Vailey Oehlke

Oehlke is director of libraries at Multnomah County Library.

Your public libraries are being threatened by corporate interests.

Multnomah County Library and other public libraries provide open access to books, materials, programs, technology and first-rate customer service. Public libraries are unique institutions because they exist solely to further the common good and to serve you regardless of how you look, what you believe, where you were born, what language you speak, who you love or any other way that you identify.

Public libraries are far more than buildings with books. As technology and the internet have transformed the way we live, work and connect with one another, libraries have also transformed to the digital age. Multnomah County Library offers more than 800,000 digital titles, including e-books, downloadable audiobooks, streaming videos and music. More than 300,000 of those titles are e-books.

Large publishers are now trying to restrict digital content lending at public libraries by excessively hiking prices for e-books and audiobooks. They also announced plans to require libraries to re-purchase digital content after a certain number of months or checkouts; and restricting libraries ability to buy new e-books.

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Macmillan Publishers, one of the nations biggest publishers representing authors including Oprah Winfrey, Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb, and Rainbow Rowell, has announced an eight-week embargo on new e-books for libraries. This embargo means that for the first eight weeks after a book is released, libraries will only be able to purchase a single copy of new Macmillan e-books.

This new policy will hurt readers across Oregon, because all libraries, no matter the size of the community they serve, will be limited to one copy. That means one copy to share for the 800,000 living in Multnomah County and one copy for the 138 people living in the town of Agness, in southern Oregon.

These restrictive policies from publishers will shut out those in our communities who rely on public libraries for access to books and resources they couldnt afford otherwise. For many people, borrowing books in an e-format is critical because of an accessibility need. As one patron said, I love reading [e-books] with enlarged fonts and white text on a dark display, it is so much easier on my deteriorating eyes. Another said ...our family has first-hand experience with how necessary e-books are for people with dyslexia.

Like many industries, libraries have been disrupted by the technological revolution. Over the past five years, the popularity of e-books has exploded. What once began as a complementary collection to our core print collection has become an essential service for many. Multnomah County Library is now the sixth top-circulating library in the country for digital content, with 5,000 e-book checkouts every single day (1.7 million annually). E-book checkouts in Multnomah County have grown by 210% in the past five years.

Libraries purchase e-books at a price that is often four times the price of a retail copy. For example, the book Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell published by Hachette Book Group costs $15.99 for a retail copy on Amazon Kindle but libraries pay $65 per copy for a two-year license. Publishers require libraries to re-purchase e-books after a specific number of checkouts or every two years, no matter how many times theyve been checked out.

With these limitations in place, we estimate that Multnomah County Library will soon spend at least 25 percent of its e-book budget on re-licensing items already in the collection. These excessive costs will prevent the library from buying a broader range of titles or buying more copies of popular titles in order to reduce wait times.

Publishers unfair e-book practices not only hurt libraries and readers but also authors, who are now being forced to choose between making a living and supporting the mission of the public library. Libraries have a long history of supporting authors. Every day, patrons browse the shelves or the online catalog to find new books to enjoy; they get reading recommendations from library staff; and they attend author readings and programs. Libraries generate revenue for authors and publishers and serve as a free source of marketing in fact, there are more public libraries in the United States than McDonalds or Starbucks.

These harsh and unfair restrictions on public libraries are a troubling trend that we must stop.

This issue will impact public libraries big and small. Whether you are a patron of Multnomah County Library or one of the other numerous public libraries across Oregon, your voice matters. Please sign the American Library Association petition to stop Macmillans e-book embargo at ebooksforall.org.

The rest is here:
Opinion: Publishers are blocking your access to e-books at local libraries - OregonLive

Parx Casino is already a juggernaut in Pennsylvania gaming. Now it has crossed the Delaware River.

You can now play on Parx Online Casino in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The site launched in New Jersey last week. It is operating under Ocean Casinos online gambling license.

Thats a major boon to its cross-border customer base. New Jersey patrons of the casino can now choose between spending time on property in Philadelphia or playing games at home.

