British Council Launches Digital Library

By Yinka Olatunbosun

UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities, the British Council has launched its globally renowned digital library in Nigeria. This initiative is part of the organisation’s efforts to make educational and entertainment resources available to all. The initiative is aimed at restoring and encouraging a reading culture among Nigerians by facilitating self-paced and convenient learning. Access to the Digital Library will be free for 3 months for every registered member.
As a member of the Digital library, there will be access to world-class resources, from online study resources and academic journals to popular eBooks and audiobooks, award-winning movies and documentaries, magazines and newspapers, comics and graphics novels from around the world and learning resources for skills development.

Lucy Pearson, Country Director Nigeria and West Africa Lead, British Council spoke on how this initiative is a good substitute for its defunct physical libraries across Nigeria.

“I am delighted today to see the launch of our new British Council Digital Library which will give access to thousands of entertainment and educational resources to all Nigerians regardless of their geographical location within Nigeria. This will bring digital reading and learning through an easy to access platform directly to your computers and smart phones. Furthermore, we are offering free access to the platform for three months. I hope Nigerians sign up to this unique opportunity,” she said.

The free subscription to the library gives members access to over 100,000 scholarly e-books, tens of thousands of premium e-books, over 1,200 online learning resources, newspapers and magazines as soon as they are published all over the world. Main titles include Hello, Cosmopolitan magazine as well as comics ranging from Marvel, Disney and all your favourite comic authors. There will be over 200 live theatre, film, opera, dance, and music productions from the BBC, Royal Shakespeare Company and also curriculum-linked educational resources, including interviews with industry professionals, study guides and workshops and more. The library also provides access to numerous IELTS preparation content to support test takers.

The British Council Digital Library can be accessed via a browser or an app on the android and IOS devices.