District offers digital audio books
For the computer-savvy in the Spokane County Library District, nearly 1,000 free digital audio books are now just a download away.
Late last month, its libraries became the first in the region to offer audio books that patrons can play on their computer or MP3 player.
“It’s overall just another way for people to enjoy the books,” said district spokeswoman Beth Gillespie.
Using money from a levy approved by voters last fall, the district invested just over $100,000 for rights to the audio books and the technology that allows patrons to play them.
After downloading a program that looks similar to a media player, library card holders can browse a new site devoted to the downloadable books or the regular library catalog and digitally check out up to five items at a time.
The books can be played for two weeks. Then they are returned to the library and can no longer be played.
As with hard copies, only a given number of people can check out a book at the same time, though some digital books are available for download to an unlimited number of people at once.
A number of them also can be burned onto a CD and kept by the borrower indefinitely.
“I’ve had some very positive comments,” said Stacey Goddard, adult services supervisor at the Valley Library.
About 300 people have used the service, library officials said, and the users have been as varied as the titles.
Cross-country truckers as well as people who just face a long commute have praised the service, Goddard said.
Another librarian said her daughter, who’s in grade school, started downloading books as soon as they became available.
About 60 new titles have been added in the last two weeks, and librarians look at customer requests and what’s popular in hard copy when they place their orders.
“If we have requests, and the item is available, we’ll be getting it,” Goddard said.
Some of the most popular downloads so far have been “The Screwtape Letters,” “10 Secrets for Success and Inner Peace,” “The Devil Wears Prada” and “The Count of Monte Cristo,” Gillespie said.
Technical problems have been minimal, she said, but there are some limitations on the service.
Though the district’s libraries regularly swap books with the Spokane Library, Spokane residents do not have access to the audio books.
Also, the software required for the downloads does not work with Apple products, including iPods, because of a long-running dispute over file formats between Apple and Microsoft.
Eight library systems in Washington offer the service, which is provided by a company called Overdrive.
The North Central Regional Library, which has branches in Wenatchee and across central Washington, began offering about 300 audio books earlier this month.
“We’re sure excited about it,” said director of public services Dan Howard.
Libraries there also are experimenting with audio books that come with their own player and headphones.