Skip to main content

Explore a world of entertainment from home


Portsmouth residents can enjoy a huge range of entertainment, including music, books, and magazines, while they're staying home. And it's all free.

All they need to do is use their library card, or sign up to be a library member online. Because although Portsmouth City Council's library buildings are closed, their digital services are available 24/7.
Residents can enjoy all these free services:
  • audiobooks and e-books, including bestsellers and online reading group titles
  • unlimited music streaming, from rock and pop to classical and world music
  • magazines and comics to download and keep or read online, including top national titles
  • hundreds of UK and international newspapers, including The News
Plus, whether or not you're a library member, you can get lots of ideas to keep the whole family occupied on the Official Portsmouth Libraries Facebook page. These include:
  • story videos for younger children
  • ideas for art and craft activities to keep kids busy
  • an online book club and record club
Twitter users can keep in touch by following @PortsLibraries

Cllr Steve Pitt, deputy Leader of the council, said: "While we're following the government guidelines and staying home, it's good to know there's lots of free entertainment available from our libraries.
"Give yourself a break by reading a book or listening to some music, or pick something that will keep the children occupied.
"Now's the time to make the most of what our libraries provide online."
This is how to use digital library services such as Borrowbox (books), Freegal (music), PressReader (news) and RBdigital (magazines and comics).
  • Library members just need their library card number and library PIN number to get started. If you don't know your PIN, you can email libraries@portsmouthcc.gov.uk with your card number, date of birth and postcode and your PIN will soon be sent to you.
  • Residents without a library card can register at portsmouth.spydus.co.uk and set up a password and number. Click on 'register' at the top of the page or in the menu. You can then start using the digital services straight away.
  • You can download Borrowbox, Freegal, PressReader, and RBdigital from your app store. Once you've installed an app, search for Portsmouth Libraries and enter your library card number and library PIN.
  • If you don't have a smartphone or tablet, you can access the services at portsmouth.gov.uk – search for 'libraries' and select 'what you can borrow and download'.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Delicious thinly sliced pork in Korean marinade

Sometimes you found a recipe and wrote it down on a piece of paper to try it out. Having done that, you forget where the recipe came from. Likewise this Korean recipe for pork, which turned out to be so delicious we have cooked it for everyone. The marinade is simple to make and yet really packed with flavours. For the Korean marinade you need  3 garlic cloves 1/2 brown onion 1/2 a pear or apple Blitz these ingredients together and then add 5 tablespoons soy sauce (I use Kikkoman) 3 tablespoons caster sugar 2 tablespoons sesame oil 3 tablespoons mirin black pepper For dinner for 2 people, 200g pork tenderloin is enough. Slice this thinly, and bash it to an even thinner piece with a meat mallet. Marinade in the sauce and leave it in the fridge for an hour. Then heat a frying pan on medium heat with a teaspoon of vegetable oil and fry the thin pork pieces until browned. You want some of the edges of the meat to be dark brown and caramelised, if you can. Don't cook too many pieces or

Explore the rich musical tradition of the Royal Navy at a special two-day event at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

Whether you love sea shanties full of salty metaphors and swashbuckling action, or the stirring sound of a military band with brass and drums, there will be music across Portsmouth Historic Dockyard in a new event on Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th June 2023, which is completely free with a valid ticket to the given attractions. The rich history of music in the Royal Navy is being explored at a brand new two-day event, featuring a wide range of musical performances and styles, from The Royal Marines School of Music to Tudor Opera singing with Jay Britton. Portsmouth Historic Dockyard comes alive with music, beginning on Friday 23rd June, with a special Solent Shanty singing event in collaboration with the Portsmouth Music Hub. This special collaboration has allowed the museum to host a special performance of sea shanties by over 700 children in the shadow of the legendary HMS Victory. This new event continues on Saturday 24th June, featuring performances across Portsmouth Historic Docky

‘Southsea dinosaur’ returns

Luna Park 2021, an eagerly anticipated new public artwork for Portsmouth designed by internationally renowned artists Ivan Morison and Heather Peak of Studio Morison will be launched on 2 October 2021 on a celebratory day in Southsea Common.  The 1.4 metres bronze sculpture is a tribute to the original 53-foot high 2010 artwork Luna Park, which tragically burned down on Southsea Common. The artists will unveil a new sculpture that responds to ten years of public demand to ‘bring back the Southsea Dinosaur’.  The new public artwork will be located within a direct sightline to the position of the original Luna Park sculpture. It will sit on top of a fossil Portland stone plinth with a QR code which when scanned with a smartphone will connect to an Augmented Reality experience. People will be transported to a digital rendering of the original artwork, seemingly standing life-size in front of them on Southsea Common. Viewers will also be able to use their mobile devices to visit a digital