Your Library Card accesses free e-magazines and more

All you need is your Library Account Number, on your Card and your PIN.

Establish your Electronic Credentials

Accessing Libby & pressreader & NewsBank

Bonus One – On-line Newspapers – pressreader

The Libby service offers a Dorset bonus , allowing access to pressreader for National newspapers, and more. You have 30-days access at a time but can immediately renew.

From Friday 19 May 2023, digital newspapers will be moving from the pressreader (Libby) service to BorrowBox.

Bonus One – Updated – On-line Newspapers – BorrowBox

All you will need to do to access digital newspapers on BorrowBox is to install the BorrowBox app on to your device or click here to use the website.

Email the Blandford Library if you do not see a National or local newspaper you might expect; more titles will be added in the coming months, including The Daily & Sunday Telegraph, The Times & Sunday Times, The Sun & Sunday Sun, Bournemouth Daily Echo, Dorset Echo, Bridgwater Mercury, Gloucestershire County Gazette & Somerset County Gazette.

Bonus Two – On-line Newspapers – NewsBank

You will need your Library Account Number with DORSET in front for this login: https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/user/librarycard/DorsetCountyCouncilLibrary?destination=easy-search%3Fp%3DUKNB, for the following archives:

Changing your Email Provider

If you are considering moving to a new email provider, you may wonder what the technical practicalities are for this process and how to keep all your prior emails. Here are some of the steps and options you have to make the transition as smooth as possible.

First, you need to choose a new email provider that suits your needs and preferences. There are many factors to consider, such as the storage space, the security features, the user interface, the customer support, and the price. You may want to compare different providers and read reviews before making a decision.

Second, you need to create a new email account with your chosen provider and set up your personal information and settings.

  • You may want to import your contacts from your old email account.
  • You may just create a new address book.
  • You can use the same username as your old email account or choose a different one.

Third, you need to transfer your old emails to your new email account. There are different ways to do this, depending on your old and new email providers:

  • Some providers offer a built-in tool or service that allows you to migrate your emails automatically. For example, Gmail has a feature called Mail Fetcher that lets you import emails from other accounts.
  • Other providers may require you to use a third-party software or app that can sync your emails between different accounts. For example, you can use Outlook or Thunderbird to connect to both your old and new email accounts and copy or move your emails manually.

Fourth, you need to notify your contacts and other services about your new email address.

  • You can send an email to your contacts informing them of the change and asking them to update their records.
  • You can also set up an auto-reply message on your old email account that tells anyone who emails you that you have switched to a new address and provides them with the new one.
  • You may also want to update your email address on any online accounts or subscriptions that you have, such as social media, banking, shopping, etc.

Fifth, you need to decide what to do with your old email account. You can keep it active for a while until you are sure that you have transferred everything you need and notified everyone who needs to know. You can also delete it if you want to save space or avoid security risks. However, before deleting it, make sure that you have backed up any important emails or files that you may need in the future.

Moving to a new email provider can be a daunting task, but with some planning and preparation, it can be done successfully. We hope that this paragraph has given you some useful information and guidance on what the technical practicalities are for moving to a new email provider and how to keep all prior emails.

Switching Broadband Provider

The first thing you should do is contact the provider you wish to switch to and they will be able to explain the process you need to follow.

One-stop Switch

If your current broadband service runs on the Openreach phone network, and you’re switching to another provider that also uses this network, you can follow a ‘one-stop’ switching process. (Companies that use the Openreach network include BT, EE, Sky, TalkTalk and Vodafone.)

Under this process, you don’t need to contact your current provider at all. Instead, your new provider can arrange the transfer for you. Once you’ve contacted your new provider to begin the switching process, both your new provider and old provider must both send you a letter to inform you of the switch.

Switching between Networks

If you’re switching to, or from, a fibre-to-the-premise or ‘full-fibre’ service or a provider that doesn’t use the Openreach network, you should contact both providers.

Switching a Bundle

If you use a bundle of services with a provider, for example home phone and broadband, you will usually follow one of the processes described above but if you also a TV service, there might be some differences – particularly if the switch involves cancelling a satellite TV service. Your new provider can give you information on this.

If you take a landline and broadband service from the same provider, switching your broadband provider is likely to mean switching your landline service at the same time. So make sure you’re happy to do so before signing up for one of these offers.

Social Tariffs: Cheaper Broadband and Phone Packages

Social tariffs are cheaper broadband and phone packages for people claiming Universal Credit, Pension Credit and some other benefits. Some providers call them ‘essential’ or ‘basic’ broadband.

Social tariffs can provide a safety net for customers who might be struggling to afford their broadband or phone services.

How a Social Tariff could help you

  • It’s available to those on a variety of benefits. If you or someone in your household claims Universal Credit, you could switch to any of the tariffs available.
  • It’s cheaper than a regular package. Current prices range from £10 to £20.
  • Fast, unlimited broadband. Most tariffs offer superfast broadband at speeds over 30 Mbit/s – fast enough for you to keep in touch with friends and family, stream HD films or shop online.
  • You’ll pay next-to-nothing to get set up. If you do have to pay any setup costs, these should only be small. Your provider should tell you before you sign up.
  • It could cost nothing to switch. If your provider offers a social tariff, you can switch to it at any time, free of charge.
  • The price won’t go up mid-contract. You won’t pay any more than what you agree at the start of the contract.
  • It costs nothing to leave. You won’t pay a fee to leave the tariff before the end of your contract.

Check https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice-for-consumers/costs-and-billing/social-tariffs for a list of Social Tariff Providers.

Child Okeford Outreach Post Office for Stourpaine

An acknowledgement of the Stourpaine Parish Council’s Chair for working so hard to retain a postal service in Stourpaine.

Thanks also to Child Okeford store and Royal Mail for continuing the outreach service.

It is now in our interests to support the service to ensure its retention.

Post Office

Do note the following changes:

  • Tue 09:30 – 12:30 – normal opening period
    • Tue 06 June 2023 – 10:30 – 12:30 – reduced hours
    • Tue 13 June 2023 – 10:30 – 12:30 – reduced hours

Wessex Internet – Full Fibre Price Reductions

Wessex Internet have just bucked the price hike trends of the bigger broadband providers by announcing a price drop for most of their Full Fibre packages.

  • Packages have been rationalised with Upload speeds now half that of download, which is fast.
  • Full Fibre Lite is unaffected for speed and price being the entry-level package.
  • All Packages have a £49.00 Activation Fee.

Check out https://www.wessexinternet.com/for-home/

Here is a comparison of the new against the old:

Home PackageOldNewsaving
Full Fibre 900£84.00/m£79.00/m£5.00/m
Full Fibre 500c.f., FF350, was £59.00/m£55.00/m£4.00/m & Faster
Full Fibre 350Was £59.00/mDiscontinuedA. Speed up to new FF500 (£4.00/m)
B. Slow down to new FF250 (£19.50/m)
Full Fibre 250c.f., FF100, was £44.00/m£39.50/m£4.50/m
Full Fibre 100£44.00/mDiscontinuedSpeed up to new FF250 (£4.50/m)
Full Fibre Lite£29.00/m£29.00/mNo change