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University Libraries

Flipster: A New Way to Access Digital Magazines

By Tina Beis

University of Dayton students, faculty and staff can now access a variety of popular magazines digitally using the Libraries’ subscription to Flipster, a next-generation magazine service.

With digital access to magazines such as Ebony, Forbes, Vogue, National Geographic and more, patrons can read articles at the library or remotely. Magazines can be downloaded to Android phones and tablets, Apple phones and tablets, and Kindle Fire tablets for offline reading anytime, anywhere.

Flipster offers reader-friendly browsing by category; readers also can search for specific periodicals. The online “newsstand” features a carousel of the most recent issues, as well as a carousel of all issues. The table of contents contains links for quick access to articles of interest. Links within magazines are hyperlinked, opening in separate tabs when clicked. In addition, readers can zoom in and out on their computers or mobile devices for better readability.

Scott West, information resources specialist at Roesch Library says, "I downloaded the Flipster app, so now I never miss the latest issues of Rolling Stone, Archaeology, and The New York Review of Books."

How to use Flipster on a computer

  1. Visit the Library website at udayton.edu/libraries. Click "Databases by Title or Subject" under Quicklinks; then click "F" and scroll until you see "Flipster" (the databases are listed alphabetically).
  2. Click "Flipster" on the alphabetical listing. If you are off campus, login using your University of Dayton credentials.
  3. Browse for magazines by category on the left sidebar or search for a specific title by entering keywords into the search box at the top of the page.
  4. Once you click into a title, you can zoom, search or print by using the options on the right sidebar.

How to use the Flipster App when starting on campus

  1. Download the Flipster App from the App Store or Google Play. Once it is installed, open the App and click "Get Started."
  2. Tap "Allow" if you would like to enable the app to use your location to suggest libraries near you that offer Flipster. Otherwise, tap "Don’t Allow" and manually search for University of Dayton.
  3. Click "Login." Note: You must be within the University of Dayton IP range the first time you connect to the App.
  4. At the bottom of the Flipster app, you will see three options:
    Explore: View all the subscriptions available to the University of Dayton community.
    My Shelf: View the publications you have downloaded that haven’t expired.
    Read: View the publication that’s currently open to read through it.

Off-campus process for first-time users of the app

  1. Download the Flipster App from the App Store or Google Play. Once it is installed, open the App and click "Get Started."  
  2. Tap "Don't Allow" when asked to enable the app to use your location; then click "Done."
  3. Next, open up the web browser on your mobile device and go to the Libraries home page at https://udayton.edu/libraries/
  4. Scroll down to "Helpful Links" and click on "Databases by Title or Subject." Then select "F" under "Browse Databases by Title Name."
  5. Scroll down and click "Flipster" on the alphabetical listing.
  6. When the login screen appears, enter your UD username and password.
  7. You will be taken to the main Flipster screen in your web browser. Still using your web browser, search for or browse for a magazine you are interested in reading. When you find a magazine you want to read, click on the title, the magazine cover or the "Read This Issue" link.
  8. When the magazine cover appears, a menu (looks like three bars/lines) appears in the upper left corner. Click on the menu, then select "Open in App."
  9. The Flipster app should open automatically and download the magazine issue from the "My Shelf" screen. You can now read the magazine using your Flipster app.    

Helpful tips

  • Downloaded content is accessible until it expires.  
  • Expiration varies from magazine to magazine.
  • Borrow one of the library’s Kindle Fires: It comes preloaded with the Flipster app and content.

Titles available in Flipster

  • American Craft
  • American Poetry Review
  • Aperture
  • Archaeology
  • ArtNews
  • Arts & Activities
  • Atlantic
  • Christianity Today
  • Columbia Journalism Review
  • Discover
  • Diverse: Issues in Higher Education
  • Ebony
  • Film Comment
  • Forbes
  • Inc.
  • Kiplinger's
  • MIT Technology Review
  • Modern Painters
  • Mother Jones
  • National Geographic
  • National Review
  • New York Review of Books
  • Parents
  • Rolling Stone
  • Vogue
  • Wired
  • Writer's Digest

Looking to browse our print periodical collection?

Roesch Library’s popular periodicals reading area has temporarily moved to the second floor near the Services desk. Readers can find current issues of over 80 magazines and newspapers along with varying quantities of back issues.

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