Rutland Library Service is encouraging people to make the most of free online library services during the national coronavirus lockdown.

Library buildings in Oakham, Uppingham, Ketton and Ryhall have been temporarily closed in response to the introduction of new national COVID-19 restrictions.

Reading for pleasure is known to have a positive impact on mental health and wellbeing at any age. For children, in particular, sharing a story and talking about reading is a great way to improve vocabulary and helps to express emotions.

Anyone who is a registered library user in Rutland can access a wide range of online services completely free as part of their membership.

Coun Lucy Stephenson, Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure at Rutland County Council, said: "Rutland libraries provide a great range of services and things to do. The library service is free to join, free to use and much of what's on offer is available online.

"It's important that we all respect the national lockdown and stay at home as much as possible – only going out for essential reasons. Our free online library services are a great resource for individuals and families of all ages."

The following online services are available free with a Rutland Libraries membership:

eBooks and eAudio from Borrowbox

A wide range of adult's and children's book and talking book titles. Download the Borrowbox app or visit the website at: bit.ly/rutlandborrowbox to use the service with your library card and PIN. Borrowbox features including a dyslexic-friendly font, adjustable playback speed for eaudio and is optimised to work with Apple's VoiceOver.

eMagazines from RBdigital

Access more than 100 eMagazines for free through your phone, tablet or computer. The RBdigital app is available for Android, iOS, and Kindle Fire and has a wide range of top titles including Hello, BBC Good Food Magazine, Autocar, Health & Fitness, New Scientist and more.

eMagazines can be read anytime, anywhere using the free app. Downloaded magazines can also be read offline. Visit: bit.ly/rutland-emags to register and download the app.

eNewspapers and eMagazines from PressReader

Use you library card to access thousands of newspapers and magazines from around the world for free. This includes a wide selection of UK national and weekend newspapers and magazines. Available from the PressReader website or using the PressReader app. Find out more by visiting our website: bit.ly/rutlandpressreader

BookTrust HomeTime

Home Time from BookTrust offers online book readings, games, prizes and much more. www.booktrust.org.uk. You can also follow the hashtags #BookTrustHometime #UnitedByBooks on social media.

To register for free as a member of Rutland Libraries, go to: www.rutland.gov.uk/libraries.

For more information about COVID-19, including links to the Government's stay at home advice, go to: www.rutland.gov.uk/coronavirus.