Did you know that at Edinburgh Libraries we have three different downloadable audiobook services? Want to know why and the reasons you need to check them all?!
We have eaudiobooks on Libby, BorrowBox and uLIBRARY. You can listen to these on your mobile phone, tablet or computer. We have 7380 titles and 121,497 copies!
We have three because we can’t get all the titles available from one supplier. This way we can offer as wide a range as possible with each service having a different selection of authors and titles. Each service has its own app and website.
Libby has books for adults, teens and children. BorrowBox and uLIBRARY just have adult stock (uLIBRARY does have a monthly children’s book club title too though!).
Not all publishers will sell downloadable audiobooks to libraries. Hence why some best-selling authors and titles might be missing from our collections.
Titles from a series of books might appear on a couple of different services. This is because publishers sell the rights to produce audiobooks and different producers win the rights to books in the same series. i.e. you’ll find audiobooks from Lin Anderson’s Rhona MacLeod books and Lucinda Riley’s Seven Sisters series on Libby and BorrowBox and Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series appears on both Libby and uLIBRARY. Check all of our services when looking for a series!
eAudiobooks do appear on our library catalogue so you can check here for what services specific titles might be found on. But…the library catalogue is not always up-to-date regarding eaudiobooks as there will be a delay in adding the record for new stock and in removing the record for titles we no longer have. There is also no direct link to the app version from the catalogue (just the web site) so you need to open the app and search for the title anyway if you are wanting to use the app. So… the catalogue can be a guide to what we have, but you do need to check with the audiobook platforms to be completely sure.
Bottom line is check all our audiobook services if you are looking for audiobooks! If you have any questions about our audiobook services please get in touch at informationdigital@edinburgh.gov.uk
… in our Instant Digital Card promotion! If you know someone who would benefit from being able to read a daily newspaper at home or have access to thousands of audiobooks, ebooks and magazines all from the comfort of their own armchair please let them know today! Thousands of best-selling titles for adults, teens and children are available to read on a phone, tablet or computer.
No library card? No problem! Until the15 February 2024 if you are over 16 years old you can sign up for an Instant Digital Card in seconds. All you need is a mobile phone number and the access code – Library2go. To find out how to get started go to http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/IDC.
The Instant Digital Card gives you access to Libby for three months. However, you can keep on using the service for free by joining the library and receiving a permanent membership card. Join online through http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/joinourlibrary
Contact informationdigital@edinburgh.gov.uk if you have any questions about our downloadable services.
Do you know someone who would benefit from free access to ebooks, audiobooks and magazines, but who are not a member of the library? This New Year you can get free instant access to Edinburgh Libraries Libby service without a library card. Thousands of best-selling titles for adults, teens and children are available to read on your phone, tablet or computer. It’s a fantastic way to make the most of your electronic Christmas presents and to save money. Please spread the word to relatives and friends!
No library card? No problem! From the 16 January – 15 February 2024 if you are over 16 years old you can sign up for an Instant Digital Card in seconds. All you need is a mobile phone number and the access code – Library2go. To find out how to get started go to http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/IDC.
The Instant Digital Card gives you access to Libby for three months. However, you can keep on using the service for free by joining the library and receiving a permanent membership card. Join online through http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/joinourlibrary
Contact informationdigital@edinburgh.gov.uk if you have any questions about our downloadable services.
So what were you reading in 2023? Well, it was a bumper year for our Library2go downloadable services with you borrowing over 2.5 million newspapers, 500k magazines, 190k ebooks and 180k audiobooks!! This is what the top ten loans in each category looked like –
eBooks Yellowface was this year’s decisive winner with 732 Edinburgh readers checking out this bestseller on Libby. Richard Osman appears twice with two offerings from his Thursday Night Murder Club series.
1. Yellowface by Rebecca F Kuang (732)
2. The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman (534)
3. The People’s City (500)
4. The Last Goodnight by Kat Martin (423)
5. The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman (418)
6. Be Happy by Rebecca Ray (410)
7. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (401)
8. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (395)
9. The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose (340)
10. The Girls in the Glen by Lynne McEwan (328)
eAudiobooks Rebecca Yarros’s epic fantasy is the run-away winner of the audiobook category with 831 loans. Lovely to see classic novel, Pride & Prejudice, making an appearance in the top 10.
1. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (831)
2. The Bonnie Dead by Andrew Raymond (594)
3. I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy (534)
4. Yellowface by Rebecca F Kuang (471)
5. Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austin (422)
6. 1989 by Val McDermid (396)
7. Official Secrets by Andrew Raymond (391)
8. The Dentist by Tim Sullivan (378)
9. Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (375)
10. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas (367)
1. The Economist (17,394)
2. Radio Times (14,162)
3. Hello! (11,052)
4.Good Housekeeping (9725)
5. Auto Express (9,230)
6. BBC Good Food (9,313)
7. TV Times (8,547)
8. New Scientist (6,679)
9. TV & Satellite (6,188)
10. Computer Active (5,730)
eNewspapers
Our Edinburgh readers love their newspapers on PressReader! Nearly half a million Scotsman newspapers were downloaded this year, closely followed by the Edinburgh Evening News.
1.The Scotsman (484,952)
2. Edinburgh Evening News (333,246)
3. The Guardian (312,375)
4. The Herald (168,808)
5. The Daily Telegraph (146,642)
6. Scottish Daily Mail (109,502)
7. Daily Mail (88,431)
8. The Independent (54,832)
9. The Daily Record (52,841)
10. The Observer (29,270)
Check out our Library2go support pages if you’d like to get started using our downloadable services. They are free and easy to use! All you need is a tablet, smartphone or computer and your library membership.
Yes, it is a bit early to be talking about Christmas! But just in case you are one of those people who likes to get into the seasonal spirit by reading lots of wintery tales in the run-up to festivities or like to make your own Christmas presents, we’re flagging up some fabulous reads available now on Libby!
Libby is our brilliant free ebook, audiobook and magazine platform. Full instructions for installing and using it can be found on our Your Library website.
Get making and baking with a brilliant range of craft magazines and cook books/ magazines. Lots of delicious recipes to get the tastebuds going as well as craft inspiration with crochet, cross stitch, sewing and covering everything that moves in glitter!
Ease in gently to the Christmas feeling with winter-themed reading – covers featuring snow covered cottages and even some winter crime chillers!
Christmas Crackers We’ve got a brilliant range of Christmas fiction – perfect for cozying up on the sofa with a hot chocolate or mulled wine.
Childrens & Teens Christmas Reads
Lovely books to read to the wee ones (as if they weren’t excited enough about Santa coming!) as well as some wintery reads for teens.
…that you can read almost 8000 UK and worldwide newspapers and magazines for free with Edinburgh Libraries! Don’t miss out on this amazing service, install PressReader today on your tablet, phone or computer. It is the library’s most popular online resource with our readers borrowing over three million newspapers and magazines in the last year alone.
From anywhere you can login to the PressReader app or website with your library card number and PIN to get access to today’s news 24/7. Once logged in, you get a month’s uninterrupted access. Just login again each month to keep your free access going.
Edinburgh Libraries PressReader service has nearly 200 UK and Irish newspapers including today’s editions of the Edinburgh Evening News, Scotsman, Scottish Daily Mail, The Press and Journal, The Guardian and The Herald. Missed something in last weeks paper? You can access three months of back copies for most publications so you can find what you missed. Don’t know what issue it’s in? Use the search facility to quickly find it.
There are over 500 UK magazines available too as well as thousands of other English language magazines. All the main women’s and men’s magazines are available (Good Housekeeping, Radio Times, The Economist, Auto Express, Hello! etc) and you are guaranteed to find a magazine for whatever you are in to including yoga, scootering, collecting stamps and owning chickens!
Publications are also available from over 120 countries, in 60+ languages including from Poland, India, USA, France, Spain and China. Articles can be translated into 26 languages on the app and you can also listen to today’s news by using the Listen function which will read articles out to you.
Join millions of others around the world in reading a fantastic family drama during the Big Library Read, the world’s largest digital book club. From 13-27 July, readers can borrow and read the ebook and audiobook versions of A Very Typical Family by Sierra Godfrey on Libby. Borrow this title with no waiting lists on the Libby app or by visiting our Libby website.
