The University of Florida Baldwin Library of Historical Children's Literature has a digital archive of 6000 children's books from the 19th and early 20th century, all free to read online. A redditor discovered the treasure and shared it it Reddit's Books community. Fans of history and children's literature will be delighted to click through the pages of titles such as Aesop's Fables, The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe and Grimm's Fairy Tales - and share them with their kids.

Clearing out bookshelves of tomes you no longer want or need? Don't forget to check if your local library could use them.

When you think of a library, most people think of a quiet place to study. If you want to get work done and spread out, you go to a cafe. Newer libraries offer many of the same amenities as coffee shops, and sometimes even more.

Microsoft made a strange change in Windows 8.1 -- Libraries, a very useful feature, is missing from the File Explorer's sidebar. Here's how to bring it back.

Windows: Libraries are a great feature of Windows 7 and up that allow you to pool several folders in one place. Librarian improves on the concept by allowing you to manage those collections more easily.

Summer is the perfect time to catch up on reading -- the days are longer and many of us are on breaks. Whether your personal reading goal is to stimulate your mind and learn something new or get lost in an adventure or romance, here are a few helpful tips for curating your perfect reading list this summer.

Windows 7's libraries are a really neat tool for quickly accessing your data (or putting data from multiple locations into one window), but the feature doesn't let you add removable flash drives or SD cards. Reader Java-Princess shares a workaround.

One of the few complaints you'll hear about Dropbox is its use of a default folder (My Dropbox) which isn't necessarily where you want to keep things. Reader Simon got around that problem by using the Windows 7 Libraries feature.

When you save a file into a Windows 7 library through the common "Save As" dialog, it ends up in just one of the folders that make up that library. Here's how to customise the default save location for any library.

We've already mentioned the excellent ElectionLeaflets.org.au as a resource to share election 2010 pamphlets and other marketing materials, but the National Library of Australia is collecting the actual physical documents as part of its role in documenting Australian history. Hit the link for details of how you can help out by mailing election ephemera to the library.

It's disappointing to haul a book home from the library or shell out hard-earned cash at the bookstore only to settle in at home and find you don't enjoy it one bit. Stock your reading list with these five great recommendation services.

Despite Google's often-expressed wish to digitise everything, sometimes you still need to return to the printed word. If you're trying to track down an elusive work, Trove's Australia-wide library catalogue might just be the answer.

When you bop between your work and home computers all the time, it's tough keeping your favourite music at your fingertips ("Which computer has my Once More, With Feeling soundtrack on it?") AudioBox lets you listen to your music from anywhere.

Windows/Mac/Linux (Java): Data Crow doesn't just catalogue your movies with IMDB look-ups, organise your MP3s and CDs with discographies, or handle pictures. It handles all three, plus contacts, software, books and much more, and runs on any system.

The new Libraries feature in Windows 7 makes it easier to manage your files and folders. Today we take a comprehensive look at everything you can do with Windows 7 Libraries.

Windows: Libraries are one of the most useful features in Windows 7, but are a bit restricted in what they can do. Free utility Win7 Library Tool gives you everything you need to fine-tune, customise and extend your library collections.

We've referred to Windows 7's Libraries as a top thing to look forward to, and then as one of the best underhyped features—but if you really can't get used to them, you can disable it.

I'm a big fan of libraries - one of my favourite ways to be frugal is to make up a list of new release books I'm  keen to read, head on over to my library and put in requests for each one. Sometimes it's free to put a book on hold, sometimes it'll cost a dollar or so - but that's a lot less than the $25 or so you'll pay to buy the book new! (And, before you ask, libraries do pay royalties so the author still gets some benefit from people reading their books through libraries rather than buying them.)But just borrowing books isn't the only way to save money - Wise Bread has published a great post which celebrates the many and varied cool and usually free things which libraries offer to their community. This includes borrowing DVDs and CDs for free. There's usually free or very cheap computer access - and often there's wireless as well (recently we told you about 10 Sydney libraries offering free wireless). Depending on the needs of the local community, libraries often host story time for children, or computer tuition for seniors -so it's worth checking out what's on offer at your nearest library.And finally, no post extolling the awesomeness of local libraries would be complete without mentioning Melbourne's own City Library at 253 Flinders Lane. If you check out the link you'll see they're trialling free wireless access from now until the first week of April, they have a speaking event with Max Barry coming up, and they have acoustic music sessions at lunchtimes. They also have a really cool gallery space which showcases local artists.And do I need to mention the lure of the sexy librarians? Go on, you know you want to get shushed. :)Duh - Libraries

The next time you need to find something at your local library, try searching through WorldCat, a ginormous network of libraries, library content, and library services. You can use WorldCat to search for everything you would search for at your local library, find free content (downloadable audiobooks, for example), articles and citations, historical documents, and many more kinds of information from libraries all over the world. You can also use WorldCat to check out items directly from libraries you have an active membership with (this can vary by library).
AU - I already posted about Worldcat here.

WorldCat