The Santa Barbara Public Library System announced that Zinio for Libraries, an online digital magazine service, is now available to library card holders.

Awarded Best New Database of 2012 by Library Journal, Zinio for Libraries allows patrons at home or anywhere with an Internet connection to download and keep magazines on their computer, tablet or smartphone. Once downloaded, patrons may keep the magazine for as long as they wish. Unlike most e-books, any number of patrons may have a particular magazine downloaded at the same time, so there are no waiting lists and no overdues.

Zinio’s unique technology digitally re-creates a magazine page for page, and includes full-color pictures, intuitive navigation, keyword article search and interactive elements such as audio and video. Newsweek, ESPN the Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Forbes, Good Housekeeping, The Economist, O, The Oprah Magazine and Billboard are just a few of the popular titles available through Zinio for Libraries.

To access Zinio, patrons can go to SBPLibrary.org and look for the Zinio link, then create a Zinio account using their Santa Barbara Public Library System or Black Gold library card. Zinio provides reader apps for many devices, including Android, iPhone, iPad, Mac, PC, Kindle Fire, Nook HD and more. A link on the Library’s homepage lists all available magazine titles. Users may also browse the titles once logged into Zinio from the Library’s website.

“The library is very pleased to be able to offer this service to the community,” said Scott Love, library services manager. “The library has spent a lot of time analyzing opportunities for new services that could be offered to the community, and we just felt that this was something that the growing number of smartphone and tablet users would really enjoy.”

Library staff members can help patrons in setting up for free Zinio magazine access. Also, volunteer download assistants are available to help on a walk-in basis at the Santa Barbara Central Library from 4 to 6 p.m. on Mondays and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays.

More information is available at the Santa Barbara Public Library System website or by calling the Central Reference desk at 805.564.5604. All Library services are free and open to the public.

— Scott Love is a library services manager for the Santa Barbara Public Library System.