WESTFIELD — The Westfield Memorial Library has announced that library cardholders now have unlimited access to the world’s best digital publications through the new service PressReader. The library is located at 550 East Broad Street.
Easy to read on a mobile phone or tablet, PressReader provides access to more than 7,000 of the world’s top newspapers as soon as they are available on the shelves. There are no limits on downloads, and the patron can keep them indefinitely.
Among the newspapers Westfield cardholders can access are The New York Times, USA Today, The Boston Globe, The Guardian, The Jerusalem Post, The Atlanta Journal- Constitution, The Manila Times and Shanghai Daily.
“It’s our civic duty to know what’s happening in our world,” said Library Director Allen McGinley. “But with fewer print publications and paywalls for online access to newspapers, it isn’t always easy to find reliable sources of information.
“I’m delighted that we are now able to provide Westfield residents with free access to thousands of digital newspapers and magazines through PressReader’s mobile platform,” he added.
An account is not needed to access PressReader content. However, a free account will allow patrons to read offline, create collections, save articles, and more.
PressReader works with the latest versions of Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Firefox or Safari, but does not support Microsoft Internet Explorer.
According to the library, patrons who rely on tools or assistive technology will find PressReader easy to use, as it has an accessibility mode that meets government-mandated accessibility criteria (WCAG 2.1.). With navigation, audio, tab navigation, color contrast, large named buttons and user font size control, it is an inclusive product for users worldwide.
Not only is it accessible, it also doubles as a research tool. PressReader’s text-only version is stripped down to pull relevant content even faster — making it easier for researchers to get the information they need.
Library hours are Monday through Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. For full information about library programs and services, visit https://wmlnj.org.
