Dee Kinney, vice president of the Milford Public Library board, uses “Wowbrary” to find a new book to read. Photo provided by Milford Public Library.

News release

MILFORD — September is National Library Card Sign Up Month. This week is the third in a series of articles about why patrons need a Milford Public Library card in their wallet.

MPL is featuring the library’s online collections and all the great “e-resources,” or electronic resources, available for free with a MPL card.

The most popular online resource at MPL is a collection of e-books, which are available to access through the free app, Libby. To access, simply download the Libby app from your app store or Google play store, sign in with your library card number and PIN number and check out the huge amount of material available. Libby offers e-books and e-audiobooks, of course, but did you know Libby also has a huge selection of e-magazines and even a few movies?

Also through Libby, you can access “The Great Courses” series of educational and informational audio courses to learn everything from cooking to genealogy skills to raising healthy kids.

But if you enjoy reading or listening to books, there are many options to choose from through Libby. MPL is a member of the Indiana Digital Library consortium, so it shares resources with libraries all over the state to bring the community a wide variety of online resources.

MPL also offers many other useful online resources. Through INSPIRE, MPL offers access to resources such as Rosetta Stone and Consumer Reports. Normally customers would need to pay for these resources; however, when you access them through the library’s website, you can use them for free.

Are you into genealogy and need historic documents? Check out Hoosier State Chronicles, Indiana Memory, and Indiana Legacy — all resources available for free through INSPIRE on MPL’s website.

There are also several extremely practical services available online through MPL’s website. One of them is the digital Chilton Library. This online directory has repair and maintenance information for all manner of cars, trucks and SUVs. Simply choose the vehicle’s make, model and year, and Chilton Library will pull up repair diagrams, manuals and schematics.

Another fantastic resource available on the MPL website is the Gale Legal Form directory. Are you needing a quitclaim deed, a will or a mechanic’s lien? Instead of paying for these forms, print copies for free using the library’s website.

While this website is certainly not a replacement for a good lawyer, printing your own legal forms can definitely save you some time and money if you already know what you’re looking for.

Even if you prefer physical paper books, there are still some great online resources to help you find the perfect book to read. Sign up for the library’s “Wowbrary” email newsletter to get book recommendations sent directly to your email inbox. With weekly updates about the latest additions to the library’s collection, you can stay on top of your favorite authors or series and make sure to come to the library and check them out as soon as they arrive.

If you have any questions, or you would like help using the library’s online resources, visit MPL, 101 N. Main St., Milford. Any of the helpful library staff can assist you in downloading or utilizing digital collections. MPL is here to serve the community.

For more information, call (574) 658-4312 or visit milford.lib.in.us.