inspiring content for all tastes and ages. Importantly this new online collection complements the library’s aim to deliver an excellent service - one which reflects the evolving community-focused role of libraries in the 21st century.’

To access the starter collection of more than 40 magazines and thousands of comics for free, just sign up to join the library by telephoning 696461 or call in to 8 Duke Street, Douglas.

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