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Welcome to the Libraries Newsletter

At this stressful time when we are all encouraged to stay at home, here is something from the Library that might cheer you up and make the current situation more bearable.

Following the Government's announcement on Friday 20 March all libraries in the borough have closed until further notice. We have also cancelled all library events and activities and extended due dates for all borrowed items, so you will not be charged overdue fees.

We look forward to welcoming you back to the library in due course but in the meantime, we have a fantastic online library to offer you - newspapers, journals, comics, books, audiobooks, language-learning platform and dictionaries, reference materials for students and much more – all available to you remotely, from home, with just your library card.

Don’t have a library card? Don't worry – you can join online and use the resources straight away with the registration number you get when you fill the form.

For some of them you need to download an app, while others are available by simply entering your library membership number  – just click through the links provided in this newsletter and you will be guided to whatever is of interest.

If you run into difficulties, email libraries@rbkc.gov.uk and we’ll do our best to help.

Here is some of what we offer:

Journals, audiobooks and newspapers

Online journals and audiobooks with RBdigital

RBdigital is an app that lets you access a wide range of journals and audiobooks on your laptop, tablet or phone.

There are more than 90 journal titles available, including Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Hello, The Economist, New Yorker, National Geographic, PC Pro, BBC Gardener’s World, New Scientist and many more.

You get the entire contents and there is also an archive of issues going back several years. You need internet connection only to check out a journal, but then can read it when you are not online.

There is a great collection of audiobooks on the same app for those who find it difficult to read or just enjoy having a story read to them.

Follow the instructions on how to download the app and access this rich source of entertainment and learning here.

Online newspapers with PressReader

PressReader is an app that lets you access over 6,000 newspapers and journals from over 100 countries in over 60 languages.

Enjoy full access to thousands of publications on your personal device, phone, tablet or PC. 

For more information about PressReader app, where to find it, how to download it and how to create an account, click here.

The Times Digital Archive (1785-2012) TDA lets you see every article published by The Times and The Sunday Times (London) since 1785! Brilliant for reminiscence sessions with elderly relatives or to find out about events that always intrigued you, like Lord Lucan affair or the sinking of the Titanic - you can even find the Crossword puzzles through the decades! You can search for anything or anyone, determine the dates and see what you get! Results are displayed in the form of an image of the page in the original newspaper, which makes the experience truly authentic. And remember, people at the time read it first in The Times!

Punch Historical Archive 1841-1992

Punch was in its time the world’s most celebrated satirical. A uniquely British publication, it was renowned for its wit and irreverence and was highly influential in its views. 

Humorous cartoons and articles by the very best comic writers contributed to its fame, and they are all included in this digital version of the publication.

Click here to access Punch.

eBooks and eComics

eBooks and eComics with cloudLibrary cloudLibrary app offers a large selection of fiction and non-fiction eBooks, as well as over 200 bestselling eComics, such as Captain America, Wolverine, Spider-Man and many more.  You can browse, borrow and return eBooks via the cloudLibrary website in a browser but will need to use the cloudLibrary app to download and read them. Visit the Library website for step-by-step instructions on how to download the cloudLibrary app and create an account.

Languages and dictionaries

Transparent Language

This app offers unlimited access to more than 120 languages, with lessons and course materials designed to build listening, speaking, reading and writing skills.

Transparent Language is packed with pronunciation practice, speech analysis, grammar, writing activities, and vocabulary-building activities.

You can learn in your own time, at your own pace in the comfort of your own home or on-the-go. 

Optimised for touchscreen use, Transparent Language works on virtually any Internet-connected device or computer through a web browser. 

Oxford English Dictionary

The definitive authority on the English language, with an unequalled guide to meaning, history and pronunciation of 600,000 words – past and present for a thousand years.

Visit Oxford English Dictionary and Oxford Dictionaries Premium to access dictionaries, grammar and resources for English and Spanish.