All families are messy. Some are disasters. Natalie Walker is the reason her older brother and sister went to prison over 15 years ago. She fled California shortly after that fateful night and hasn’t spoken to anyone in her family since. Now, on the same day her boyfriend steals her dream job out from under her, Natalie receives a letter from a lawyer saying her estranged mother has died and left the family’s historic Santa Cruz house to her. Sort of. The only way for Natalie and her siblings to inherit is for all three adult children to come back and claim it—together. Written with delightfully dark humor and characters you can’t help but cheer for, A Very Typical Family is an uplifting family drama that will have you reveling in the power of second chances.
The book is available on the home page of the Libby app and the Libby website with unlimited downloads so is perfect for discussing with your friends and family. You can even discuss the book online or use #biglibraryread on social media from the 13-27 July for a chance to win a BLR prize pack including a pair of Beats Studio Buds, a copy of A Very Typical Family and a cool Libby mug! Full instructions for using Libby can be found on our Your Library website.
Edinburgh Libraries is a member of the Living Knowledge Network, a partnership between public and national libraries in the UK, created by the British Library. Together we celebrate libraries and create memorable experiences.
Today, we’re highlighting a fantastic resource made available by the British Library for exploring their collections depending on your mood.
Discover hand-picked hidden gems from the British Library’s collections in their series of online resources, playlists, podcasts and videos.
Choose from different mood based prompts and Be Inspired, Be Surprised, Discover, Escape, Laugh and Relax.
The collection materials are grouped by mood to allow you to follow your curiosity and see where it takes you. You’ll find famous names in conversation, such as Professor Brian Cox, Stephen Fry and Dolly Parton. You may discover anything from relaxing bird song recordings to the visually stunning Leonardo Da Vinci’s Codex Arundel or even an important exploration of toilet humour!
We’ve added this resource to our Your Library website within the A-Z list of eresources so that you can find it easily whenever the mood takes you!
Join millions of others around the world in reading a fantastic biography during the Big Library Read, the world’s largest digital book club. From 3-17 May, readers can borrow and read the ebook and audiobook versions of Tastes Like War by Grace M. Cho on Libby. Borrow this award-winning book with no waiting lists on the Libby app or by visiting our Libby website.
Grace M. Cho grew up as the daughter of a white American merchant marine and the Korean bar hostess he met abroad. They were one of few immigrants in a xenophobic small town during the Cold War, where identity was politicized by everyday details—language, cultural references, memories, and food. When Grace was fifteen, her dynamic mother experienced the onset of schizophrenia, a condition that would continue and evolve for the rest of her life.
Part food memoir, part sociological investigation, Tastes Like War is about a daughter’s search for the roots of her mother’s schizophrenia. In her mother’s final years, Grace learned to cook dishes from her parent’s childhood in order to invite the past into the present, and to hold space for her mother’s multiple voices at the table. And through careful listening over these shared meals, Grace discovered not only the things that broke the brilliant, complicated woman who raised her—but also the things that kept her alive.
The book is available on the home page of the Libby app and the Libby website with unlimited downloads so is perfect for discussing with your friends and family. You can even discuss the book online or use #biglibraryread on social media from the 3-17 May for a chance to win a Samsung Galaxy A7 Lite tablet, Libby goodies and signed books by the author. Full instructions for using Libby can be found on our Your Library website.
We’ve recently refreshed the “Popular Magazines” collection on Libby. Previously this was made up of the magazines that we had on our RBdigital service, but we’ve now updated it to feature the top 150 magazines that our readers use on Libby.
So what are our reader’s top ten favourite magazines?:
1. HELLO! magazine 2.Good Housekeeping 3. New Scientist 4. BBC Good Food Magazine 5. Woman’s Weekly 6. The New Yorker 7. Radio Times 8. The Week 9. Woman 10. Woman & Home
HELLO! remains your most popular read, but perhaps a bit of a surprise appearance from The New Yorker! The Economist had also until recently featured at no.3, but has had to be removed from Libby due to the publisher’s new access rules. You can however still read The Economist on our PressReader service.
Do you need help getting started with Edinburgh Libraries downloadable ebook, audiobook, magazine or newspaper services?
