Being able to download audio books is the path the libraries are taking and if they aren't then it is the path that they should be taking. So much of a person's daily culture is now with downloading - it is a second language - downloading movies, songs, books, you name it and it can be downloaded. Whether some of these things are legal or not is another matter....
Libraries can contribute greatly to this culture by providing access to audio books as mp3 files which can be downloaded from the library catalogue. Ipswich Library & Information Service have a wide selection of audio books for downloading. The great thing about it is that they use Overdrive which means that the file is removed from the device it was downloaded to after the due date. I think that is amazing. Apparently that happens even if the file is burned to a CD - what a great service to be able to offer patrons - downloading their choice of mp3 files from their home, straight to the device of their choice and no possibility of incurring overdue fines!! Using Overdrive is very expensive though, I believe.
With such a rising trend in downloadable files, especially by young adults, it makes you wonder whether there is a need for a consortia to make accessing these files more affordable for libraries. What do others think??
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment