I used to spend hundreds of dollars subscribing to magazines and newspapers. Then I found out that my library card allows me to read magazines and newspapers online. While they didn’t have all my magazines, the selection is quite big. This saves me hundreds of dollars every year and I get to explore new magazines.
Digital Magazines
Here is how you can read digital magazines online.
- I use the Flipster app to download and read magazines. You can also read the magazines directly from a browser. I know some libraries use RBdigitial but the process is essentially the same irrespective of the app you use.
- You will need to put in your library card information to get started.
- Search for magazines by category. Popular categories include news, business, science, sports and fitness, men’s and women’s interests and entertainment
The selection includes around 100 magazines and they are available as soon as they are published. Back issues of magazines are available going back at least a year. The selection includes popular magazines like Time, Newsweek, Bloomberg, Reader’s Digest, People, etc.
Not all magazines are available online. My library does not carry Barron’s, Economist, and Money online. But you will find dozens of magazines you like.
There is no limit on how many you can download and read at one time. How long you can keep them varies. Weekly magazines can be checked out for two days and monthly magazines can be checked out for a week. The magazine can be re-downloaded after it expires.
Digital Newspapers
Just like magazines, you can also read digital newspapers daily using your library membership. My library gives access to the New York Times and a local newspaper.
To access the New York Times, I was given a promo code that allows me to access the news site for 72 hours. Of course, after the 72 hours, I can request another code for 72 hours. I had to create a username and password the first time.
Bottom Line
Libraries across the US give you access to hundreds of digital magazines. You can read them using an app like Flipster or you can read directly from the browser. There is no limit to the number of magazines you can check out at one time. The library also gives you access to digital newspapers. It’s a great way to save money on magazine and newspaper subscriptions.