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New York Public Library Adds Full Books to Instagram Stories

The series begins with Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. To start reading, tap the circle labeled "Alice Part 1" in the library's Story Highlights.

Angela Moscaritolo
 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

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Having a hard time getting your kid to read? The New York Public Library has an interesting solution.

It's bringing "full classic books" to a place kids already frequent: Instagram Stories. "Some of the greatest stories ever told… told on Instagram Stories," the NYPL wrote of its new "Insta Novels" series.

The library is starting off the series with a banger: Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. To start reading it, head over to the New York Public Library's Instagram profile (@nypl) and tap the circle labeled "Alice Part 1" in their Story Highlights (below their bio). Part two will be available tomorrow.

The format offers an ebook reader-like experience. When reading, you can hold your thumb down on the screen to pause, tap the right side of the screen to flip to the next page, or the left side of the screen to go back.

In the future, the NYPL plans to make Charlotte Perkins Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper and Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis available in this format.

"We want people to understand that libraries aren't just those brick-and-mortar places full of dusty books," NYPL's Chief Branch Library Officer Christopher Platt told The Wall Street Journal.

Instagram first introduced Story Highlights in December. Unlike regular Stories, which disappear after 24 hours, Story Highlights stay on your profile until you decide to remove them. To create your own Story Highlight, tap the "New" circle on the left side of your Instagram profile, choose something from your archive, select a cover image, and give your Story Highlight a name.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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