Introducing Flipster and Freegal

Mercer County Library System is pleased to announce the addition of three new online services available 24 hours a day in our virtual library branch, Flipster magazines: Freegal Music and Freegal Movies. All three can be accessed via our website or by downloading their apps from the iTunes App Store or the Google Play Store.

Flipster features a collection of popular magazines that are available as full issues, in full color on your computer or portable device. If you wish to view Flipster content on a computer, just visit our website and enter your library card barcode. You can then browse or search the library’s online collection and start reading your favorite magazines today. If you prefer to access the Flipster collection on a tablet or phone, you can also access the collection via our website the same way as you would on a computer, plus you can install the Flipster app (from iTunes or Google Play) if you wish to download magazines to read offline. To use the Flipster app to download and manage your offline content, just go to the app store on your device and look for the free Flipster app. Once you've downloaded the app, you will still need to visit our website to log in and select titles. Use your device’s web browser to log on and select a title, but note the download option that will appear at the top or side (depending on device screen size) of the screen. You can tap to download the title and then read it offline in the Flipster app. Please note that content selected for offline viewing will download to your device and will take up some of your storage space. Downloaded content will stay on the device for about a month, based on publisher restrictions, before being automatically deleted from the device. Offline viewing will not require a data connection, but if you do access Flipster via our website over a cellular network, normal data rates will apply. For more information on using Flipster, see the Getting Started With Flipster PDF, available from Ebsco, creators of Flipster.

Freegal Music is a downloadable music service that features 8 million songs in a wide variety of genres, ranging from classical to today’s hot hits. Songs can be download to a computer by logging on to the Freegal website or to a tablet or phone using the free Freegal Music app that can be downloaded via the app store on your device. For more information on each app, visit the iTunes or Google Play store. Freegal Music does require you to set-up a free account using your library card barcode. Once you have set-up an account, you are then entitled to download up to 3 songs (or one music video and one song) per week. You may also stream music, up to 3 hours per day. Please be aware that downloaded content will take up storage space on your device and that all online activity, downloading and streaming, are subject to standard data rates if used over a cellular network. Playback of downloaded files does not require an internet or data connection and the downloaded files are yours to keep or transfer to another device.

Freegal Movies is a streaming video service that can be accessed on a computer by logging on to the Freegal Movies website, on an iOS device using the free app from the iTunes App Store, or on Android device using the free app from the Google Play Store. The Freegal Movies collection features thousands of classic movie titles, documentaries, children’s videos and how-to videos. Like Freegal Music, you will need to sign up for a free Freegal Movies account with your library card barcode first. You will be limited to 3 streaming titles per week. Each episode of a television series counts as one title and the titles you select are only available for 48 hours after you select them. Although there is no limit on how many times you may watch a title during those 48 hours, you may only check out each title once in a six month period. Please be advised that you cannot download Freegal Movies content for offline playback, so all activity on Freegal Movies used over a cellular network is subject to standard data rates. Both Freegal Music and Movies are dynamic content and titles will appear and disappear on a monthly basis, based on content publisher contracts.

-Laura N.