Have you heard the news?
Starting in April, the Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library will be saying goodbye to Overdrive’s digital library app, Libby.
We know many of our patrons are avid Libby users, but the good news is we have cloudLibrary for all your audio and ebook reading.
Whether you’re an original Libby user or are new to the electronic and audiobook reading scene, this app is great and user friendly.
I recently downloaded cloudLibrary and have nothing but good things to say about it.
I have been listening to books on my walk to work and when at home doing chores.
At first, I was skeptical about audiobooks. I considered this form of reading ‘cheating’ since I am not physically holding the book in my hands, reading the content with my eyes, but I have reasoned I am still absorbing the content, just in a different format. So, yes, it does count.
I save my audiobooks for when I physically cannot hold a book, like when I am walking or doing laundry, and then I read my hard-copy or ebooks when relaxing in bed or on the couch.
My favourite audiobooks to listen to are memoirs or autobiographies, read by the author. It makes for a more personal connection, like a friend telling you a story. So far, I have listened to Prince Harry’s Spare, Peter Mansbridge’s Off the Record and Jennette McCurdy’s I’m Glad My Mom Died.
I just flew through the ebook version of Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid and Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister. I find having books to read on my phone enables me to read even more, maybe because you’ll never catch me without my phone in my hand.
I admit there is something alluring about reading from a tangible piece of literature, but today, who has the time? Embracing digital literature allows me to be a more avid reader, and with cloudLibrary, I am reading more than I ever have before.
Not only does cloudLibrary allow you to borrow materials for 21 days, but you can personalize your reading experience by placing holds, renewing items, dictating the speed at which the audiobook is read to you, curating your own shelves, and sorting reads by publication date, author, title, recent additions, or rating.
The best part about cloudLibrary is it’s free with your library card and there are plenty of titles and genres to choose from. I sometimes have a hard time choosing what to read next.
Insider tip: cloudLibrary allows you to borrow ebooks and audiobooks from other libraries across the province. If no one else has checked them out, they will be visible in cloudLibrary under the browse function and available to borrow.
Maybe I am biased, but I absolutely love this app and I am sure most of you will, too.
How it works
- Download the app on our website here.
- Log into our library: Select Ontario, Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library and enter your library card information. Click agree and log in.
- Browse, borrow, and read.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us by phone at 905-775-3328, ext. 6100, or send us a message in the chat box on our website.
’Til next week, happy reading.
Natasha Philpott is the marketing and communications co-ordinator at the Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library. You can email her at [email protected].
