Sara DeVries: Herrick offers access to free digital magazines

Magazines have always been part my life. I have fond memories of flipping through the brimming shelves at the library, diving into a pile of magazines in a waiting room and relishing every National Geographic issue on our living room coffee table.

Cooking Light, Food and Wine, Taste of Home, and Food Network Magazine have filled my kitchen with pleasant aromas and delectable bites. Home décor magazines such as House Beautiful, Better Homes and Gardens, and HGTV have inspired the interior design of my home. My networking conversations with professionals are better informed with articles from The Economist and Fast Company.

I no longer subscribe to any of these magazines, yet I can access them anytime. The library’s Libby and Hoopla platforms offer free digital access to the titles I love and hundreds more. Gone are the days when I have to remember to bring a physical magazine with me. I can flip through one on my phone over a lunch break, while traveling, or while in a parking lot waiting to pick up my kids.

Instead of paying $125 a year for House Beautiful, Better Homes and Gardens, and HGTV I access them all for free. Fast Company’s sticker price of $34.99 per year is $0. I save $54 per year on a National Geographic subscription, and $218 per year on the cooking magazines that used to grace my living room tables. The Economist is available free using HDL’s Press Reader, a savings of $209 over an annual subscription.

Ready to save money on your own subscriptions? Libby and Hoopla offer magazines on their respective apps or websites by logging in with a library card and PIN from Herrick. Find a video with instructions at herrickdl.org/digital-library under "getting started."

— Sara DeVries is community relations manager for Herrick District Library.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Sara DeVries: Herrick offers access to free digital magazines