Electronic Magazines?

The Local Library Can Probably Meet Your Need

For some time I have had a electronic subscription to the magazine service called Next Issue. This cost me about $9.95 a month, but I’ve made a great discovery.

Would you like to receive the current and back issues of ‘CQ’ amateur radio magazine for free? Well you can, plus almost three-hundred other retail magazines covering a wide variety of subjects and interests. How? Well do you have a library card? If not, you can get one for free at your local library. Once you have it, in our city just go online to https://www.surreylibraries.ca/books-media#B (or your city library depending on your locality) and look for the link to the eLibrary. Once there, click on Zinio Digital Magazines.

Once there you'll see not only CQ magazine but Popular Mechanics, Popular Science, many computer and woodworking magazines and lots more.  A video tutorial is at https://vimeo.com/118833746.

Current Issues — New issues are released simultaneously with the print edition. Many are available before they arrive at your library and are ready for immediate download.

Back List — As your collection grows, so does the digital library for anytime checkout and reading.

Easy browsing and checkout — Browse your library's collection of titles one at a time, search for your favorite magazines by title or use the convenient category feature to find new magazines which meet your interests.

Manage your collection — Using the personal account you create, you will have the opportunity to checkout magazines and read them instantly on your computer or access the content on a portable media device.

I use an iPad for my reading and Zinio has a dedicated app. There is also one for Windows and Android devices and for most popular eBook readers. There is no limit to the number of magazines you can download nor is there a limit how long you keep them. No waiting list or reservations. When you're done with them just delete them from your device. If there is something I want to get I make a screen grab. There is a request form for new magazines to be added… perhaps if enough of us ask we can get some additional Amateur Radio publications.

I hadn't been to a library in months but, thanks to Norman Schmidt VE7IIT, whom I followed into the library after a recent breakfast, I made this marvelous discovery. I can now sit back in my easy chair and read more magazines than I could justify subscribing to. I even get an email when my favorite magazines publish a new issue.

~ John VE7TI