First of all, if you’re not a seasoned book borrower and don’t have a library membership, don’t sweat. City of Gold Coast is currently kindly offering temporary memberships so local residents can have full access to the library service and online collections. All you need to do is phone your local library and one of the team members will grab a few details from you over the phone to verify your identity and address. A temporary online membership number will be emailed to you, then hey presto – you’ll be able to start downloading and streaming anything you want to your device.

This whole new world of visual and audible goodness will be available whenever you wish. You can search, browse and download from a huge collection of eBooks (including a curated series of recommended reads), listen to audiobooks, read magazines digitally, get learning with online tutorials, discover a new hobby in the Hobbies & Crafts Reference Centre and delve deep into the National Geographic virtual library. Trying to keep the kids busy? You can also kindle those little minds by exploring the visual collections in Kids Space, which is loaded with books, games, learning tools and even a storytime section where books by Australian authors and illustrators are read aloud by storytellers – how great! Now, grab that cuppa and cookie and start exploring Gold Coast Libraries’ online collection here.

Image via Unsplash.