The biggest problem in the Pennsylvania online casino business is the lack of games for players to choose from. Currently, Parx PA has 57 titles. It launched with less than 30 games.

Most of them are slots, with a limited number of table games. For the first couple of months, Parx was the only online casino in the state with blackjack.

By comparison, the NJ Parx site launched with 94 titles, including multiple blackjack formats and a much larger choice of table game titles.

Parx partnered in the move to NJ with GAN, a leading European-based supplier of internet gambling software. The companies have worked together in PA since 2014.

GAN has expanded rapidly. The growing company recently announced its third-quarter gross revenue had risen 203% year-over-year.

Extending to NJ via online came quickly. Parx had only entered the PA online sports betting market in June. Parx then launched an online casino in Pennsylvania in July.

Parx formally launched Monday in NJ following a three-day soft opening period last week.

Dermot Smurfit, the CEO of GAN, explained the move:

Launching the largest casino in Pennsylvania online has now logically extended across the border into New Jersey, extending its reach into New Jerseys fast-growing and established internet gambling market.

This represents an incremental revenue opportunity for GAN and is a logical extension of our technology infrastructure to serve Parx Casino patrons who routinely cross the invisible border between these two populous states.

The leader of GAN said growth was better than better than expected.

One major factor he pointed to is the fact that NJ sports fans who attended games across the river in Philadelphia are already accustomed to betting online.

John Dixon, the chief operating officer of Greenwood Gaming & Entertainment, Parxs parent company, added GAN can serve our business needs in multiple states which aligns with the cross-border nature of our existing retail gaming customer base.

The expansion means Parx patrons can now gamble online in either Pennsylvania or New Jersey, as they wish, added Dixon.

Additionally, because GAN has a patented integration system, the Xclub reward card for Parx can be linked so it works in both states.

According to GAN, Parxs land-based casino in PA accounts for about 18% of the total market in the bricks-and-mortar segment. That makes Parx the top land-based casino among the 12 retail properties in the state.

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New Jersey Now Has A Parx Online Casino With More Games Than The PA One - PA Online Casino

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, October 2019

Naseej The Regions Leading Knowledge Solutions Provider will be a gold sponsor of the First Annual Conference & Exhibition for Electronic Resources in Libraries, Middle East Chapter, to be held in Dubai, UAE, from 9th to 10th October 2019.

The Conference is expected to attract library specialists, providers of professional information services, and publishers of electronic resources from across the region and beyond, who will have the opportunity to communicate, collaborate and discuss critical issues related to the industry, while exploring the latest solutions related to improving electronic resources collection, management, maintenance and accessibility, in the ever-changing online environment.

On this occasion, Mr. Abdullah Al-Turaifi Naseej VP stated We are excited to take in this conference. It represents an excellent networking opportunity for to library and information professionals in in the region. This gathering will help facilitate more efficient workflow in information and library institutions and will support better acquisition decisions.

Mr. Al-Turaifi also confirmed Naseejs support for librarians and information professionals across the Middle East, by empowering them with innovative services and solutions, some of which will be displayed at Naseejs stand in the conferences exhibition. Naseejs information management specialists will greet visitors at Naseejs stand and address their issues and challenges.

Its worth noting that Naseej is partners with the leading publishers like IEEE, IET, EBSCO, ProQuest, Elsevier, IGI Global and CABI.

About Naseej

Naseej is the leading knowledge solutions provider in the Middle East serving the regions top Academic institutes, cultural centers, and government organizations since 1989. Naseej provides Academic and Higher Education institutes in the region with comprehensive and integrated solutions and services designed to enable Academic institutions to actively contribute to the success of their students. Naseej employs over 400 highly skilled professionals throughout the region in the fields of Knowledge management, Information Technology and Business Development that work together to deliver cutting-edge solutions to its partners that includes, e-learning solutions and services, Campus Management Systems, Knowledge Management Solutions, and much more.