Or do you have a query about using any of the libraries online services?
Then come along with your device to one of our eresources help sessions. We can help get you set up and take you through using our services step-by-step. These happen on Tuesday afternoons in the Central Library.
To attend book a slot in advance by emailing: informationdigital@edinburgh.gov.uk with your name and phone number and we’ll call you back to arrange a time.
Do you know someone who would benefit from free access to ebooks, audiobooks and magazines, but who are not a member of the library? This New Year you can get free instant access to Edinburgh Libraries Libby service without a library card. Thousands of best-selling titles for adults, teens and children are available to read on your phone, tablet or computer. It’s a fantastic way to make the most of your electronic Christmas presents and to save money. Please spread the word to relatives and friends!
No library card? No problem! From the 10 January – 9 February 2023 if you are over 16 years old you can sign up for an Instant Digital Card in seconds. All you need is a mobile phone number and the access code – Library2go. To find out how to get started go to http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/IDC.
The Instant Digital Card gives you access to Libby for three months. However, you can keep on using the service for free by joining the library and receiving a permanent membership card. Join online through http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/joinourlibrary
Contact informationdigital@edinburgh.gov.uk if you have any questions about our downloadable services.
To celebrate Book week Scotland we have a cracking Scottish multi-access ebook available on Libby by a fabulous Scottish author!
The Bad Fireby Campbell Armstrong is available to download until the 30th November with unlimited copies. In this page-turning, atmospheric thriller a police detective returns to Glasgow to investigate his father’s death. Detective Eddie Mallon is coming home to Glasgow for the funeral of his father, whom he barely knew. Decades ago, the Mallon family split down the middle, and Eddie went to America with his mother while his sister stayed with their father, Jackie. Now Jackie has been murdered and Eddie has no choice but to conduct his own investigation, which takes him into the shadowy history of his father’s past and present and into something bigger and more disturbing than one man’s death.
Libby can be used on your tablet, phone of computer. Full instructions for using Libby can be found on our Your Library website.
This year’s brilliant title is How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie which is outrageously funny, compulsive, and subversive. A wickedly dark romp about class, family, love… and murder. They say you can’t choose your family. But you can kill them. Meet Grace Bernard. Daughter, sister, serial killer…Grace has lost everything. And she will stop at nothing to get revenge.
As usual the ebook can be accessed on tablet, smartphone, computer or ereader (except regular Kindles!) and full instructions can be found on our Libby help pages. Why not encourage your friends and family to read it too and host your own book group get-together!
For further information contact informationdigital@edinburgh.gov.uk
Join millions of others around the world in reading a fantastic historical novel during the Big Library Read, the world’s largest digital book club. From 12-27 July, readers can borrow and read the ebook and audiobook versions of The Girl in his Shadow by Audrey Blake from our Libby by OverDrive service. Borrow this suspenseful historical novel with no waiting lists on the Libby app or by visiting our Libby website.
An unforgettable historical fiction novel about one woman who believed in scientific medicine before the world believed in her. Set in London in 1845, orphan Nora Beady is raised by the eccentric surgeon Dr. Horace Croft after losing her parents to a deadly pandemic. While other young ladies were raised to busy themselves with needlework and watercolours, Nora was trained to perfect her suturing and anatomical illustrations of dissections. Women face dire consequences if caught practicing medicine, but in Croft’s private clinic Nora is his most trusted – and secret – assistant. That is until the new surgical resident arrives and Nora must learn to play a new and uncomfortable role—that of a proper young lady.
The book will be available on the home page of the Libby app and the Libby website from the 12 July and with unlimited downloads is perfect for discussing with your friends and family. You can even discuss the book online or use #biglibraryread on social media for a chance to win a Samsung tablet and goody bag.Full instructions for using Libby can be found on our Your Library website.
