eAudiobooks

Over the years, audiobooks have gained in popularity as people in a busy society found a perfect way to enjoy favorite authors without being required to hold books.  Now, a new service is coming to the Warsaw Community Public Library (WCPL):  downloadable audiobooks will arrive with the New Year.  No longer will you have to wait for an available copy before listening to the new bestseller by King, Cornwell, or Karon.  Instead you can download digital versions of popular audiobook titles from the Internet.  NetLibrary and Recorded Books are partnering to bring downloadable audiobooks to libraries and their patrons.  Currently, they offer over 500 best-selling and thought-provoking titles, with 30 new titles added monthly.  These audiobooks can be played on any desktop or portable device supporting Windows Media Player version 9.0 and above.  You can also transfer your favorite titles to a wide range of portable devices, including portable music players, portable media centers, Pocket PCs, and even select smartphone devices.  Download time will depend on the duration of the audiobook, the speed of your connection, and the playback quality.  NetLibrary offers both CD quality, ideal for high-speed Internet access, and radio quality for users with dial-up connections. 

As with the WCPL’s audiobooks on CD, MP3-CD, and cassette, the digital audiobooks check out for 21 days.  At the end of the three-week period, the temporary license will expire and the audiobook title will automatically be returned.  No more late fines for overdue materials.  You also have the option of renewing a title by logging in to your account at NetLibrary.  You will receive an additional 21 days of access without needing to download the title again.   You may have 10 titles checked out at any given time and you must wait for one of the licenses to expire before checking out another title.  More importantly, it doesn’t matter if 10 other persons are already using the title you wish to access.  This service does support multiple users.  No more waiting for a hold to be filled!  Anyone with a library card can sign up at WCPL for access to the downloadable audiobooks.  Once you are a registered user, you can access the titles from your home, business, or any place with an Internet connection.  Just connect, click, and listen!

How to Access eAudiobooks

1. Contact the Reference Desk and tell them you would like a free NetLibrary account.
2. Once your account is established, go to http://www.netlibrary.com/Search/Centers/AudiobookCenter.aspx,
3. Log in - located in the upper, right-hand corner.
4. Search for your favorite author or title, or click on "Browse Available eAudiobooks" located to the left of WCPL's logo.
5. When you find a title you like, click on "Download this Audiobook."
6. Choose your download preference.  The estimated download time will be listed on the right.
7. Choose to open the audiobook or save it to your desktop.
8. After downloading, open the audiobook in Windows Media to acquire the license.

NetLibrary does have links to information/help pages towards the bottom of each page.