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Naseej Gold Sponsor in the First Annual Conference & Exhibitionfor Electronic Resources in Libraries - Middle East Chapter -

By Mike Selby

Cranbrook Public Library

Snowden Wright tells the saga of one familys quest to start to the worlds first soft-drink company in his newest novel American Pop.

A teenage Edgar Allan Poe finds his plans to attend university and marry the love of his life destroyed in the Cat Winters The Ravens Tale.

Preschool Story Time is this Wednesday at 11 a.m., 1:15 p.m.; Family Story Time is Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.; and Toddler Story Time is 10 and 11 a.m. Both will be all about Trees! Baby Laptime is every Thursday at 11 a.m.

Database of the month: IndieFlix: Watch award-winning shorts, features, and documentaries from more than 50 countries. Streaming movies available on all Internet-enabled computers, tablets (including iPad and Android), smart phones through the Web browser, and on Roku and Xbox. Simply visit HERE and enter your library card number.

Our website has all kinds of great information and links.

Worried about internet privacy and safety? Check out our new TECH HELP page, which offers a comprehensive yet easy to learn steps to protect yourself.

The Cranbrook Public Library Endowment Fund gives people an opportunity to create a meaningful legacy, to build a strong foundation in the present for the future of the Library. For more information about how you can contribute, please phone us at 250-426-4063 Ext: 1001, or visit this link.

The provincial interlibrary loan service has updated their website and have changed their name from OUTLOOK to ILLUME. It is much easier to navigate, but please contact the library should you need any help.

On display this month is Kathy Simons wonderful Celebration of Tea.

ADULT NEWLY ACQUIRED ITEMS:

Ningiukulu Teevee: Drawings and Prints from Cape Dorset (700.92)

The Millennial Mosaic Reginald W. Bibby (305.2420971)

Leaving the Witness Amber Scorah (289.9)

Fentanyl, Inc. Ben Westhoff (362.29)

What No One Tells You: A Guide to Your Emotions from Pregnancy to Motherhood (618.2)

Chenille or Silk Emma Mckenna (819.16)

Trudeau Jon Ivision (971.07)

Promise and Peril: Justin Trudeau in Power Aaron Wherry (971.07)

Permanent Record Edward Snowden (bio)

Valencia and Valentine Suzy Krause (fic)

Memoires of the Future Siri Hustvedt (fic)

American Pop Snowden Wright (fic)

Unbury Carol Josh Malerman (fic)

The Age of Light Whitney Scharer (fic)

True Fiction Lee Goldberg (fic)

Under the Table Stephanie Evanovich (fic)

The Forbidden Door Dean Koontz (fic)

Albatross Terry Fallis (fic)

The Paris Orphan Natasha Lester (fic)

The Witches of St. Petersburg Imogen Edwards-Jones (fic)

Moondust Lake Davis Bunn (fic)

The Secrets We Kept Lara Prescott (fic)

The Irishmans Daughter V.S. Alexander (fic)

Such Good Work Johannes Lichtman (fic)

The Woman in the Lake Nicola Cornick (fic)

Before She Was Found Heather Gudenkauf (fic)

Ill Never Tell Catherine McKenzie (fic)

Mrs. Jeffries Delivers the Goods Emily Brightwell (mys)

Almost Midnight Paul Doiron (mys)

Liar Liar James Patterson (mys)

Reckoning of Fallen Gods R.A. Salvatore (sci fic)

YOUNG ADULT & CHILDRENS NEWLY ACQUIRED ITEMS:

The Lovely and the Lost Jennifer Lynn Barnes (ya fic)

The Ravens Tale Cat Winters (ya fic)

Eat This Andrea Curtis (j 659.19)

On the Internet: Our First Talk about Online Safety (j 004.67)

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At the Library | Cranbrook - E-Know.ca

The University Libraries at the University of Nevada, Reno was recently invited to participate in the inaugural, four-day, Elko Mural Expo. The event took place in Elko, Nev., over the weekend of September 26-29 and was a spin-off of Art Spot Renos highly successful Reno Mural Expo.

