Here at Calaméo we often talk about the advantages of digital publishing for professionals, businesses, educators, students, and marketers. But what about private individuals? Let us tell you all about the benefits of digital publishing for individuals and their personal projects.
Whether you are uploading your resumé, administrative documents, or anything else to Calaméo, you can rest assured that your publication will remain private. How? By using our Private publications feature! All Calaméo users can publish their documents in Private mode, meaning that the information within the document will not be indexed by search engines, nor will it appear on the Calaméo website. If you would like for a select few people to be able to see your document but still want it to remain hidden from the general public, you can share your publication via a private URL.
A creative outlet
If you are a creative person, then digital publishing is a perfect option for you. Amateur authors can self-publish their short stories, poems, or novels on Calaméo. Online magazines look amazing on Calaméo, as do digital portfolios. If you want to keep these publications to yourself, see above. If you want to share them with the world, see below!
Share in a snap
Another great advantage of digital publishing for individuals? You can share your content (or publications from other users) in just a few clicks. Embed your content in your personal blog, share issues of your magazine in a virtual library, or simply send the URL of your publication to your friends and family. However you share your publication, your readers will be able to access your content and enjoy your work!
Calaméo isn’t just for publishing documents– you can also browse our platform for reading material! Read excerpts from books, save your favorite publications, flip through magazines, and more! Clubs and groups can use Calaméo to collect and read content related to their interests all in one spot. Even book clubs can enjoy using Calaméo!
You’re in control
Calaméo has a host of options for how your publication can look. Customize your background or Theme (PREMIUM and PLATINUM accounts), add exciting visuals, publish your work in flipbook, scroll, or slide formats…the list goes on! Using our Editor tool, you can embellish your publications as much (or as little!) as you like.
To kick off the rest of the year right, we’re thrilled to announce that you can now check out a brand-new edition of CALAMEO Magazine.
Teachers, students and even those whose school days are behind them—there’s plenty for everyone in the Learning issue. We take a closer look at digital natives in the classroom to find out what skills they need to succeed in the age of fake news, global communities and mobile everything. You’ll also find out why higher education marketing is big business online and get the scoop on our new Elements feature. Plus tips, top reads and more!
Digital
technology and education is one of our favorite subjects and we hope that the
Learning issue earns full marks. Happy reading!
Are you an educator who uses Calaméo in your teaching? We’d love to hear from you! Get in touch on Facebook, Twitter or by email at contact@calameo.com and let us know how digital publishing helps your students learn.
Virtual libraries offer a great tool for showcasing content on your website and keeping it organized. In fact, the easy-to-use Library Widget is one of our favorite digital publishing features on Calaméo. You can create your own virtual library, customize it and share in only a few clicks.
Let’s dive in to all the essentials of curating your virtual library!
A virtual library is a convenient, fun way to display a collection of digital publications. Just like a regular bookshelf, your virtual library allows you to bring together a group of materials in one place. It’s an inviting space where you can browse, read or simply show off your beautiful publications!
How to set up your own virtual library
You can make a virtual library in just a few minutes on Calaméo. In order to create a library widget stocked with your own Calaméo publications, go to the Publications tab of your account.
First, choose the Folder whose publications you wish to include in your virtual library. All of the public publications in that Folder will appear in your library shelves. (Your private publications are never displayed in the library widget.)
Next, click on the three squares icon at the top of the page to create your virtual library.
Finally, fine-tune the look of your library widget by clicking on “customize options”. You can select:
A background texture or color
How many shelves to show
The thumbnail size of your publication covers
Publication information to show
How to order your publications
How to open publications when clicked
Thumbnail design features like the cover drop shadow
While you adjust the details, you’ll be able to see the changes in real time directly in the preview window. Once you’re happy with the appearance, just copy the embed code. And that’s it—everything you need to create your own virtual library!
Watch our video tutorial on how to create a virtual library below:
💡 TIP: Prefer to view the tutorial in a different language? Use the Settings icon in the video player to select your subtitles.
How to display a virtual library
Congratulations—your library widget is all set up and ready to go! Meanwhile, the next step is to consider how you would like to share your virtual library. For example, you might want to display your publications on your website or blog. Or perhaps you’d rather have a link to email to friends, contacts or customers.
Libraries on your own website
Sharing your virtual library on your own blog or website is a piece of cake. After you have finished customizing the design of your bookshelves, copy the HTML embed code.
If your site is built with WordPress or Joomla, you can install our plug-in and paste the code right into a blog post or page. For example, this code:
However, other websites may require you to specify a container for your virtual library. Consult your CMS’s specifications or check with your webmaster for more information.
To display all of the publications in your virtual library on Calaméo, you can share a link to a Folder or Favorites list. Although the bookshelf interface is not available on Folder or Favorites pages, your audience will be able to view and explore the entire collection.
Linking to a Favorites list
To share a Favorites list, start by going to the Favorites tab of your account. Then select the list that you want to share from the left-hand menu. Finally, click the Share icon. In the window that opens, copy the URL and start sharing!
Linking to a Folder
To share a Folder, head to the Publications tab of your account. Choose the Folder whose publications you want to share from the left-hand menu, then click the Share icon. Grab the link to your Folder and you’re set to share.
Why make a virtual library
There are lots of great reasons to create your own virtual library. In fact, we reviewed 10 of the best for anyone who needs convincing! But to keep things simple, here are the top three benefits of a library widget.
Perfect presentation
The biggest advantage of a virtual library is the easy, interactive way it lets you showcase different publications. Whether the shelves are filled with every issue of your magazine or a variety of materials, a library widget can boost your publications’ visual impact.
Plus, browsing your publications in a virtual library is a breeze thanks to its intuitive navigation. Visitors can click any cover to open the publication in full screen or a new window, then return to your library when they’ve finished reading.
Painless updates
Another great feature solves a major headache for many publishers: the content in your virtual library updates automatically. Whenever you add a new publication to your library’s Folder on Calaméo, it also appears on your embedded bookshelf. As a result, you never need to worry about manually importing content to maintain your site.
Likewise, removing publications from your virtual library only takes a minute. Set them to private, move to a different Folder or deactivate out-of-date materials.
Extra insights
You’ll benefit from useful viewership analytics when you create your own virtual library on Calaméo, too. Because it’s important to know where your audience comes from and how they interact with your content, your account statistics show library details. You’ll see what percentage of your publications’ views happen in your virtual library, as well as other advanced statistics like link clicks and downloads.
In conclusion, setting up a digital bookshelf couldn’t be simpler. All you need to start is a free Calaméo account! Join today and create your own virtual library.
