Thousands of newspapers and magazines from around the world are now available at the fingertips of visitors to any of the City of Cape Town’s 104 libraries.
With the launch of the PressReader app, the City’s library patrons will now be able to access content from more than 7 400 publishers from over 100 countries, including 220 top South African publications.
The PressReader app was launched at City of Cape Town libraries this week.
The app allows visitors to the library to download their favourite publications onto their personal gadgets, for free, to read at their leisure.
The titles range from the Cape Argus and Sunday Times to Huisgenoot, Top Gear, Vanity Fair, Popular Mechanics and any and every publication one can think of.
Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security; and Social Services, Alderman JP Smith, attended the launch of PressReader at the Kuyasa Library in Khayelitsha, where he was joined by excited patrons.
‘Reading is exercise for the brain. The more widely we read and the more varied the input, the better informed we are and our horizons are expanded. Reading widely aids our development and improves our knowledge of the world around us,’ said Alderman Smith.
The app is available on any smartphone, tablet or laptop.
Patrons are able to download full publications which they are able to read offline at a later stage without requiring internet access. Once you’ve accessed the app in a library, you can continue to download material remotely for seven days.
‘I encourage patrons to download the app and start reading their favourite publications from around the world. Visit another country without leaving your lounge, learn about another culture or follow fashion and technology trends without spending a cent,’ said Alderman Smith.
Other features of the app include instantly translating content into 17 languages, while the audio feature allows you to listen to articles on the go.