NME and others available online through e-zines (From Sutton Guardian)

Sutton Council launches e-zine service

11:50am Monday 7th January 2013 in News By James Pepper

Popular magazines will be available to read for free after the council launched its e-zine service.

Sutton council became one of the first authorities in the country to offer magazines at the touch of a button.

Library users will be able to catch up on the latest news and views from the comfort of their own homes.

Dozens of readers can all enjoy the same magazine at the same time using a Kindle, iPad, laptop or whatever electronic format they prefer.

Councillor Jill Whitehead, chairwoman of Sutton's Environment and Neighbourhoods Committee, said: "Our libraries are always looking for innovative ways to improve their service and reach out to new users and this will really help with that.

"Also by cutting the need for people to travel across the borough to find a magazine and reducing the need for print copies we will help to cut our carbon footprint."

Residents can join the system using their library card number to fill in a simple online form and readers will then be able to peruse any of the publications ordered by Sutton Council.

To begin with there will be 26 magazines, but the system will allow librarians to record which publications are more and less popular and then be able to update the list as time progresses dropping some titles and adding others according to demand.