While Wareham’s physical libraries are closed, they are open online with vast digital resources for readers of all ages and interests.

Ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines are all available for borrowing and enjoying remotely.

Tumblebooks, which is aimed at kids from kindergarten to sixth grade, includes educational books and books just for fun. Tumblebooks is free to access and doesn’t require a library card. Library Director George Ripley said he particularly likes the “read-along books,” which are audiobooks that allow kids to read along by following the highlighted text on the screen. 

Ebooks, which can be read on one’s computer or smartphone, audiobooks, and magazines are all available to be borrowed remotely through Libby. 

“Libby is the biggest single resource through which you can access digital material from across the entire state, which still amazes me everytime I check out a book from Boston,” said Ripley.

Libby can be accessed through the Libby app on a smartphone or tablet, or online at sails.overdrive.com. The website will prompt users to sign in with their library card number and pin, which is usually the last four digits of the user's phone number.

Digital library services work just like physical libraries, in that there are only a certain number of copies of each book available, but users can sign up for waiting lists for more popular titles. 

Readers can decide how long they want to borrow an item, and can request renewals as available. Readers can also borrow books from other library networks, although waits may be longer and borrowing periods shorter. Each network needs to be searched individually after it is added to the Libby app.

Ebooks can also be borrowed and read on Kindle Paperwhite devices, although that is a slightly more complicated process.

Other resources include academic databases, the Encyclopedia Britannica, access to the Boston Globe and New York Times, and a romance novel database that includes more than 1,500 titles. 

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners have put together a website that has an overview of all of the statewide digital resources at https://libraries.state.ma.us/.

Those without library cards can sign up for a digital one online at https://www.sailsinc.org/my-account/get-a-library-card/. Any Massachusetts resident is eligible for a card at the Wareham Free Library.
For links to all the digital resources listed here, and others, go to http://www.warehamfreelibrary.org/digital-content/.

Those who need help accessing digital resources can email Ripley at gripley@sailsinc.org.