Books
and More > Audio Books
Audio Books
Downloadable Audio Books available through BCPL
- No fines
-
14 day loan period
-
Windows Media Audio (WMA) format - Windows Media
Player v9 and above is required
-
Can be transferred to a handheld device.
-
Cannot be played on a Mac or
iPod
|
Question: |
Answer: |
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Software needed to play |
Windows Media Player
9 or newer.
You must also download the OverDrive Media console
free from
the OverDrive website. |
|
How do I get them? |
Click on the icon on the
BCPL home page. Or, from any page on the BCPL website select Books and More, then choose "eBooks, Audiobooks". |
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Do I need a library card? |
Yes. |
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Can I download a section
at a time, or do I need to get the whole book? |
You may download individual sections
as separate files. |
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How do I transfer to a
portable device? |
From the OverDrive media console, select "Transfer/burn"
and follow the instructions. |
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Can I find records for these
items in the library catalog? |
Yes! We are adding audio
book titles to our catalog as quickly as possible. However,
the
OverDrive site will provide the most complete list of available titles. |
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How many can I check out at a
time? |
Any combination of four (4)
titles total (any format). |
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What kinds of audio books are
included? |
There are a variety of vendors,
including Brilliance, Listen & Live, and more.
You can view the entire list from the link on the
OverDrive page that says "View All Audio books." |
|
Can I renew them? |
No. The loan period is 14
days. You may check out the title again if no one is waiting. If no copies
are available, you can place a hold for the when the title becomes
accessible. You will receive an email notification when your hold is
available. |
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What happens after the 21 day loan period expires? |
The audio file stays on
your device but can no longer be played. You will need to delete the file
manually from your PC and device. |
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Can I burn to a CD? |
Yes. From the OverDrive Media Console, choose the "copy to CD or device" and
click on "burn to CD." These CDs can be played even
after the loan period expires. |
|
Can I return my audio book early? |
No. The Windows Media Player
software does not allow this function. |
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Other questions? |
OverDrive provides an extensive Help
section on their website, broken down by format, which answers
questions about software, error messages, etc. |
How to download books through
OverDrive:
- After clicking on the link above, you
can search for books or browse the collection. Once you find the
title you want, click Add to "My Bookbag". Titles added to your bookbag
will remain for 30 minutes while you continue to browse the
collection. When you are finished browsing, click on the "My Bookbag"
link, and then choose "Proceed to Checkout".
- At checkout, you will be asked to log
in to your account. Here you must choose Baltimore County Public
Library for your library system, and then enter your library card
number. This will allow you to check out titles. Click on "Confirm
Checkout" at the next screen, and the titles are ready to download.
You may not download to BCPL public computers. You must have OverDrive Media Console installed to listen
to these audio books. The checkout confirmation screen offers you the
option of downloading the Media Console.
- If you need more help, see the
OverDrive Audio book help page.
Troubleshooting for Audio Books
The easily
visible "Help" link will answer most questions. Be aware that
OverDrive also offers eBooks and downloadable videos, so be sure you are looking at the audio book help page.
Unfortunately, neither BCPL nor the audio book vendors can troubleshoot
individual listening devices. There are many devices to which the
products can be downloaded, and the vendors are very clear that they do not
troubleshoot at the device level. The best method for dealing with device
problems is to refer to the manufacturer's website.
To find out which players will work,
go to http://www.playsforsure.com. This
site tells you which devices are Microsoft
Windows Media Player compatible. There are also links here to each of the
manufacturer websites which may be able to help with troubleshooting.
If you are experiencing problems with Windows Media Player:
- Are you running a firewall? This can include the
built in Windows XP firewall as well as third party applications, such as
"Zone Alarm" or "Norton Internet Security". Firewall settings may be blocking
Windows Media Player from the internet.
- Check Windows Media Player's connection. To do so, go
to Tools > Options. Under 'Player Settings' select the option that says
"Connect to the Internet."
- Are you running a web accelerator? If so, please
disable it.
If you are able to download to the latest version of Windows Media Player
to your computer, but get an error when you try to download to your portable
device:
- Your device may be running an older version of
Windows Media Player Mobile. Microsoft does not directly provide Windows Media Player
Mobile.
Instead, each portable device manufacturer has the option of providing it
through a "firmware" or "ROM" updates (downloads). Check
the manufacturer's support site your the specific device.
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Attention Mac and iPod users:
OverDrive audio book
products DO NOT work on iPods. Why not? Because OverDrive uses
the .wma format, for Windows Media Player. Apple uses the .aac format for
iPods and other Macintosh products. All devices play the MP3 format, but they do not
all have the copyright protection that the
publishers and vendors require.
There is not currently a library product that works with iPods.
Audible.com sells audio books in conjunction with iTunes
for iPods, but they do not sell to libraries for lending. |
Other sources for Audio Books
BCPL New Books on Cassette and CD
Baltimore County Public Library Hot Titles List of
New Books on Cassette and CD.
Apple iTunes
Audio books
Audio books for the iPod from Apple.
Assistive
Media: Expanding the World of Reading
An audio-literary service for persons with
print reading/access barriers. To listen to the books you must have at least a 28.8K modem
and an installed version of RealPlayer (available on the web site.) Assistive Media
provides free-of-charge, copyright approved, high caliber audio literary works.
Audible.com
Buy audio books for MP3 players, including the iPod.
Subscribe monthly or pay per title.
Audio Online Book Club
Enjoy
a daily dose of spoken word with audio books from fiction, non-fiction, self-help,
business books and more, all delivered to your e-mail address.
StoryTymes
Children can use their computers speakers to listen to stories, including
Aesop's Fables and fairytales.
Baltimore County Public Library, Towson Maryland USA
Last Revised: 02 May 2008
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