News From the Remote Library

Library and reading tips

From Alice, Librarian

If you run out of physical books to read, there are many digital options available. City of Melbourne Libraries offer e-books and e-audiobooks to their members, and if you are not currently a member, you can join as an online member and take advantage of these. Online membership can take a while to be approved (and I imagine even more so at the moment), so if you want to get stuck into digital subscriptions now, you can join the Yarra Plenty Regional Libraries and begin using your account immediately.

Some subscription-based services are waiving their fees at the moment and opening their resources to everyone. Storyline Online is an American based site where actors and authors read children’s books aloud. Its Australian counterpart is available through most public library memberships.

Many online manga providers* have made their entire back catalogue free. I’m sure this will be very exciting to many senior students and parents alike. These include:

• Weekly Shonen Sunday (Sunday Webly)
• Kokoro Comic, Kokoro Ichiban (Kokoro Online)
• Betsu Comi, Sho-Comi, Cheese!, Ciao Deluxe, Petit Comic, Monthly Flowers (Shogakukan e-Comic Store)
• Ribbon, Bessatsu Margaret, Koko Hana, The Margaret (Margaret Bookstore)
• Weekly Shonen Champion (Manga Cross)
• Hana to Yume, The Hana to Yume Shin, LaLa, LaLaDX

*Please note I haven’t checked out all of the above except Weekly Shonen Jump. Please monitor your children’s use of these resources as they will also have access to material not suitable for children. It is up to you if you are happy for them to access these resources.   

Epic is available to NMPS students during school hours

Additionally, many authors and illustrators are providing free online readings and classes:

• Oliver Jeffers and Mac Barnett will be live streaming themselves reading their books from their Instagram stories
• Mo Willems and Jarret J Krosoczka are providing free online drawing classes on their YouTube channels:  Lunch Doodles with Mo Williams and Draw every day with JJK

There’s also the wonderful site storytimefromspace.com where astronauts read from the international space station. 

Please be wary of watching or streaming other unauthorized readings of children’s books. Most of these are a breach of copyright and we want to ensure our artists continue getting paid throughout a time when they will be losing income.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to email me bluer.alice.e@edumail.vic.gov.au

Happy Reading!