The Montgomery County Library has so much to offer to library members. A membership card from the Montgomery County Library gets you access to tons of digital resources, incredible makerspace, and fun events for the whole family. Getting a library card is easy and doesn’t cost you a dime. To find out everything the Montgomery County Library has to offer, read on below.
Stream and Download FREE eBooks, movies, music, language programs, and more!
Your Montgomery County Library card offers access to lots of online, digital media that is free for your enjoyment. This includes access to streaming and downloadable media, software, and more.
E-Books
CloudLibrary is a digital media provider that focuses on downloadable e-books. You can borrow up to 6 items at once and enjoy them on a PC, smart phone, or tablet. CloudLibrary offers fiction as well as nonfiction e-books for children and adults.
Maryland’s Digital eLibrary Consortium, hosted by the digital service Overdrive, is a collection of fiction and non-fiction works available in epub, Adobe, and Kindle formats. The Consortium also offers downloadable audiobooks for children and adults.
Safari Books Online hosts a large variety of browser-based E-books. Safari primarily offers E-books on technology, computing, and business topics that include helpful charts, graphics, and code segments.
The Gale Virtual Reference Library is a browser-based E-book library that offers both fiction and nonfiction books available in epub, Adobe, and Kindle formats.
TumbleBooks is a digital online library consisting of animated storybooks for children. These books are educational in nature and include music and voicing. TumbleBooks also offers educational games and videos in addition to the collection of books.
The Testing and Education Reference Center includes over 100 sample examinations for students. These include sample tests for the GED, SAT, ACT, LSAT, and much more. The Center requires you to both create your own account and log in to use the preparation material and online tests.
EBSCOhost E-Books is a library of browser-based e-Books primarily consisting of educational resources for classic as well as modern literature. The digital service offers CliffsNotes, study aids, and more related to literary topics.
E-Magazines
Flipster allows you to read current as well as back issues of your favorite magazines from your browser. Some of the magazines included in the service are Sports Illustrated, People, Time, and more. You can also download Flipster app for Android or iOS to read on the go.
RBdigital Magazines is a large collection of over 100 popular magazine titles. You can see all of the available titles here. Every magazine is available online without any holds or reservations. You can also use their handy iOS, Android, or Kindle apps. RBdigital also offers audiobooks for children and adults.
Language Learning
Mango Languages is an online resource that offers language courses that emphasize conversational skills. Mango covers 70 different languages for English speakers. Likewise, there are 20 English courses designed for those who speak other languages.
Muzzy Online offers interactive video language courses for children. It includes courses on 8 different languages using videos and games.
Rosetta Stone is one of the best known and longest-running online language courses. It offers courses in 30 different languages.
Video
BookFlix is a service that lets children read along with video storybooks. The digital media service is designed to help children learn to read and also includes nonfiction stories.
Kanopy is an online streaming service. It hosts award-winning documentaries, rare films, and film fest favorites. You can watch up to ten videos each month with your library membership.
Theatre in Video is host to 250 video performances of some of the world’s favorite plays. Selections include the works of Shakespeare, Arthur Miller, and many more. Theatre in Video also includes a number of documentaries about theater.
Music
Freegal is a free MP3 app. Each week, you can download up to five MP3 songs free of charge. These songs are yours to keep. You can choose from over 3 million songs from independent labels and even major labels like Sony. What’s more, you can get answers to questions you might have at the F.A.Q. here.
ArtistWorks is a great way to learn a musical instrument. It is a digital media service that offers self-paced lessons for musical instruments as well as voice and even art. ArtistWorks is accessible from your desktop or mobile device.
Music Online is an online collection of over 140,000 tracks. It includes music from many genres including rock, pop, rap, punk, holiday music, and more.
American Song is a unique way to listen to the music of America’s past. The streaming service includes music from Native Americans, immigrants, slaves, and pioneers. It includes music from political campaigns, prohibition, and wartime.
Classical Music Library is an online collection of classical works. It includes choral music, operas, and instrumental music.
The Classical Scores Library hosts 13,000 classical scores that exist both in the public domain as well as in-copyright. You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to use Classical Scores Library.
Contemporary World Music is a streaming music service with a huge variety of musical genres available. Contemporary World Music offers everything from reggae to Balkan jazz.
Finally, the Jazz Music Library has thousands of hours of jazz music available. The service hosts music from some of the best-known artists, trios, and ensembles.
Build Something Cool with a 3D Printer
Want to create something amazing from thin air? The Silver Spring branch of the Montgomery County Library has a 3d printer available to library members. You must sign the library 3d Printing User Agreement before you can begin printing. Once that is signed, you can submit your designs for printing online. The cost of 3d printing is $1 per design plus $.05 per gram of material. The total bill is due when you pick up your printed design.
Create Digital Media at the Library Digital Media Lab
The Long and Silver Spring Branches of the Montgomery County Library offer Digital Media Labs for teens to create their own digital media. The lab offers tools for digital photography, video production, graphic design, video creation, social media, and much more. Digital Media Labs are open on a walk-in basis and all equipment is available first come first served. There are even teen tech volunteers as well as library staff that can assist you with any of the equipment.
