Get your news and magazines for free through Press Reader and the TPL

[Admiral Beez]

I thought I should share how I get my news.

With your Library Card and the Press Reader app you can download the print editions of any paper you want for free. That’s how I get my NYT and Toronto Star each morning, and the latest Economist and Foreign Affairs magazines. Whenever I'm traveling or away from WiFi I just open my downloads and read away. And best of all the publishers still get paid (by the TPL), so we're still supporting paid journalism. The Globe and Mail only shows up sporadically on the Browse tool, but the Toronto Star, NYT, WSJ are available every morning. And being print editions, there are no popup ads, no idiot comment sections, and you can zoom in for easy reading.

For example, here’s my current downloaded reading list on my iPad. This selection in print would have cost me over $100 for just these single issues, especially the pricey UK mags.

When you set up your Press Reader account you need to use your library card, not your email, IIRC.

 

[evandyk]

I wonder if I can get rid of my Apple News subscription. I'll still subscribe to the Globe and Star because I like to support them, but don't mind not forking over to Apple every month...

 

[Admiral Beez]

I wonder if I can get rid of my Apple News subscription. I'll still subscribe to the Globe and Star because I like to support them, but don't mind not forking over to Apple every month...

Absolutely for the Toronto Star. All seven days, including the larger Saturday issue are available on the Press Reader app at no charge through the TPL. The Globe and Mail seems to only be available every so often, not sure why.

Here's the Toronto Public Library's getting started on Press Reader guide:

PressReader

Online access to newspapers and magazines from over 100 countries in over 60 languages.

www.torontopubliclibrary.ca

Getting Started with PressReader

Get help using PressReader

www.torontopubliclibrary.ca

 

[evandyk]

I don't want to flip through a digital version of the paper copy for the Star, though. I want to be able to use their whole website and app. I use Apple News more for magazines and American sources.

 

[Admiral Beez]

I don't want to flip through a digital version of the paper copy for the Star, though. I want to be able to use their whole website and app. I use Apple News more for magazines and American sources.

Ah, I'm just the opposite as I want nothing to do with the Star's website or whatever their app does. For magazines, Press Reader is great, I get my UK mags for free when at Chapters they'd be $20 each.

 

[afransen]

Does it support audio versions as well? I listen to the Economist when I am walking, doing chores, etc.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Does it support audio versions as well? I listen to the Economist when I am walking, doing chores, etc.

There's a Listen button that enables an auto-voice to read the articles allowed, but it sounds like HAL from Space Odyssey.

 

[afransen]

There's a Listen button that enables an auto-voice to read the articles allowed, but it sounds like HAL from Space Odyssey.

View attachment 561963

That's a shame. The Economist makes their own very well-produced audiobook format. That said, AI text to speech is getting very good at inflection and pronunciation so would be decent replacement if they were using something closer to state of the art.

 

[Admiral Beez]

That's a shame. The Economist makes their own very well-produced audiobook format. That said, AI text to speech is getting very good at inflection and pronunciation so would be decent replacement if they were using something closer to state of the art.

The Economist has an excellent no-charge podcast. https://www.economist.com/podcasts

 

[just east of the creek]

The Economist has an excellent no-charge podcast. https://www.economist.com/podcasts

Other library systems in the GTA also make use of this very good app, and the list of titles is large and diverse, encouraging long bouts of physical inactivity while reading, when productivity is called for!