Luka Starmer and Laura Rocke, part of the University Libraries @One Digital Media Technology team, traveled to Elko to document and preserve activities taking place at the event. In addition to capturing photographs and 360 degree virtual reality footage of more than 40 murals, they lead a workshop for Elko VR enthusiasts and community members. In the workshop participants were loaned VUZE cameras and were taught how to create their own 360 degree video content. The inspiration for the workshop evolved from an idea TEDx University of Nevada, Reno speaker Michelle Rebaleati shared earlier this year lets teach people to use VR to preserve their personal memories.

With the Reno Mural Expo we approached Art Spot Reno in 2017 to see if the Libraries VR team could participate in documenting the ephemeral street art local and other muralists were installing across the city, Libraries Reno Street Art Project manager Laura Rocke said. Because we successfully demonstrated the value in preserving this important artform in VR, Art Spot Reno invited us to participate in the Elko Mural Fest to document and preserve the artwork being installed over the course of the four-day event.

In addition to the partnership with Art Spot Reno, the Libraries team established a new relationship with Vuze. Vuze by Human Eyes is the creator of the first consumer virtual reality 360 3D camera and the new Vuze XR a dual camera that gives anyone the power to create and share immersive experiences in 360 degree or VR180 (3D) Photo and Video. The Vuze camera has won several awards and has been used in the depths of the oceans and in space - on-board the International Space Station.

Working with a premiere camera manufacturer like Vuze was awesome, Libraries VR and Multimedia Specialist Luka Starmer said. Vuze understands the value in creating original VR content. They saw Michelles TEDx talk online and liked the idea of using VR to capture everyday memories and experiences in VR.

The Libraries have an edge when it comes to doing this type of work, Starmer said. We are one of few academic libraries using the innovative medium of VR to preserve and archive ephemeral art and more. Documenting the Elko Mural Expo creates a record and provides access to anyone interested in seeing amazing street art in that city. You dont have to make the trip to Elko to enjoy this art. You can put a headset on and teleport yourself to the exact mural in Elko you want to see."

Starmer added, We are creating new ways to archive and document important pieces of culturally and historically valuable content thanks to VR technology. We are essentially building archives in real time to serve the needs of audiences of the future.

The Digital Media Technology Team at the University Libraries will continue to position itself as an innovator in how the University uses and incorporates VR into the academic curriculum.

We experienced success through the Reno Street Art Project and it just keeps evolving in new, meaningful ways, Starmer said. We have partnered with a variety of researchers across campus ranging from Nursing to UNRMed, Anthropology and more.

The team is currently working to establish a virtual reality-based anthropology museum. This project is scheduled to launch in late Fall 2019. The Libraries have incorporated 3D scanning into its preservation toolkit and will have more than 100 highly valuable Native America baskets on display in the in the museum, as well as in a digital collection that is accessible to anyone with a computer. Museum guests can wear a VR headset and walk through galleries in the museum to view the collection of baskets. Guest can also hold, pick-up and turn baskets over thanks to the use of VR technology.

This is a unique offering by University Libraries because many of the baskets featured in the museum are not available for browsing by the public, Starmer said. The baskets in this particular collection are too delicate and valuable to be handled. VR breaks the mold and allows guests to touch and interact with what is typically behind the glass in brick-and-mortar museums.

Campus and community members interested in learning how the University Libraries and others on campus are using VR are encouraged to attend the annual VR|AR Meet-Up. This years event is scheduled for Friday, November 1. The Meet-Up begins at 3 p.m. and will take place in the Wells Fargo Auditorium and the Whittemore Gallery located on the first floor of the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center. For more information on this event please contact Luka Starmer via email at lstarmer@unr.edu.

The University Libraries embrace intellectual inquiry and innovation, nurture the production of new knowledge, and foster excellence in learning, teaching and research. During each academic year, the Libraries welcomes more than 1.2 million visitors across its network of three branch libraries: the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center, the DeLaMare Science and Engineering Library and the Savitt Medical Library. Visitors checked-out more than 90,000 items and completed more than 2 million database searches.

