Happy New Year! Here’s hoping that 2022 will be the year we finally get to take those trips we’ve had to postpone because of travel restrictions. As we ring in the new year, Grand County Library District would like to offer a list of free resources to help make those travel dreams come true.

If your travel plans include a far-flung or exotic locale, your GCLD library card gives you free access to Rosetta Stone. You can learn up to 30 different languages using the most highly rated language-learning system in the world.

And don’t forget that you can download Overdrive eBooks and audiobooks to help pass the time while you’re in the car or on the plane. Just install the free Libby app to instantly download your favorite authors and titles. You can also access magazines through the Libby app.

Speaking of magazines, use the Flipster app to download current and past issues of your favorite magazines. Check out as many as you like and store them on your device indefinitely to read at your leisure. These digital magazines are identical to the print versions you’d buy at the newsstand.

Your GCLD library card will even give you immediate access to top newspapers, no matter where you are in the world. You can read The Denver Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, as well as hundreds of other local and national newspapers with NewsBank.

And of course, you can check out physical copies of travel guides and travel videos from your local branch.

Nonfiction travel titles you may find interesting include “Bicycling with Butterflies: My 10,201-Mile Journey Following the Monarch Migration” by Sara Dykman or “Atlas of the Invisible: Maps & Graphics that Will Change How You See the World” by James Cheshire.

If you don’t see what you’re looking for on our shelves, you can request items from other branches and library districts by using our online catalog at http://www.gcld.org. Our catalog has guides from Lonely Planet, Rick Steves, Frommers, Foders, and more.

Is your travel destination closer to home? In that case, GCLD’s local branches have a wide assortment of fold-out trail maps and books about popular hiking spots all over Colorado and surrounding areas. You can check out one or several to carry in your backpack while you explore the beautiful trails in our county, state, and beyond.

If you’re traveling with children, you’ll definitely want to take advantage of Kanopy, GCLD’s free streaming service for movies, documentaries and shows. Not only does Kanopy have a huge selection of programs for adults, but it also includes a special section called Kanopy Kids with fun, entertaining and educational content for children. The parental controls let you set the parameters for your child’s viewing, so you can feel secure in what they’re watching.

We are always looking for travel programs to add to our branch activities. If you have a travel experience or presentation you would like to share with the community, please reach out to your local library. We would love to add you to our Armchair Traveler Series!

To access these resources and many more, log into your library account at http://www.gcld.org and select the eBooks & Learning Tools tab to scroll through the alphabetical list of digital resources.

Don’t hesitate to contact your local branch if you need help. Our staff is always delighted to assist you.