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For Next Issue you can get a 30 day trial for free and thereafter it costs $9.99 for the basic option and more based on certain titles. But, why pay for it! When you can get access to all these magazines for free via the Toronto Public Library and you already paying for this service via your property taxes.
Popular Titles Available via the Library:
Other Popular Titles Include:
- Cosmopolitan- Esquire
- Billboard
- Martha Stewart Living
- Maxim
- Elle
- Marie Claire
- Bloomberg Business
- Newsweek
- Readers Digest
- ESPN
- Sportsnet Magazine
- Runner's World
- Astronomy
There are more than 300 titles available (but this includes some magazines in French and Spanish) and this includes many niche magazines on hobbies, crafts, cooking, lifestyle, children and teen oriented, etc.
How to join:
1) Obtain a Library Card via visiting your local Toronto Public Library branch with a piece of current ID. See here for more details.
2) Get to a computer and login via web browser to the Toronto Public Library website. Your login is your library card # and your PIN was setup when you got your library card. Normally it is the last 4 digits of your phone number.
3) On the main home page of the TPL website click on 'Downloads & eBooks' and then click on under Zinio eMagazines the Access Online button.
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| Screen Grab - Toronto Public Library - Download & Ebooks |
4) You will now see a list of magazines and titles. If it your fiist time than it will direct via a link to create a Zinio account. Unclick the option if you do not want to receive offers and emails from Zinio.
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| Screen Grab - Toronto Public Library - Check-Out Screen |
5) Explore the magazine titles via the on-line Library. Select 'Checkout Now' to receive that magazine issue below the Magazine's Picture. You can search for titles using the 'Title Search' on the left or use drop-down box on the right to explore by genre. Further if you click on the magazine many titles have back issues available from the last year and you can further check those out if you want.
6) Install the free 'Zinio' app from the Google Play Store or Apple Store or follow the instructions for other devices. You can directly read via Zinio website if you have a PC. Sign in to the app with the login and password you earlier created via the Library's website. You will see magazines for sale, but if you click on open magazine on the top bar you will see a list of magazines that you have 'checked out' from the Library's website and they should be downloading automatically if you connected to WiFi.
7) Once the magazine is downloaded, just click on it in Zinio and you should be able to read to your heart's content.
8) If you want to get more magazines at a later date, just login into the library and check them out. For ease of access I recommend storing your login/password in your browser for TPL and Zinio to save time as you are not providing credit card information.
Pros:
You are able to enjoy magazines for free, and you are still paying for them via your property taxes which support the library. You have access to 300+ titles that cover a wide range of topics and hobbies.
Going digital with your magazines also eliminates more clutter in your house from physical magazines and you never have to deal with those subscription inserts again. Further the magazines are stored on your Device and you can delete them when you are done or just leave them there indefinitely. You can literally walk around with dozens of magazines in your back pocket. Also, once you have download the magazines to your device you do not have to worry about being connected to the Internet. Thus, you can read on the subway, airplane, etc.
Cons:
You don't get access to the Roger's family of magazines which include Maclean's, Chatelaine, Flare, Today's Parent, MoneySense, and Canadian Business Weeklky. Also, it adds one step of virtually checking out a magazine via the Toronto Public Library website; which takes about 15 seconds. Other magazine services you automatically download magazines as new issues are published.
Further, there are still many magazines not offered via the Toronto Public Library or Next Issue. So, you may have to continue to subscribe to your favorite magazine.
Getting the Most out of this Service:
I have tried to read magazines on both my wife and I's Galaxy III and IV phones and it is not as easy as flipping through a real magazine. It is just the size of the screen and having to zoom in and out ; or using the 'reading mode' feature. On my desktop monitor it is a breeze and I have tried it on someone else's 10" inch tablet and that seemed just right. I'm actually considering buying a tablet to take full advantage of this service. After doing the math in my head; if you spend about $25 a month on magazines a new 10' inch Galaxy Tab III tablet at $325 + tax; would have a payback period of 15 months and you would have all the other features of the tablet.
What I can see my wife and I doing is 'checking out' a virtual stack of magazines the next time we fly or take a long road trip and have ample reading material without the weight. If you are an avid magazine reader I'd just setup a reminder to add magazines on a bi-weekly basis in your electronic calendar and take the few minutes to check them out.
In Conclusion:
I strongly recommend checking out this free service from the Toronto Public Library and try this service before using Next Issue. Who knows, you may never subscribe to a magazine again.
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