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University Libraries invited to participate in Elko Mural Expo - Nevada Today

Since 2018, online shopping has outstripped the high street1 with seven out of 10 people in the UK now banking online2 . Our always-on digital world means we want everything done more quickly, and more conveniently.

So how does that translate to house-buying? We have already seen the move from advertising through high street estate agents to advertising online, and more recently the proliferation of DIY selling or buying using digital platforms to set up the deal. But so far, thats more or less where digitisation stops. The transaction itself is still heavily reliant on paper-based processes that involve multiple exchanges of information and take considerable time.

Securing Local Authority data can be a particularly time-consuming process. A search into planning permissions, Tree Protection Orders or light obstruction, for example, can often cause lengthy delays of weeks, if not months. The Local Land Charges (LLC) process was therefore a logical priority for digitisation and a pilot scheme was launched across five Local Authorities as a first wave in 2018 (with the aim of full rollout in due course).

Benefits of a digital LLC Register include 24/7 access to data, freeing up council resources in searching for and providing information and, crucially for the consumer, dramatically speeding up the search process. For local authorities that are already participating, its been a resounding success and is due to roll out across a further 18 Local Authorities over the next 18 months. The plan is for all 326 Local Authorities within England to be offering digital LLC within the next five to seven years.

And its not solely Local Authority searches that are set to benefit from digitisation. HM Land Registrys Digital Street research and development project is leading the charge here, exploring how new technology can make the homebuying experience simpler, faster and cheaper for consumers. From the use of blockchain in payments to embracing the technology that will ensure transparency of property-related information, the project is looking at the overall process from numerous angles and engaging with a broad community of stakeholders.

Half of all UK house sales currently fall through before completion3 , so there is plenty of room for improvement, and plenty of scope to make the data that we have work for rather than against us.

Information collected along the way includes environmental data, local authority data, surveyor reports, details on significant property improvements and various aspects of local services. While these records are useful, managing the sheer volume of repetitive data associated with the housebuying process is often cited as a major cause of delay in transactions going through and even leading to ultimate failure.

Could we imagine a future when holders of flood data, contaminated land data, or drainage and water information make these details accessible through an online portal, attributed to every registered address and summarised instantly for potential buyers (and their legal representatives) at the touch of a button and for a set fee?

In other words, each property would come complete with its own set of data at the point of being offered for sale. And of course, just because the information becomes accessible online, it doesnt mean that its commercial value to providers reduces it just means that they need to be smarter in the way that they provide it.

There is obvious scope for monetisation on a pay-per-view basis, such as the 15 fee already in place on the Digital LLCR for official copies of search returns as well as the ability to review the search over the next six months.

In fact, data in the 21st century has been described as the equivalent of oil of the 18th century an incredibly valuable resource with potential for immense rewards for those who learn how to extract and use it4 .

Digital transformation is here to stay those that embrace it (and keep up with the Joneses) will be the ones to reap the rewards, across the home-buying process as much as anywhere.

Read more from the original source:
Keeping up with the Joneses: digital rollout in the home-buying process - Lexology

A woman who was trespassing at a downtown Jamestown library was arrested early Monday morning on several charges, according to the Jamestown Police Department.

Crystal L. Depew, 27, of Jamestown, was arrested just after midnight after an incident at the James Prendergast Library, 509 Cherry St.

Police said that officers patrolling near the library saw multiple people trespassing, and while speaking with them, Depew gave officers a false name. She began quickly walking away, then ran from officers, before she was tracked down "a short distance away," police said. Depew was taken to Jamestown City Jail, where she was found to be in possession of cocaine, fentanyl and a digital scale, police said.

Depew was arrested on charges of second-degree criminal impersonation, second-degree obstruction of governmental administration, resisting arrest, two counts of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and second-degree criminally using drug paraphernalia.

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Police: Woman trespassing at library booked on a volume of charges - Buffalo News

Gale Courses, an online learning resource offering more than 350 instructor-led courses, are now available through the Baldwin Public Library website with a library card.