Our downloadable library has proved a lifeline to many during the pandemic and Edinburgh Libraries has seen usage of its ebook, audiobooks, newspaper and magazine services grow over this period. But, what have you all been reading over the last year and is it any different from anywhere else in the UK?!
eBOOKS You have borrowed over 205,000 ebooks from our Libby by OverDrive service this year! Surprisingly only three* of the titles on our top ten loans match those of the rest of the UK. Many of our top lenders have a decidedly Scottish theme or author –
A Dark Matter by Doug Johnstone – 1,050 loans
The Thursday Murder Club* by Richard Osman – 938 loans
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro – 689 loans
The Hoarder by Jess Kidd – 652 loans
In Dark Water by Lynne McEwan– 642 loans
What He Knew by Marion Todd– 497 loans
Not My Father’s Son by Alan Cumming – 432 loans
The Sentinel* by Lee Child – 411 loans
The Sea Gate by Jane Johnson – 407 loans
The Coffin Maker’s Garden by Stuart MacBride – 402 loans
NEWSPAPERS You read over 2.3 million newspaper copies last year through our PressReader service, making newspapers by far our most popular downloadable resource. The Scotsman however is our run-away favourite newspaper read –
The Scotsman – 441,021 loans
The Guardian – 161, 162 loans
Daily Telegraph – 144,243 loans
The Herald – 122, 476 loans
Scottish Daily Mail – 91,279 loans
Daily Mail – 74,421 loans
The Independent – 61,467 loans
Daily Record – 60,645 loans
Daily Express – 44,670 loans
The Observer – 25,510 loans
AUDIOBOOKS Again only four* of the national top issuers make it on to our Libby list with Scottish themes again dominating some of the top spots. Crime and thrillers also feature strongly. This selection comes from Libby, but we offer three audiobook services with a different range of titles on each –
Klara and the Sun* by Kazuo Ishiguro – 518 loans
A Song for the Dark Times* by Ian Rankin – 497 loans
Luckenbooth by Jenni Fagan – 426 loans
The Coffinmaker’s Garden* by Stuart MacBride – 383 loans
The Cut by Chris Brookmyre – 335 loans
The Duke and I by Julia Quinn – 329 loans
Lockdown by Peter May – 321 loans
Midwinter Murder by Agatha Christie- 289 loans
The World’s Worst Parents by David Walliams – 285 loans
Cold Mourning* by Brenda Chapman – 281 loans
MAGAZINES Our top magazines on Libby are pretty much the same as everywhere else except for the inclusion of The Week and surprisingly The New Yorker! Both our Libby and PressReader magazine services have over 3,000 magazines in them each. Top magazines on PressReader include the TV Times and Auto Express –
Ancestry is an invaluable tool for family history researchers and we’re delighted to announce that this resource is now available to all library members from within our libraries!
Ancestry Institutional Access gives you access to over 7000 databases to search millions of genealogical records covering the United Kingdom, Australia, Europe, North America and elsewhere.
Records include censuses, official records, immigration records, family histories, military records, court and legal documents, directories, photos, maps and more. New content is continually being added too, so you can discover more each time.
U.K. collections include censuses for Scotland, England, Wales, Isle of Man and Channel Islands, Births and Baptisms (1834-1906), Marriage Licenses (1521-1869), Deaths and Burials (1834-1934), and Poor Law Records (1840-1938) in London.
Ancestry Institutional Access joins our suite of family and local history resources alongside Findmypast, British Newspaper Archive, Scotsman Digital Archive and Scran and our own Capital Collections, Edinburgh Collected, and Our Town Stories which give an unrivalled view of Edinburgh’s past. Find them all at www.edinburgh.gov.uk/heritage
Read a fantastic new thriller during the Big Library Read, the world’s largest digital book club. From 28 June -12 July, readers can borrow The Quiet Girl by S.F. Kosa, a tightly-woven book that inspires questions about trauma, memory, and how well we ever know the people we love. Borrow it for free from our OverDrive service with no waiting list on the Libby app or by visiting our OverDrive website.
Good girls keep quiet. But quiet girls can’t stay silent forever—and the consequences are sure to make some noise. When Alex arrives home to patch things up with his new wife, Mina, he finds an empty wine glass in the sink, her wedding ring on the desk, and a string of questions in her wake. The police believe that Mina simply left, their marriage crumbling before it truly began. But what Alex finds in their empty cottage points him toward a different reality: Mina has always carried a secret. And now she’s disappeared.
