New eMagazines, Audiobooks, Music and Movies for Free. Did We Mention They’re Free?

Navigating you through the best of our library collection. Via the recommendations of one very opinionated librarian.

By Rebecca Colbert

Head of Collection and Bibliographic Services at the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District

Can We Talk?

Let’s talk about instant gratification for a minute, maybe less, since, as a culture, we are way short on time and attention. You want what you want and you want it, NOW. I get it. Me, too.

And if you feel like you are too busy to drive to the library (even though you are missing the physical experience of our great buildings), I have great news for you! Follow me down the instant gratification rabbit hole of online resources as I share with you all kinds of wonderful treasures from our library collection. With your FREE library card, you can access these FREE favorites and many more almost instantly from your tablet or smartphone by going to our new website at LVCCLD.org.

Read On-The-Go with eBooks and Now … eMagazines

Besides being easy to access, eBooks are so portable! You can have multiple titles queued up in your tablet or phone, and they will never weigh you down. And for magazine lovers, here are some fun facts:

  • Our eBook platform, Overdrive, has expanded to include magazines.
  • Even if you check out the limit of 50 books per month, you can STILL enjoy popular magazines on Overdrive.
  • Our magazines are always available without a waitlist. Check out Star, OK, and National Enquirer for celebrity gossip and Cosmopolitan, Food Network Magazine, and Oprah to get your lifestyle hacks.
  • You’d prefer People Magazine? Head on over to Flipster, our digital magazine outlet for even more titles. You will find People, Ebony, Entertainment Weekly, Time, and Sports Illustrated.
  • Bottom line: You’ll never impulse buy a magazine in the checkout line again!

Tune In to Audiobooks & Music

Are you more of a listener than a reader? Downloadable audiobooks from our website can be a great motivation at the gym or to tune out traffic. In fact, our audiobook options have tripled this year. Overdrive is still our major provider of audiobooks, but Hoopla, also has great titles! 

Whenever I can’t find something to listen to immediately, Hoopla is my go-to resource. I’m amazed by their always available content, such as non-fiction by David Sedaris, Marie Kondo, and Napoleon Hill, as well as new literary fiction.

Besides great audiobooks, Hoopla also has a fine selection of eBooks, excellent comic books, and a giant collection of movies and television, but here’s a tip – their music catalog is truly awesome! When a new album is released (what we call “street date”) in the stores, chances are good that Hoopla already has it available for listening. They specialize in providing music the same day it’s released and, best of all, you can listen to it endlessly for a week, both streaming and downloading.

Each cardholder can check out ten titles per month on Hoopla. So my kids and I have Hoopla on our devices and they use their library cards to listen to Disney movie soundtracks or the latest Kidz Bop music, and I use my card to listen to Cardi B or Childish Gambino whenever I want.

Cut that Cable

Have you cut the cable company’s cord yet? Who needs Netflix when you can watch all of our content for free with your library card? We’re making that easier for you. Once again, Hoopla is a star provider with a huge collection of movies and TV shows. 

Enjoy Classic Films & More on Kanopy

If you want to learn while being entertained, try Kanopy, another streaming service that we offer. Kanopy features thousands of documentaries and independent films as well as a special children’s section. When I read an article mentioning a documentary, I like to play stump Kanopy, to see how they do. I look through their offerings and probably 90 percent of the time, they deliver the new title I’m looking for. You will also find thousands of important classic and contemporary films. Just bring the popcorn and the charger and find a cozy place to sit.

We’ll see you next time you visit the library in person. In the meantime, happy reading/watching/listening!