The rising ubiquity of eBooks has seen a lot of media coverage. By late 2012 the number of Americans who had read an eBook in the last year jumped to nearly a quarter of those over the age of 16. Libraries are as enthusiastic about providing access to information as ever, and many offer downloadable eBooks, audio-books, music, and even online courses. In an ongoing effort to improve its services, last week the Heartland Library Cooperative rolled out yet another option in digital content: digital magazines.
Zinio, styled as the world’s largest newsstand, provides libraries with digital access to popular magazines from the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Mexico. So far over 1000 library systems have subscribed, and HLC is excited to be one of them. At the moment there are 40 titles available through the Cooperative’s website. These include popular titles like Us Weekly, Prevention, Shape, National Geographic, Shape, Woman’s Day, Runner’s World, Cosmopolitan and many more. You can read your Zinio magazines on your tablet, smart phone or computer. Once you have downloaded the magazine, it is yours to keep.