HRLC Technology Committee

At our April 18th meeting, we discussed digital audiobooks and how they might be used in libraries.

I discovered the Sno-Isle library system in Maryville, WA is using Overdrive and offers a collection of digital audiobooks to their patrons. You can learn more about it at Sno-Isle's site see this quick start guide for their patrons who want to use the service: http://overdrive-audio-books.sno-isle.org/F5CD7589-0CE9-4816-91F6-64C264619E8D/10/117/en/Help-QuickStartGuide.htm

The South Huntington Public Library in NY State bought ten iPod Shuffles and checks them out to library patrons (along with digital audiobooks). Visit their web site at http://shpl.suffolk.lib.ny.us/ and click on "Audio Books on iPod" to get their list of titles.

Two companies who offer digital audiobooks:
Overdrive: www.overdrive.com "A leading digital book vendor for libraries and retailers."
Audible.com: www.audible.com "Audio that speaks to you wherever you are."

I think that unlike ebooks, which can be a bit clunky and hard to use, this is definitely a technology that can definitely take off with library patrons.