I love to read books and I love to listen to books read to me! I have been wanting to be able to download free audio books through a library and finally found out how to do it. I have an iPod and listen to free podcasts I download from iTunes and audio books I have downloaded from either CDs I have purchased or from a free site that has books in the public domain. LibraVox.org has lots and lots of titles to choose from but they are older books and I have listened to many over the last couple of years but wanted to listen to modern books too.
I knew I could pay to get a library card from a large library about an hour away in Hastings and get on the website to do what I wanted but didn’t want to pay the large fee to get the card every year. Since I don’t live in that town the fees were $30-40 a year. The little library I go to couldn’t afford to get into that program and also doesn’t have the Nebraskard for what ever reason. To make a long story short I found I could go to the Clay Center library a little farther away from where I live, pay a $15 fee and get a library card and the Nebraskard. The Nebraskard is honored by many Nebraska libraries and all I had to do was show the Hastings Public Library my Nebraskard and I got a card for that library with no extra fees.
Since I now have a Hastings library card I can get on the Nebraska Overdrive website and register to check out audio books that I can download directly to my computer and iPod – all for FREE. The Clay Center Public Library is also too small to afford to do the Nebraska Overdrive web service but they can still provide their patrons a way of accessing it.
This may sound like a lot of piddling around to do but it is worth it. I quickly checked out one audio book using my Hastings Public Library card number and now have it on my iPod. The download said I could listen to it for a week then it would no longer be available….not sure how that works yet but will see. It is just like checking out a book from the library as there is a lending period you can listen to the book.
I just checked the main OverDrive website and this is available in other states and some other countries too. Check out this page on overdrive.com to do a search of a library near you for this service and read up on what you have to do to get signed up. I am thrilled with being able to do this as I listen to books or podcasts all the time when I am driving and all the time when I am sewing.
I feel like bursting into song I am so happy but I won't....no one wants to hear me sing!
Lynn
1 comment:
That's so cool! It's the little things in life that make us so happy. Happy listening!
Post a Comment