Shreve Memorial’s Downtown Library in Shreveport is one of my favorite places. Having grown up in the 2nd floor collections, and I am constantly blown away by how much Shreve Memorial Library has grown up with me in the Information Age. Last week, I had been searching all over town for the current issue of Foreign Affairs magazine with no luck in sight, until I nearly slapped myself for not checking the library first. Sure enough, they had exactly what I needed – and like every trip I make to the library, I happened upon at least five other things I didn’t know I was even looking for until I had gone and browsed around!
One great thing that I discovered was that Shreve Memorial Library offers a service called Zinio that allows patrons to “check out” magazines online and use with PC/Mac, Kindle, iOS & Android– but you never have to return them! Unfortunately, they don’t offer Foreign Affairs through this service, but I was able to download the latest issues of National Geographic, Smithsonian, and Popular Science. Not only can you check out the latest issues of your favorite magazines, but you can download back issues from the archive. If you’re a current magazine subscriber, or want to finish that interesting article you found in the waiting room, check out Zinio today and see if you can save yourself some money – you only need a Shreve Memorial Library card!
Rachel Wilson, a graduate student at LSU-Shreveport, mentioned that she “knew there were some digital services provided by Shreve Memorial Library, such as e-books being available through their website, but I didn’t know the extent of those services until I actually sat down and browsed through them. I’m very impressed, particularly with Mango languages, and I will definitely be using this service and others in the future.”
In the age of digital streaming music services, most won’t go further than Pandora, Spotify or iTunes to get their fix. But did you know that you can download DRM-free .mp3’s from Shreve Memorial Library’s Freegal music service? Even Lil’ Jon’s pop craze “Turn Down For What” and Santana’s latest album Corazón are available for download. You can select up to 3 tracks per day, but why wouldn’t you want to come back often and see what else is available?
If you have children, you can even find animated, talking picture books through the Tumblebooks service. If they’re older (or if you’re planning a vacation soon), you can also learn up to 61 languages through the Mango service. Or even get homework help from a live tutor with Shreve Memorial Library’s Online Homework Assistance program in math, science, social studies or English. Computer training courses can get you up to speed and details can be found on Shreve Memorial Library’s website.
If you’re addicted to your e-reader, (and I don’t blame you!) you can also load up on e-books, audiobooks, music and videos through Shreve Memorial Library’s Overdrive service. Now, there’s no reason to claim that Shreve Memorial Library is too far away, limited in their offerings, or costs too much (wait, who says that?). Right now, you can get online and check Shreve-Lib.org to get that next item on your wish list, catch up while you’re on the move, or discover something new. Did I mention that they have George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones series available?
So what’s stopping you from visiting your local Shreve Memorial Library branch or their website (www.Shreve-Lib.org) today?