Gale Courses offer patrons access to more than 350 instructor-led online courses covering everything from health and wellness to creative writing, computer programming, business management, GED test preparation, and much more.

Patrons can enroll at no cost. Courses run for six weeks, with two new lessons released weekly, and new classes beginning every month. The courses are entirely web-based with comprehensive lessons, quizzes and assignments. A dedicated college-level instructor coordinates every course by pacing learners, answering questions, giving feedback and facilitating discussions.

We are very excited to be partnering with Gale to offer our cardholders the opportunity to explore the many classes on offer through Gale Courses, said Josh Rouan, technical services coordinator. Our community has always had a passion for lifelong learning, and Gale Courses gives people the opportunity to learn and acquire new skills in an instructor-led setting. It is the perfect mix of technological convenience and traditional teaching methods.

Cardholders can enroll and participate in courses from home or use the library's public computers. For more information about the catalog of courses offered or to enroll in a course, visit baldwinlib.org/research.

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Online courses offered through Baldwin Library - Downtown newsmagazine | Birmingham/Bloomfield

PORT JERVIS - Spider-Man, Wonder Woman and other heroes, haunters and character creators roamed the rooms of Port Jervis Free Library on Saturday, enticing 915 people to Fan Fest on the librarys 127th anniversary.

This is the biggest event the library ever had. We had a line waiting when we opened the door, said childrens librarian Danielle DeLorenzo, Collaborating with Haven for Heroes was a necessity. Theyre involved with the community and brought their fan base.

They brought out not only many people, but many colorful alter egos and demons needing exorcism. Spider-Man greeted a guest at the top of the library entrance stairs. Although concealed in Spider-Man garb head to toe, he revealed himself to be Manny Sepulveda, of Deerpark, who works for CASA, a dispute resolution program assisting children in foster care.

Growing up, I always had a place in my heart for Spider-Man. He was finding himself on a daily basis, trying to be a hero and trying to have friends, said Sepulveda. Wearing the mask brings out the innocence and brighter moments for kids.

Nearby, Wonder Woman, radiant in her regalia, explained her transformation from Natasha Carmona, of Goshen, social worker at Access Supports for Living.

Wonder Woman was an inner interest from movies, comics and TV, said Carmona. Three years ago I first put on a costume after my supervisor suggested it. She knew I was into it because I described clients like characters. Its a hobby to get my mind off work.

She is now involved with DC Comics cosplay, performance art involving costumes. Im thinking of starting an Orange County cosplay group, she said. If I attend fan fests, I could do that.

In a room nearby, creators of comic books and graphic novels displayed their work. Robert Geronimo, of Staten Island, showed off his popular Blood Realm, which he described as dark fantasy, influenced by Greek and Catholic mythology, like St. George and the Dragon.

But why so dark?

Its a way of exorcising my demons, he said. Im the son of a 100 percent disabled Vietnam War veteran affected by the severe trauma of real war. The trauma and horrors are passed on to the son. Hes a monster because war actions are hideous. I portray the trauma and gray line of war how no one wins. People put their own experiences on it, and I attracted a following.

Meanwhile, Al Nickerson, of Westtown, said he stopped drawing the graphic creations of others, which was his work at Marvel, DC Comics, MTV, Nickelodeon and "Sesame Street," so he could focus on his own characters. His new book, Sword of Eden, follows a 16-year-old on his first day of being a superhero. He searches for the Sword of Eden that cherubs used to drive the first humans from Eden, and then he looks for Noahs Ark.

James Kientopp, of Sparrowbush, described his book, Tales of Levinia, asrealistic fiction based on real people going through hardships who felt silenced, that their stories didnt matter.

This venture began with the support of his English teacher, Jeanne Corcoran, when he was a student at Port Jervis High School, from which he graduated in 2016.

I didnt come from much and felt I would come to nothing, he said. I was violently bullied emotionally, mentally, on the bus, on the internet, in texts. I was struggling to survive. Many were lonely and willing to take their own lives. By telling their stories, they were helped, though I was always afraid of fallout from reporting this and showing vulnerability.

