Greenburgh Public Library Blog

Listen Up! Digital Audio is Here!

Listen up, digital audiobooks are here and you should be using them. The advantages of digital audiobooks are many, just like all digital content, digital audiobooks return themselves, can be checked out even when the library is closed, you can't lose, break it or return it late.

The feature that sells most audiophiles on making the jump from compact discs to digital, is the ability to sync your digital audiobook between your smart phone and your car via Bluetooth.  It really does work!  I listen to audiobooks during my lunch hour, turn it off when I head back to work, jump in the car at the end of the day and my story picks up just where it left off at lunchtime.

I have two motivations for using audibooks. I love hearing the accents of the narrators. Recently, I listened to Force of Nature, by Jane Harper, available on Overdrive via the Libby app. Ms Harper's books are set in Australia. The narrator is Australian, which enhances the story, bringing the characters and setting alive. The other reason I am a fan of audiobooks is the ability to multitask while listening. Audiobooks  free up my hands for other things like knitting, walking, shopping, housework, etc.

For a really great listen try Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon, available on RB Digital. You might have heard of Outlander because of the series on Starz, which is very good, but before you could watch Jamie Fraser in color, you could enjoy his Scottish brogue and Claire's upper class English accent via the audiobooks. Davina Porter is the narrator for all nine books (and counting) in the Outlander series. By the way, the unabridged edition of Outlander on cd audio is 28 discs, that's a lot of discs to keep track of and swap in and out of your car's cd player, compared to downloading a digital audio file over your WiFi.

You can get digital audiobooks with your library card. All libraries in Westchester offer digital audiobooks from three companies, Overdrive via the Libby app, Hoopla Digital and RB Digital. If you are lucky enough to have a Greenburgh Library card, you can also borrow digital audiobooks from the CloudLibrary.

I recommend starting with Libby by Overdrive because it has the largest selection. You can read all about the digital collections available on the Greenburgh Library website.

You can watch video tutorials on installing and using the Libby, by Overdrive app, courtesy of the Somers Public Library.