Westerly Sun Column | Oh the Places You’ll Go With a Library Card!

You may already be aware of some databases that are available through the library and the Ocean State Libraries consortium. Through AskRI.org you can access a variety of them, including Flipster, which is one of my favorites. Flipster allows you to browse current and past issues of magazines by category or title. In addition to the statewide available resources, there are some special ones that are available if you have a Westerly Library card! I wanted to highlight a few of the fabulous online options that are available to you if you have a Westerly Library card.

Kanopy offers a huge array of dramas, comedies, documentaries, biopics, and television series. Many of the titles are independent films rather than the big blockbusters that you might find on other streaming platforms. With your library card you can stream up to seven films per month. If you’re not looking for a particular title, you can browse categories like Academy Award films, Criterion Collection, or Great Courses. Coming up for me is the course “Learning Spanish: How to Understand and Speak a New Language” in my ongoing quest to master a second language!

Hoopla provides access to audiobooks, eBooks music, movies, magazines and TV shows. Every month you are permitted to have five checkouts through the app. There is no waiting list, so you can get the title you want immediately. In fact, I just searched for “Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt (which has a waiting list) because I want to bring something to read on a trip I’m taking. I found it on hoopla, downloaded it to my tablet, and I am ready to go!

In addition to these, we are very excited to announce that we have a brand-new database called Comics Plus! Comics Plus gives you unlimited access to thousands of digital comics, graphic novels, and manga for all ages. Titles are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and all titles are unlimited access simultaneous use, which means no holds list! Go to westerlylibrarywilcoxparkri.librarypass.com and log in using your library card number and your pin number. You can access titles using a smartphone, tablet, or web browser by downloading the Library Pass app.

The best thing about all these databases is that they are all free to you with your Westerly Library card!

by Caroline Badowski, Head of Adult Services