Q: I spend a fortune on e-books each month—and that's on top of subscriptions to Netflix and HBO Go, Audible for audiobooks and Texture for magazines. How can I trim my digital-media budget?
A: Have you browsed your local library's website lately? In addition to e-books, chances are you can also borrow audiobooks, digitized magazines and movies—and enjoy them on your smartphone or tablet for weeks at a time.
Overdrive provides digital content for 93% of public libraries, and its mobile app for iOS, Android and Kindle Fire is your hub for free stuff. Here's a quick tour of offerings often available to members:
Listen on the go. Using the OverDrive app, you can borrow audiobooks from your library and download them to your device for offline playback—which means you can listen to Tina Fey read "Bossypants" during your commute without eating into your mobile data.
Catch a flick. Many libraries offer feature films, documentaries and TV shows on-demand. These can be streamed using OverDrive's app or website. Want to watch on a proper TV? A Chromecast, Apple TV or similar device will let you beam the video over.
Browse the newsstand. Digital magazines are an often overlooked perk. Because the licenses for most digital magazines allow at least 25 patrons to read them simultaneously, you're likely find plenty of new titles available—everything from Cooks Illustrated to The Week. (Note that reading digital magazines requires the Nook app.)
Go easy on your eyes. With the OverDrive app, you can read borrowed e-books on your smartphone or tablet, but certain titles can also be delivered wirelessly to a Kindle with just a few taps. If you're a frequent borrower, the Kobo Aura ONE ($230) is another good e-reader. It has a crisp, large screen and allows you to search for and borrow library books directly from the device.
Once you're hooked, consider joining as many local libraries as you qualify for. (Some will issue cards to anyone who works locally.) This will give you access to a wider range of digital content. And since loans are automatically returned, you'll never incur a late fee.
