Digital Magazine Collection Doubles with New Service

Patrons of the Forsyth County Public Library will notice a big change in the number of digital magazines available for checkout. A new partnership with vendor Recorded Books begins today with the launch of Zinio, an online magazine service for libraries.

Zinio delivers full-color, digital editions of popular magazines for instant desktop reading, mobile streaming, and mobile-app download. As the collection grows on Zinio, patrons will be able to select both new and back issues, adding them to their personal reading libraries with no holds, no checkout periods, and no limits to the number of Zinio magazines they can download.

“Our collection of digital magazines has more than doubled in size now that we have both Zinio and Flipster,” says Assistant Director for Materials Linda Kelly. “We were able to reduce subscription costs by moving certain magazine subscriptions from Flipster to Zinio. We’ve applied those savings to expanding our collection of digital magazines in subject areas of interest to our patrons.”

For example, the library’s collection of digital magazines in Spanish is growing. Previously, the collection on Flipster included only People en Español. Zinio will add eight more titles, such as Vanity Fair España, Vanidades USA, Ambientes, and Familia Saludable.

Zinio will also add over 60 new titles on the subjects of crafting and fine art, weddings, business, finance, technology, parenting, food, fitness, gardening, home décor, and sports. Several magazines for teens and children, including Seventeen and Highlights for Children will also be available on Zinio.

“As a reader, my favorite Zinio feature is the ability for patrons to set up notifications with a single click. Then, Zinio will send an email whenever a new issue of a magazine becomes available. Patrons won’t have to remember to look for new issues each month,” says Kelly.

Kindle users will be pleased to learn that the Zinio app is available for the Kindle Fire HD/HDX. Both the Flipster and Zinio apps are available for Android mobile devices and Apple iPad and iPhone.

Library patrons can browse and check out both Zinio and Flipster digital magazines with a valid library card account by visiting www.forsythpl.org.