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Audio Books and eBooks
In addition to print materials the library offers audio books and eBooks for your listening or reading pleasure.
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Books on CD are available at any branch of the Baltimore County Public Library and provide both fiction and non-fiction titles in an audible format that you can listen to on your computer, in the car, on your morning walk, or while exercising. These books on CD are available at all BCPL branches and are either abridged (an author-approved shortened version) or unabridged (the complete work as written). Books on CD can be checked out for three weeks, placed on hold to be sent to the branch of your choice, and returned to any branch.
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Playaways are self-contained portable players that come pre-loaded with one book and are available at any branch of the Baltimore County Public Library. Books available in the Playaway format include older titles as well new, come in abridged and unabridged versions, and are available at all branches. Playaways can be checked out for three weeks, placed on hold to be sent to the branch of your choice, and returned to any branch. Please note: battery and earphones are not provided. |
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Downloadable Audio Books are available for download to a computer or compatible portable device 24/7 from MyiLibrary (Ingram Digital) and Overdrive (Maryland Digital eLibrary Consortium) .
An OverDrive WMA Audiobook title is a digitally-protected audiobook that has been optimized for download. These titles are built using the Microsoft® Windows Media® Audio format, which greatly enhances the sound quality for desktop listening and portable device use.
An OverDrive MP3 Audiobook title is an audiobook that has been optimized for download. These titles are compatible with many different devices including most cell phones, PDAs, and MP3 players. See a list of supported devices and/or access the OverDrive Help pages. |
How to Download MyiLibrary Audio Books
• Type in your search, and click the 
button. If you only want to see audiobooks which are currently available for download, check the "Only Available Items" checkbox before you click the button.
• The advanced search can be accessed by clicking on the "Advanced Search" link just below the search entry box.
You can view all of the audiobooks in your library's collection, or you can browse for specific topics by using the links always found on the left side of the screen.
• After entering a search or selecting a category to browse, you will see a list of audiobooks on your screen. The list will include some of information about each audiobook and will allow you to add the audiobook to your Bookshelf or place a hold on any book that is already checked out.
• To download an audiobook, you first need to add the audiobook to your Bookshelf. From the Bookshelf you can download new audiobooks, view the list of audiobooks you have on hold, and see a history of the audiobooks you have downloaded in the past.
• Audio books will remain on your Bookshelf until the check out period expires or you return them. You may download audiobooks at any time as long as they are on your Bookshelf. To download an audiobook, click on the 
button. If you decide that you do not want to listen to an audiobook on your bookshelf, you can remove it by clicking the 
button.
• When all available copies of an audiobook are checked out, MyiLibrary e-audio allows you to place a hold on the audiobook. An audiobook on your hold list will remain in this section of your Bookshelf until you remove it or it becomes available and is moved to the Download section of your Bookshelf. You will be notified via email when an audiobook you have on hold becomes available for download. Each item on your Hold list indicates your place on the waiting list (e.g. You are patron 1 of 3 on waiting list). Click the 
button to remove your hold on an audiobook.
• Audio books can not be returned early.
• If you need additional assistance or have other questions, see MyiLibrary Help.
How to Download OverDrive Audio Books
• Search for specific titles or browse the collection. Once you find the title you want, click Add to "My Bookbag". Titles in your bookbag remain there for 30 minutes. When you finish browsing, click on "My Bookbag", then "Proceed to Checkout".
• When asked to log in to your account choose Baltimore County Public Library as your library system, then enter your library card number. 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 a title you want is not currently available, you can place a hold on it. That puts you next in the queue for that title. Proceed as instructed to check out your other titles. You will be asked for an email address during the Check Out process. This information is required so that OverDrive can notify you via email that the title is available.
• When the title becomes available, you will receive an email with instructions on checking the book out. The item will be held for you for 3 days (starting when you are emailed notice that the title is available). Please note: Some families with multiple cardholders use the same email address for notification. If you receive an email stating that a book is ready for download, but it does not appear on the list when you log in to your account in OverDrive, check to be sure the book was not inadvertently checked out using a family member's card instead of your own.
