Welcome to the original Learning 2.0 Program. This site was created to support PLCMC's Learning 2.0 Program; a discovery learning program designed to encourage staff to explore new technologies and reward them for doing 23 Things. Since the program's launched, it has fostered Learning 2.0 programs all over the world. If you are interested in duplicating or modifying this program for your organization, please see Program Notes on About Page and contact Helene Blowers for information.

#22 Audiobooks (or "The end is in sight ")

Listen to this podcast [1:21]-->powered by ODEO

With your new MP3 player right around the corner, it’s time to take a look around NetLibrary and downloadable eAudiobooks.

Downloadable eAudiobooks is a service provided by Recorded Books which is available through the library’s subscription to NetLibrary.

To establish a NetLibrary account, you must first create your acocunt through the PLCMC website. But once you have a Netlibrary user name and password (I know, I know … you’re tired of user names and passwords, but I promise this is the last user account for this program that you’ll have to create) you can access NetLibrary directly and bypass the PLCMC site.

For this discovery exercise, you merely need to familiarize yourself a bit with the structure of NetLibrary's Downloadable eAudiobooks site and get an idea of the types of titles you can find here. Take a look around and locate a few titles of interest. That MP3 player is right around the corner and once you have it, you’ll definitely have a reason to try out this popular library service.

Discovery Resources:

Introduction to Netlibrary* - this 12 minute tutorial covers the downloading process for Netlibrary audiobooks using Windows Media Player 10. (be patient, it may take a few minutes to upload this for viewing)

Discovery Exercise:

  1. Establish a Netlibrary account for yourself by accessing Netlibrary through the PLCMC site. Note: Your not a member of the PLCMC staff or don’t have a PLCMC library card, full access to NetLibrary may not be available.
  2. Once you have an account created, you can access NetLibrary directly at http://netlibrary.com
  3. Click on the eAudiobooks link and explore some of the 1300 + titles.
  4. Create a blog post about your findings. Did you locate a title that you might want to try out and download once you have your player?


OPTIONAL: Try downloading a title from the NetLibrary. You don’t have to have a portable player to listen to audiobooks, you can also listen to it from a computer.

* Tutorial created by Mary Kyle (PLCMC) using free screencasting software Wink.

# Sunday, September 24, 2006 . Posted by HeleneB

3 Comments:

  • The biggest bummer about these audiobooks is that they don't work on an iPod, and over 3/4 of the market for mp3 players is iPods.
    It is very annoying to be prodded by the library to buy a different technology just to be able to listen to the books it buys/licenses.

    By Blogger Paul, at 11:04 PM  

  • An even bigger bummer is that they don't work on Macs at all. I have a iRiver mp3 player, which will play these audiobooks fine, but I work
    on a Mac. I can't get the audio files authenticated and onto the iRiver because WMP for Mac doesn't have all the functions. Grrr.

    By Blogger PiLibrarian, at 9:28 AM  

  • I hav neither ipod or mp3 player and according to previous blogs it would not be worth getting one for audio books. maybe this is still a thing of the future. but will be great once all is available, just think we can learn as we jog, or travel.

    By Anonymous colleen flynnn, at 4:07 AM  

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