South Gloucestershire Council

Published: 06/02/2012

The new service is being launched as part of a week long UK-wide celebration of libraries leading up to National Libraries Day on 4 February.

Although the service is not compatible with the Kindle it can be used with a number of other leading products such as the Sony Reader, Kobo, Nook, iPad, iPhone and Android devices.

Library members can choose titles they wish to read, and download them for up to 21 days each by visiting www.librarieswest.org.uk. All titles can be borrowed and reserved for free, and loans automatically expire so there are no overdue charges to worry about. The service is free to all library members across the five authorities in the LibrariesWest consortium.

New eBooks are being added to the collection all the time, and whilst many titles are not yet available for loan through public libraries we are pleased to be able to offer a range of great books, among them bestselling autobiographies by Stephen Fry, Dawn French and Michael McIntyre, and popular novelists such as Jonathan Kellerman, Nicci French and Lynda La Plante.

The collection also includes titles across a range of popular genres including travel, computing, gardening and crafts.

James Hunt, South Gloucestershire Council Executive Councillor for Communities said: “South Gloucestershire libraries are always seeking ways to improve the service and meet the changing needs and expectations of users.

“This new service is easy to use and available 24/7 and best of all it’s free. Users of the new service are now able to download and read eBooks at a time and place to suit them.”

The LibrariesWest consortium comprises the five public library services in Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset, Somerset and South Gloucestershire.

To find out more about National Libraries Day visit www.nationallibrariesday.org.uk for a full list of events and activities.