Things you might not know about your local digital library

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So much more than just books...

Use it, love it, join it

Bracknell Forest libraries

Free access to subscription websites and digital services with your library card

E- books

Read e-books on your phone or tablet with the BorrowBox app or download to your computer from the BorrowBox website and transfer to an e-reader such as Kobo or Nook.

You don't even have to get out of bed to borrow e-books and there's no late fines to pay!

E-audio books

Listen to e-audio books on your smartphone or tablet using the BorrowBox or RBdigital app or download to a computer and transfer to an MP3 player from the BorrowBox and RBdigital websites.

They're perfect for long journeys, doing jobs around the house, while keeping fit or simply to relax and immerse in a story.

More about our e-books and e-audio.

Girl at the window e-audiobook on a phone

Selection of UK newspapers available using pressreader

E-magazines and e-newspapers

Read 7,000+ digital newspapers and magazines free with PressReader. Install the PressReader app on a smartphone or tablet or download to a laptop from pressreader.com.

The 100+ UK & Irish newspapers include today’s Guardian, Daily Mail, Independent and Telegraph with all the weekend titles and supplements. Over 300 UK magazines cover everything from homes and gardens to sports and entertainment. You will find titles such as Grazia, BBC Top Gear, Empire, Men’s Health, Hello!, even The Beano for children - amazing!

A selection of magazines such as Amateur Photographer, BBC Good Food and The Economist can also be read using the RBdigital app or via the RBdigital website. There is no limit to the number of magazines you can check out or how long you can have them.

More about our e-magazines and e-newspapers.

Digital means more access for more people

With our online resources you can:

increase the size of the text
change the colour scheme of e-books
zoom in to an e-magazine
change the speed of your e-audio book
listen to newspapers and magazines using PressReader
if English isn't your first language or if you are learning, PressReader magazines and newspapers are available in over 60 languages. You can also get articles translated into 18 languages.

Free online information resources

There are no monthly charges to pay because we have subscribed for you!

NEW! Theory Test Pro. Revise all the questions, read the official handbooks, watch hazard perception clips and take practice tests to pass your driving theory test first time – at home or in the library.
Research your family history using Ancestry Library edition and Find my Past – only in the library.
Find information for homework – at home or in the library – using Encyclopaedia Britannica and Issues Online.
Check Which? before you buy – available online in Bracknell, Crowthorne and Sandhurst libraries.
Research old newspapers and news with the Times Digital Archive and European Newsstream – at home or in the library.
View and print over 10 million academic journal articles using Access to Research – only in the library.

View our local history photos on Flickr

Mural by William Mitchell in Charles Square

And browse the local study collection at Bracknell Library

Some of Bracknell Library's local studies archive collection of photographs and ephemera has been digitised and is available to view online on Flick.

It's just been announced that the William Mitchell's mural that used to be in the Crossway Precinct may have a new home on the side of Braccan Walk car park. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-51214434. The 30m mural which was considered too big for the Lexicon depicts the history of Bracknell and you can read more about it by visiting Bracknell Library.

You'll also find books, photographs, newspapers, maps, journals, newsletters and pamphlets to research Bracknell's past on the first floor of Bracknell Library.

Visit Open+ libraries even when they're closed

...and we are always open online 24/7

Open+ allows you to visit some of our libraries at a time that is convenient for you. During Open+ hours when the library is unstaffed you can issue and return items, use computers and print. Check the extended Open+ hours at Find a library. You will need to have a brief induction at each Open+ library before you can start visiting during extended hours.

How to use Open+

Don't forget to visit the library for our events!

Half term activities to keep children busy and happy (you may even relax a bit!)

Click here for our programme of lively events across libraries

Tuesday 18th February, Bracknell Library, 10:30am, Tots Time. An hour of fun with songs, stories, bubbles and crafts for toddlers. £1.50 per child, no need to book.
Sandhurst Library, 2:30pm, a troll-tastic afternoon with Troll Crafts. £1.50 per child, book in advance at the library.
Binfield Library, 3:30pm, Children's Crafts. Aimed at primary school children. £1.50 per child, no need to book.
Wednesday 19th February, Whitegrove Library, 3:45pm, Children's Crafts. Aimed at primary school children. £1.50 per child, no need to book.
Thursday 20th Febuary, Crowthorne library, 10:30am, Troll Crafts. £1.50 per child, book in advance at the library.
Bracknell Library, 11am, Chinese New Year session with ZooLab. Children to meet living animals in a safe environment. £3 per child. Please click here to book.
Friday 21st Feb, Bracknell Library, 11am-1pm, Children's Recycling Crafts. Children will be creating imaginative crafts using recycled materials. All children welcome. £3 per child. Please click here to book.
Bracknell Library, 3pm, Safari Sentences with Explore Learning. Taster session on building sentences. Suitable for children in Year 1 and 2. Free but booking is required. Please click here to book.