Saturday, July 19, 2008

eAudiobooks: for the technologically-savvy

The Mystery & Suspense subject makes up the largest percentage of NetLibrary's Audiobook collection.
I wish there were more books uploaded (particularly in the scifi section), but I assume as it's a demand issue, I'll deal. Working at the library has taught me that the popular demand is predominantly "for Mystery & Suspense" in regular books, and the same seems to hold true for downloadable audio.
As far as what's allowed with NetLibrary and what's not, it was a bit difficult to find. The FAQ page was helpful once I found it, and provided links to each topic. It is possible, and even encouraged, to download the audiobooks to Windows Media Player and transfer to a portable listening device (as long as it jives with their standards--no iPods, because iPod doesn't support an expiring file-type, which you need to check a book out of an elibrary). Patrons are not, however, allowed to burn audiobooks to cd's (which makes since, as you wouldn't have bought the book, only borrowed it).
And what about Macs? The version of Windows Media Player that will work on a Mac doesn't support NetLibrary eAudiobook files. Microsoft doesn't even make a version of Internet Explorer for Macs, and Safari (the native Mac browser) isn't supported by NetLibrary. I'm assuming iTunes won't run an audiobook? It's not mentioned. What do Mac-using patrons do if their local library doesn't allow downloading of eAudiobooks to their computers? This seems to be a limited resource for people like me.
Patrons seem to like this site (I learned how to use it while teaching a patron, and she was happy with it). The selection is limited, but it's a convenient way to check out an eAudiobook--as long as you understand the technology.

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