But after he published his book, he said, a friends mother thanked him for saving the family. His friend had been planning to swallow pills, amid his parents tumultuous divorce, but when his mother read the book she was able to help him.

Being part of the book, he felt he amounted to something, said Kientopp. Its about raising your sword, showing them who you are and pushing back.

For DeLorenzo, the childrens librarian, the aim of Fan Fest was to get children to read.

We noticed that kids are often more open to reading graphic novels, she said. When we saw kids looking at Pokemon and anime, and we mentioned this event, they were excited. At the end of the day, we gave the community what they wanted.

With no misadventures, said Doug Garnham, Haven for Heroes co-owner.

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Heroes and demons lure crowd to Port Jervis Library for Fan Fest - Times Herald-Record

Libraries in the Royal Borough are a joy that the council offers but a service which large numbers of residents are not making the most of.

Misconceptions of eerily quiet spaces filled with rows of dog-eared books are keeping some people away from the 14 libraries the council maintains.

In anticipation of Libraries Week 2019 starting on Monday celebrating the role of the facilities in thedigitalworld library staff are keen to debunk these perceptions, particularly as the areas libraries are offering a wide variety of reading material online.

All people need is a library card and an app.

Dan Howick, reading development and library promotions officer, said: If youre travelling, commuting, its all just there for you and all you need is a library card number and youve got access to several thousand newspapers, magazines, e-books and audio books as well people dont know about it.

He added: Its everything youd see in WHSmith which youd spend six or seven pounds on but if you have a library card, which of course is free.

For those who prefer to turn the pages of real books the library strives to get new releases in including books being talked about in the press.

Dan added: We do have brand new books like Margaret Atwoods The Testaments: the sequel to The Handmaids Tale, which is about the biggest literary event of the year, and we have multiple copies.

Reading development and library promotions officer Jeanette Kemp added: Obviously, of course, we have the classics and the books that we should have, but also there is that rolling stock of new stuff coming in all the time in childrens and in adults.

For those who want to discuss their latest read there are the librarians.

Jeanette said: Its not just a big building full of books, its conversations about them.

Sometimes people come in and say I really like this book can you offer anything else?

While the library has a calm and peaceful atmosphere, it is also full of chatter with rhyme time and story time sessions for youngsters, knit and natter groups and more than 60 book clubs.

For anyone who prefers a quiet space in Maidenhead there is the Nicholson Room for quiet study.

Jeanette said: Its a safe place, a place of learning, a place where theres mutual respect and its free its pretty unique really.

It is an excellent service, added library supervisor Dalit Spitzer.

This is an actual joy that the council offers.

For some people a visit to the library is a more than just a pleasure trip, but serves as a space to tackle social isolation.

Dalit said: We see a lot of young parents, mostly mothers, maybe English is not their first language, maybe theyre new to the area this is a great way for young parents to socialise.

Theres a play area the children can play, or read a book if they want, but theres toys there for them and parents spend hours there, literally hours everyday.

Set over two floors Maidenhead Library is the Royal boroughs flagship service.

As well as books of every genre it offers the use of 16 public computers, a teenage area, access to Amazon lockers, daily newspapers, magazines and DVDs.

To find out more about the Royal Boroughs libraries go to www3.rbwm.gov.uk/info/200197/libraries

Go to the links below to find the apps you need to access the libraries digital offer, and to find out all the material you can download.

e-books and e-audio books

App- Libby or OverDrive (both apps have the same content provided by OverDrive - Libby is the newer app, OverDrive is the older version)

http://rbwm.lib.overdrive.com

eMagazines

App - RBdigital (Recorded Books Digital)

https://rbwm.rbdigitalglobal.com/

eNewspapers and eMagazines

App - PressReader

https://www.pressreader.com/

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Royal Borough's library service debunks musty misconceptions with reality of new book releases and vast digital offer - Windsor Express