The book will be available on the home page of the Libby/OverDrive apps and the OverDrive website from the 28 June and with unlimited downloads is perfect for discussing with your friends and family. You can even discuss the book online or by using #biglibraryread on social media you’ll be entered into a prize draw for a chance to win a Samsung Galaxy tablet and book signed by the author!
Join millions of others around the world in reading a timely book about dealing with stress during the Big Library Read, the world’s largest digital book club. From 5-19 April, readers can borrow and read Dr Brian King’s ebook The Art of Taking it Easyfrom our OverDrive service with no waiting list. Find out how to cope with bears, traffic and the rest of life’s stressors with the Libby app or by visiting our OverDrive website.
Psychologist and stand-up comedian Dr Brian King gives us a practical, yet laugh-out-loud guide to embracing humour to reduce stress and live a happier, fuller life. In this brilliant guide he presents hands-on techniques for managing stress by rewiring our brains to approach potentially difficult situations through a lens of positivity. Exploring what stress is, where it comes from, and what it does to our bodies and brains, he delves deep into how to address everyday stress—as well as anxiety, insecurities, repression, and negativity—and gives insight into resulting ailments such as anxiety disorders, depression, hypertension, obesity, substance abuse disorders, and more.
The book will be available on the home page of the Libby/OverDrive apps and the OverDrive website from the 5 April and with unlimited downloads is perfect for discussing with your friends and family. You can even discuss the book online or by using #biglibraryread on social media you’ll be entered into a prize draw for a chance to win a Samsung Galaxy tablet and book signed by the author!
Every new year is an opportunity to start fresh, an opportunity to make plans to achieve things, to make resolutions about what you want to do or don’t want to do in the new year! Many of us make new year’s resolutions, but when we reflect back at the end of the year, we find that they didn’t happen. So, let’s make 2021 different. If you are already struggling to keep up with your resolutions, read on to find out what interesting plans our Central library staff have got for this year…
Eleonora from Central Lending says, “My first resolution is to try to finish my graphic novel about food recipes. I have started it during the first lockdown, and I haven’t completed it yet, this will be my big challenge and maybe… I hope… I can publish it sometime in the future.
My second resolution is BUY LESS. I realised how much futile things are surrounding my life, sometimes I feel literally suffocated of them. Wardrobes, drawers, kitchen cabinets are packed of stuff that I don’t even know of their existence. So, the plan is living minimalist. Give away what I no longer need, make my house lighter and most importantly make myself free of that thought of “BUY”. Part of this resolution is also trying to make my own cleaning products, so stop buying dangerous detergents/soaps that aren’t good for me and the planet. For me this year is; “Less is better”.
Third resolution: learning oil pastels. I already started and I am pretty much into it, I just love it and cannot stop doing it. I can spend hours sitting on the chair and drawing.
I am determined to work on two new yoga poses too, I got my fancy yoga blocks for Christmas so I am sure they will help me to achieve my aim.”
Eleonora finds these amazing eresources helpful to keep up with her resolutions:
The year of less: how I stopped shopping, gave away my belongings, and discovered life is worth more than anything you can buy in a store by Cait Flanders Available to borrow as an ebook
Hinch yourself happy : all the best cleaning tips to shine your sink and soothe your soul by Mrs Hinch Available to borrow as an ebook and an audiobook
Spark joy: the Japanese art of decluttering and organising: an illustrated master class by Marie Kondo Available to borrow as an ebook and an audiobook
Doris from Central Lending has very healthy plans for 2021: “One of my new year’s resolutions for 2021 is to make more vegetarian recipes. This is for two reasons: to widen the variety of fruit and vegetables I eat regularly, and to use up the week-old celery and carrots that occasionally languish at the bottom of my fridge.
Central Lending Library has at least two whole shelves groaning with recipe books and it’s heartening to see that there’s a good selection available on Overdrive too. I enjoyed reading a sample of The Clever Guts DietRecipe Book by Dr Clare Bailey on Overdrive and I’m looking forward to borrowing it and trying out new meal recipes.” Available to borrow as an ebook
Natasha from the Music Library wants to improve some skills she has been working on. She says, “I haven’t really set myself any resolutions to learn a new skill this year. Instead, I want to improve ones I’m already developing. I’m an avid knitter and have been knitting for around 10 years now, starting off with a scarf made from no particular pattern. Since then, I’ve made a wide variety of items but one thing I’d really like to learn how to do this year is to draft my own knitting pattern. I received a book about drafting for Christmas which has spurred me on. The various knitting magazines on both PressReader and RBdigital will definitely provide huge inspiration, helping me settle on shape, stitch patterns and construction methods!
