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Rylee_Warner_Spring_2020_blog_post

With all the closures due to the coronavirus pandemic, many of us have lost physical access to libraries as well as chain and local bookstores. Our access may be diminished, but our need for entertainment—or if we can’t be entertained, at least some kind of distraction—has wildly increased.

But fear not! Just because we can’t physically browse for new books doesn’t mean we’re left to lament a lack of bookish entertainment, or even wait for physical books we order online to be delivered to our home (a recipe for disaster as postal services are overwhelmed with delivering necessities, causing longer wait times than usual). Instead, I present to you in this trying time a fun way to get your book fix without ever leaving your home: ebooks.

You might not have an ereader, but that’s okay! Nowadays, if you’re able to read this blog post, you’re able to access an ebook. Most, if not all, of these options will provide you with some of that good book stuff!

The first option for accessing ebooks is also the most economical: your public library. Many libraries have now partnered with one of several online services to provide their members with access to ebooks. All you need is your library card. Don’t have that? Check with your local library. As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, some libraries are offering residents in their area the option to sign up for a card online.

However, there are a couple of drawbacks to being able to access your local library digitally, like limited selection and long waitlists. If you run into these problems and can’t easily access what you want, there are a multitude of other places where you can get ebooks depending on what device you’re using as well as your personal preferences. For Apple users, there’s the Apple Books marketplace, where you can buy pretty much any ebook you can imagine. For other users, there’s the Google Play store and, of course, Amazon. You can access all of these through your device’s app store or through a web browser.

And for those of us passionate about supporting local bookstores, I present you with another option: Kobo. You can find local bookstores that work with Kobo on their website and support them with your ebook purchases. Kobo does have an ereader, but their app is also available on most systems. Not only can you get the bookish entertainment you need, but you can also help out your local bookstore!

So, while we’re all staying inside and helping to flatten the curve, we can all use these resources to make sure we have no shortage of books to read.

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