Music, art and fashion

Naxos Music Library

Naxos Music Library (NML) is the most comprehensive collection of classical music available online, offering over two million tracks of Classical music, Jazz, World, Folk and Chinese music, with over 1,000 albums added monthly. Users select music by composer, artist, period, year of composition, instrument or genre. Playlists are easily created for educational use or for hours of continuous enjoyment.

Composer biographies, CD liner notes and work analyses are just a few of the text resources available to users while streaming music from the NML.

Grove Music Online

Grove Music Online is a music research resource.

It holds over 57,000 articles written by over 6,000 scholars charting the diverse history, theory and cultures of music around the globe.

Grove Art Online

Grove Art Online is an unsurpassed authority on all aspects of the visual arts with 30,000 signed and peer-reviewed articles contributed by nearly 7,000 international scholars.

It features entries on artists, architects, craftsmen, patrons, movements, locations and periods, as well as thousands of searchable images.

Bloomsbury Fashion Central

Bloomsbury Fashion Central provides all you need for researching or studying fashion. It contains three separate resources which can be searched together or separately.

Berg Fashion Collection - The authority on world dress, featuring a wide range of text and images about fashion from across cultures and throughout history.  

Fairchild Books Library - A collection of textbooks covering every subject from design, pattern cutting, retail, drawing and illustration and setting up a business.  STUDIO section contains practice assessments.

Fashion Photography Archive - Forty years of contemporary fashion history.   750,000 images and articles and biographies of key designers and brands.

Biography and family history

We have several resources to help you research your family history or find reliable information about notable people.

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography

The national record of men and women who have shaped British history and culture, worldwide, from the Romans to the 21^st century.

Who’s Who and Who Was Who

Explore rich, autobiographical information on over 134,000 influential people from all walks of life, with their career and contact details.

Ancestry Library Edition

Discover your family history online.

This resource is available on library premises only, and will be available once the libraries re-open. 

Research and learning

Encyclopaedia Britannica

Explore the fact-checked online encyclopaedia from Britannica with objective articles, biographies, videos and images. Adult, Student and Junior versions available.

Very Short Introductions

Full access to 10 titles in the Very Short Introductions series of digital eBooks. The perfect way to get ahead on theses topic quickly, help with revision, or consider study options.

Oxford Research Encyclopedias With today’s overabundance of information, and misinformation, students and researchers alike can be overwhelmed in identifying what’s trustworthy, what’s up-to-date, and what’s accurate. Oxford Research Encyclopedias meet this challenge. Working with international communities of scholars across all fields of study, this is a new comprehensive collections of in-depth, peer-reviewed summaries on an ever-growing range of topics. See what disciplines are available here.

IXL - to help children excel in Maths and English

Libraries offer an online resource to help children with homework and learning.

IXL delivers a deeply engaging learning experience that covers the whole curriculum from reception to year 13. The programme adapts with students as they grow, offering challenges at just the right level to help them master new concepts.

Sign your child up today - just email libraries@rbkc.gov.uk to request sign-up and we'll send you the log in details for your child to use from home.

It is fun and free!

Issues Online Issues Online is a valuable, interactive learning resource covering hundreds of topics relevant to students aged 14 and above, including key Stages 3 and 4 and S3+ curricula in the UK. It is full of engaging articles and ideal for promoting critical thinking and encouraging debate. With a wide range of topics featured, Issues Online is a cross-curricular resource that can be used by both students and teachers. All you need to sign in is your library card or registration number. Have a look!

Theory Test Pro 

Online theory simulation of the UK driving theory test questions for all vehicles from the DVSA.

Go Citizen

Online study resource to prepare for the Life in the UK or UK Citizenship Test based on the official handbook.                       

The British Way of Life

Online programme to study essential living in Britain for people new to the UK.

Business help and information

COBRA

Complete Online Business Reference Adviser is a continually updated information resource for anyone who is running a small business or thinking of setting up a business.

The database offers information and guides on all aspects of running a small business and is bursting with practical advice.

Fame

Fame offers information on companies in the UK and Ireland. You can research companies, create targeted mailing lists for B2B communication and access market research reports.

Fame is only available at the library but we can run a search and send you the results. Email your query to libraries@rbkc.gov.uk