Another thing I’d like to improve is my language learning skills. During last summer, I started learning Simplified Mandarin using a few apps on my phone. It’s a beautiful language that I’ve always been fascinated by and have always wanted to learn. I’m now at the point where I can recognise quite a few characters and I have a reasonable idea of what they might mean; I find myself reading the back of packets to test myself! I’d like to get to the point where I can read paragraphs of text and I think looking at the children’s Chinese language magazines available on PressReader will be a great help. I had a look at one the other day and saw the phrase “the girl had long, black hair” so I’m hopeful I’ll be able to understand a little more with further practice!”
Kevi from the Edinburgh and Scottish Collection has plans for gardening this year. “As the clock struck midnight on 31 December 2020, I raised a glass to celebrate the passing of the strangest year of our collective lives, thankful that my family and friends were safe and realising how lucky we were to be so. On reflection, I realised that many New Years had passed in my life in the same way – with great hope and intentions to change but no action.
2020 wasn’t an easy year for anyone, for many it was a year full of tragedy, loss, incomprehension at the new world we were living in, and isolation. The first lockdown was intense, bringing into sharp relief the stagnation caused by years of fearing change and the realisation that when fear is in control, no change can happen. I promised myself that procrastination would rule me no more and a decision, long delayed, has been made, after many years in the same home and in the midst of a global pandemic, I am attempting to move to a new house! It is quite a journey, in fact, one of the most stressful things a person can do, so “why bother”, you might ask?
My longing for a garden is well documented and lockdown only increased my desperation to immerse my fingers in soil. I scaled up my indoor plant growing so much that my family and I now navigate our lives around a proliferation of large fronded friends, flourishing Peace Lily’s, spiky Cacti and Ferns…….my favourite being a little Maiden-Hair Fern which I bought online and am unreasonably attached to, fretting over the slightest crisping of delicate rounded leaf and fine-spraying every morning in devotion to its survival. I experimented with Ginger (so easy, who knew?) and Avocado (fiddly and takes a lot of time but so worth it). Plants have slowly taken over our house, a calming distraction in a year of strife and have convinced me that I must not wait another year but get myself a garden, not the easiest thing to find mid-winter in Edinburgh, a city of many tenements, but one has finally revealed itself as within reach and I can already visualise the veritable verdant forest of plants to be joyfully grown and enjoyed. So here is to New Year’s 2021 which, all being well, I hope to celebrate, finally, in my garden.”
Check out these gardening books suggested by Kevi:
Contini’s Kitchen Garden Cookbook by Carina Contini Available to borrow as an ebook
Wild Your Garden by The Butterfly Brothers Available to borrow as an ebook
Veg in One Bed: how to grow an abundance of food, in one raised bed, month by month by Huw Richards Available to borrow as an ebook
Gardening for the Zombie Apocalypse by Isabel Lloyd and Phil Clarke Available as an ebook and audiobook
Ania from Central Lending has some different views about new year resolutions: “I absolutely love planning things! I love knowing what I’m doing today and in the following days, from simple things like what I’m cooking for the family, where and at what time I’m going running, to where is the next holiday. I’m ‘Miss Planning’ simply.
And yet… I’m not a big fan of new year’s resolutions, especially in current times, when it can be so unpredictable.
I have to admit I’ve tried before, and I guess as many people, I’ve put trivial things on my “list”: do more exercise, read more, eat healthy, learn another language, loose a kilo or two, be more patient, spend more quality time with my children etc, etc.
Then I thought I don’t need the extra pressure in life, I’m more or less doing the above but without the stress of a written list that needs a tick next to it.
