WARRINGTON'S libraries are now back to their regular opening times following the pandemic.

But did you know the libraries are not just books.

Rachel Ralston, LiveWire’s Strategic Library Manager, said: “Your library card is your free entry pass into a wealth on online resources and lots of people don’t realise it.

"Whether you want to investigate your family history, research which buggy to buy or perhaps swot up for the driving theory test – our libraries can help you.

" In particular we have a huge range of study tools like Encyclopaedia Britannica and Credo, which are invaluable to pupils and students.

"And our e-book and e-audio catalogue is perfect for reading and listening for pleasure. Check out our website or call into your local library for more information.”

Here are 11 things you can get for free.

Free app accessible remotely with a library card:

Libby – Easy-to-use reading app provided by Overdrive, the largest digital content catalogue in the world. The Libby app is free to download from Google Play (for Android 5.0+ devices), from the Apple App store (for iOS 10+ devices), and at libbyapp.com for Windows computer, Mac computer, or Chromebook browsers. Libby allows free borrowing of eBooks and digital audiobooks from LiveWire Libraries. Books can either be streamed or downloaded for offline reading.

Free online resources accessible remotely with a library card:

Online Library Catalogue – Search LiveWire’s library catalogue, check your library account, and renew and request books.

Theory Test Pro – Highly realistic mock driving theory and hazard perception tests for car, motorcycle, passenger carrying vehicle, and heavy goods vehicle categories. Unlimited access to all of the official questions from the DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency), the people who set the tests.

Help with homework, study, and research:

Encyclopaedia Britannica – Fact-checked, authoritative, reliable, and up-to-date encyclopaedia. Has 3 different reading levels: primary school, secondary school, and adult.

Credo Reference – Millions of citable and peer-reviewed articles pulled from hundreds of books, written and reviewed by experts in their academic fields. The Mind Map feature provides a visual representation of search results to help narrow down or broaden a topic.

Free resources available at library branches only:

Ancestry – The world’s largest genealogy website with over 30 billion records from more than 80 countries. Search birth records, census data, obituaries, etc. to discover family history and build a family tree.

Find My Past – Similar to Ancestry, but has extensive church, school, and voter records for the local areas of Warrington and Cheshire. Find My Past now also has the 1921 Census available for searching and free basic content (with additional costs for more detailed content).

Access to Research – Access to over 30 million academic and research articles. Full access to documents is only available within libraries, although the search facility is accessible online from anywhere.

Which? – Expert testing, reviews, and advice to consumers to make best purchase decisions based on needs

Other resources accessible via our website:

Learn My Way - Free digital skills courses from the Good Things Foundation

Project Gutenberg – Online library with over 60,000 free eBooks