Faking It by Jennifer Crusie
I was poking around the internet today and stumbled upon the website for the Chicago Public Library (don't ask-- I can't even remember). It was there that I noticed a new program where you can "check out" audiobook downloads. But since I do not live anywhere near Chicago and don't have a CPL library card, I couldn't use the system.Naturally, the next thing I did was look on the Alameda County Library website to see if we had something similar, and we do! The Northern California Digital Library Consortium offers audiobooks, ebooks, and music as downloads for library users. All I needed to do was enter my library card number to access the online catalog and browse the titles.
The program is run through a company called OverDrive, and requires you to download their software to access the audio. Then, the only way to listen to the books is through Windows Media Player on your computer or a compatible mp3 player (iPods are not), but you can burn CDs of your downloads (and then upload them to your iPod if you're a very patient person).
Despite the hoops, I decided to try it-- after all, it's like going to the library to check out an audiobook without actually having to go to the library, and I downloaded Faking It by Jennifer Crusie. I haven't spent too much time browsing the catalog, but it looks like OverDrive offers a pretty good selection. Just in the A's of fiction, I saw The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay as well as The Anansi Boys.
Once you download, the audiobook is "checked out" for three weeks, and I guess other patrons can't download it until the three weeks is up. It sounds like a pretty complicated system all around, but definitely worth the trouble if you enjoy audiobooks and are computer savvy. After all, it's a free service brought to you by your public library. If you're interested, you should see if your local library offers this service. Many major library districts do, including Chicago, Cleveland, New York, Denver, Phoenix, San Jose, and a surprisingly huge number of others.
So far, I'm impressed. We'll see how Faking It goes.
Faking It by Jennifer Crusie
posted by Renee at 5:17 PM
feed me
1 Comments:
I recently attended an Overdrive presentation and it does look pretty neat. There's also NetLibrary, another audiodownload (Charlotte's library uses that one). The selection and whether or not multiple users can check out certain titles depends on the agreements Overdrive and the particular library system work out.
Agree on the coolness factor - I've recently 'checked out' Three Men in a Boat, The Diary of Samuel Pepys (excerpts) and The Last Days of Dogtown. Three Men in a Boat is even funnier when you listen to someone read it.
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