From www.taylor.edu - Taylor University, integrating faith and learning

Audiobook or mp3?

09.23.2008

Audiobooks are great for road trips and for those of us who like to multitask, but wouldn't it be even BETTER if you could carry them along with you on your mp3 player?

Now you can! The Library has gained access to a few hundred titles of Audiobooks available for mp3 download.

All you have to do is search the catalog for "talking books" or "sound recording AND book" or "audiobook" to find the little icons that look like a stereo.

When you click on the title, there will be a URL and icon near the bottom of the individual record which will launch you out to NetLibrary, our Audiobook provider.

THINGS TO NOTE:

  • These mp3 files are not currently compatible with Apple products, thus iPods and Mac computers. You can play them off of your Windows machine or several other mp3 devices.
  • The files are not yours permanently. You check them out for a period of about 21 days, which is the same as our 3 week loan of physical books and audiobooks on CD. After that time, the file will disappear from your device / computer.

Here is a list of proved devices and audio players that work:
 
Approved players:


Here is a link to the PDF with the Portable Players that work with NetLibrary eAudiobooks.


The lack of compatibility is a serious limitation on the part of NetLibrary, however, the possibility of downloading an audiobook as a library loan is pretty cool.

Try it out and give us feedback at zonlib at taylor.edu as to how it worked for you.

Lana Gottschalk, Reference Librarian