The National Literacy Agency would like to inform all parents, educators, and students that on 23rd April 2021Malta Libraries, in collaboration with Octavo, launched a virtual library of online reading material in Maltese. The launch formed part of the celebrations of Malta Libraries to mark Libraries Day 2021 which coincided with World Book and Copyright Day. This year’s theme of the celebrations was ‘Technology as the key to Maltese Literature’.
This digital library service, which is accessed via the Octavo reading platform and app, is free to the public and accessible 24/7.

Already enrolled Malta Libraries members can register by filling in a registration form which can be found on the maltalibraries.gov.mt homepage. Once the application is processed, the borrower will be given access to a collection of a wide range of genres of eBooks in Maltese divided into two categories, one for children and teenagers under the age of 18, and another for adults. School children who already use the Octavo service linked to their iLearn account will have to refill this form to get access to more free titles in Maltese, over and above what they already have access to through the levelled reading elibrary ‘Qari għal Qalbi’.

Octavo is a digital reading and publishing platform and presents books in the form of an ‘oBook’. One of the primary distinguishing features of Octavo’s oBooks is the way content navigation is designed, using scrollable pages resembling an online webpage rather than the traditional side-to-side turning of pages. The Octavo app which may be downloaded on any Android or iOS device, or through the web app, offers numerous features to facilitate accessibility among users of different ages and abilities. There is also the option to customise the fonts, font size and background colours of the reading screens. Moreover, oBooks are available offline after being downloaded so that readers can access them from any location, even in the absence of a Wi-Fi connection.

Through the digital books in Maltese libraries; Malta Libraries, Octavo and the National Literacy Agency are supporting also local authors since following the publication of the Public Lending Rights Act by the National Book Council, local authors are being remunerated for books – be they digital or in print form – borrowed by the public.

If you require any assistance to access this virtual library service please send an email to
customercare.cpl@gov.mt and if you have any queries about the Octavo app features or ‘Qari għal Qalbi’ scheme please send an email to support@octavo.app.