• Audio books can not be returned early.
• If you need more help, see the OverDrive Help pages.
Comparison of MyiLibrary and OverDrive Audiobooks:
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Question |
MyiLibrary |
Overdrive |
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Transfer to Windows Media devices |
Yes |
Yes |
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Transfer to iPod |
Yes – all titles |
Yes – selected titles |
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Device compatibility |
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Loan period |
One week minimum, two week maximum – chosen by the customer when the title is selected. |
One week or two weeks – customer sets a default for all titles. |
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Loan limit |
Two (2) items may be checked out at any time. |
Four (4) items may be checked out at any time. |
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Return items early? |
No |
No |
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Software download required |
Ingram Media Manager, available free from the Ingram MyiLibrary Audio site. |
Overdrive Media Console, available free from the Maryland Digital eLibrary Consortium site. |
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Other software required |
Windows Media Player 9 (or newer) OR Apple® iTunes® version 7.6.2.9 (or newer). |
Windows Media Player 9 (or newer) OR Apple® iTunes® version 7.6.2.9 (or newer). |
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Records / links from the BCPL catalog |
Yes. |
Yes. |
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Holds |
Yes. Customers can place holds and will be notified by email when the title is available. When the email is sent the title is checked out immediately to the customer’s Ingram account and the loan period begins. |
Yes. Customers can place holds and will be notified by email when the title is available. Customers have three days to login and check out the title. The loan period begins at that point. |
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Always available titles |
Not at this time. Titles are currently available on a copy by copy basis based on what we have purchased, but an always-available option is planned for the future. |
A subset of titles is included in an always-available section and can be borrowed by customers at any time. |
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Help pages |
Other Sources For Free Audio Books
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 their web site.) Assistive Media provides free-of-charge, copyright approved, high caliber audio literary works.
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You can download popular titles from Overdrive, Maryland's Digital eLibrary Consortium, in either Adobe PDF or Adobe EPUB* formats. Adobe Digital Editions, a free eBook reader application used to read DRM-protected Adobe eBooks, must be installed and activated in order to use the DRM-protected Adobe eBooks available from OverDrive. |
These online text versions of books can be checked out for up to two weeks, and are meant to be read on your PC or on select portable reading devices. All eBooks from OverDrive can be read on portable devices such as the Sony Reader (below, left) and the Barnes and Noble nook™ (below, right). The Amazon Kindle does not currently support DRM protected PDF (Adobe) or EPUB files, the formats in which eBooks from OverDrive are delivered. See a list of supported devices.
*Adobe EPUB eBooks differ from PDF eBooks in that they offer reflowable text, which means that you can change the font, resize the text, or alter the size of your display and the text of the Adobe EPUB eBook 'reflows' to fill the available view area.
How to Download an eBook to Your Computer:
First you need to download and install the free Adobe Digital Editions software. Then browse through the titles available or search for a specific title you'd like to download.
Once you locate a title of interest, simply click to add it to your BookBag.
If a desired title is not available, you may place a hold on the title. When the title becomes available, you will receive an email with instructions on checking the book out.
Once you have checked out a title, a download page will be displayed. Click the 'Download' link to start the download. Once the download is complete, you can close your Internet connection and enjoy the materials offline.
Alex Catalogue of Electronic Texts
Collection of public domain documents from American and English literature as well as Western philosophy.
This site has a built-in reader that allows users to change background and font color and text size, font and spacing for easier reading of the public domain works in its library. No download required.
The On-Line Books Page
Index of over 16,000 on-line books free for personal, non-commercial use.
Project Gutenberg
Fine literature digitally re-published, with over 3000 classic books that can be downloaded.
University of Virginia Library Electronic Centers
Approximately 70,000 on- and off-line humanities texts in 13 languages. Provided by the University of Virginia.
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