I certainly prefer a “mini, every day resolution”. I’ll try and do my daily run, or yoga, eat 5 of my 5 a day, listen to a great audiobook borrowed from the amazing library selection during my walk, learn few Spanish lessons on Duolingo etc but if I won’t manage…then fine, I’ll do it tomorrow 😁”
We have got a huge selection of audiobooks which you can enjoy anytime, anywhere like Ania. Check out our great collection of 1000+ ‘No wait’ audiobook titles.
We have got quite a few members of staff learning a new language this year. Bageshri from Central Lending has started learning German this year. She says, “Just when 2020 was about to end, another lockdown was declared. With so much uncertainty going around and so much time in my hands, I thought of learning something new. I feel that learning a new skill gives you positivity with feeling of accomplishment. I was always good in literature in my school days and enjoyed learning languages. And was especially good at grammar. I have learnt 3 languages while in school (which is very common in India), Marathi as my mother tongue, Hindi as a national language and English as an international language. I had heard that the grammar of German is quite similar to my mother tongue, Marathi and it was always at the back of my mind that I should learn German one day.
So, here I am learning German now. At Edinburgh Libraries we have got a good collection of language learning material. Both in physical as well as electronic formats. Until our buildings reopen, check out our audiobook foreign language courses on Overdrive.
Apart from learning German I also have decided to practice Yoga and breathing meditation every day. I start my day with an hour of breathing meditation and some Yoga. And within a month, I can see the difference. I am feeling much happier, calmer and more productive throughout the day. In current situations, people are suffering with anxiety, stress, and negativity. I can say from experience that Yoga and meditation can definitely help to overcome these problems. Not only in current situations, but it definitely helps to make your life better.” Explore ebooks for mindfulness on Overdrive.
Gema from Leith Library and currently also Central Library, has got something interesting to share with us. She says, “My resolution for this year is not having any, to avoid disappointment! 😄 … but… I am developing a bigger interest on chi kung (or qigong). I enjoy practising it and it helps me feel better in a physical and mental, even emotional, way. It is easy to perform, you don´t need any equipment, it is fun and it can be energizing or relaxing, depending on what you are searching for. I have even used this in conjunction with acupressure to heal a headache or stomach pain.”
We hope you enjoyed reading about our colleagues’ new year’s resolutions. Please drop a comment below if you would like to share your new year’s resolution or if you have been inspired to try something new after reading this post!
Did you know that at Edinburgh Libraries we have three different downloadable audiobook services? Want to know why and the reasons you need to check them all?!
… in our Instant Digital Card promotion! If you know someone who would benefit from being able to read a daily newspaper at home or have access to thousands of audiobooks, ebooks and magazines all from the comfort of their own armchair please let them know today! Thousands of best-selling titles for adults, teens and children are available to read on a phone, tablet or computer.
Do you know someone who would benefit from free access to ebooks, audiobooks and magazines, but who are not a member of the library? This New Year you can get free instant access to Edinburgh Libraries Libby service without a library card. Thousands of best-selling titles for adults, teens and children are available to read on your phone, tablet or computer. It’s a fantastic way to make the most of your electronic Christmas presents and to save money. Please spread the word to relatives and friends!
Yes, it is a bit early to be talking about Christmas! But just in case you are one of those people who likes to get into the seasonal spirit by reading lots of wintery tales in the run-up to festivities or like to make your own Christmas presents, we’re flagging up some fabulous reads available now on Libby!
…that you can read almost 8000 UK and worldwide newspapers and magazines for free with Edinburgh Libraries! Don’t miss out on this amazing service, install 
Join millions of others around the world in reading a fantastic family drama during the 
Join millions of others around the world in reading a fantastic biography during the 
Interesting too, to find four foreign language titles in our top 150 –
Do you need help getting started with Edinburgh Libraries downloadable ebook, audiobook, magazine or newspaper services?
Do you know someone who would benefit from free access to ebooks, audiobooks and magazines, but who are not a member of the library? This New Year you can get free instant access to Edinburgh Libraries Libby service without a library card. Thousands of best-selling titles for adults, teens and children are available to read on your phone, tablet or computer. It’s a fantastic way to make the most of your electronic Christmas presents and to save money. Please spread the word to relatives and friends!
We are holding another UK 
Join millions of others around the world in reading a fantastic historical novel during the 
Read a fantastic new thriller during the 
Tales of One City 