Listen up! More ways to enjoy audiobooks at your local library

Remember how much fun it was when your parents read to you? If you love to read but your busy lifestyle just doesn’t cooperate, audio books may be for you. Audio books may be read by their authors or by talented actors, but all are professionally recorded. Audio books range from fiction to non-fiction (including biography and instructional) and are geared to all age groups.

Since audio books are available in several different formats, you may want to try them all to see what works best for you. The audio books on CD have been around the longest, and they can be played on any CD player including portable battery-powered players or car units. Children’s audio book kits are another option. In one box are both a print book and an audio book on CD. Children enjoy listening and reading at the same time. These are also helpful to people who have had cochlear implant surgery. Doctors recommend this read and listen technique to help the person get used to the sounds of words after surgery.

Personal digital players (PDPs), also known by their brand name of Playaways, are high in portability. Each contains one pre-recorded audio book. About the size of a pack of cards, they only require one AAA battery and your personal headset to work. Just touch the play button and start listening. The volume is adjustable, and by using a 3.5-millimeter auxiliary cable, (look for the “male-to-male” cables, with plugs that look the same at both ends) you can plug it into your car auxiliary jack and the Playaway headphone jack and listen in your car.

Digital audio books are another excellent source for audio books. These can be downloaded or streamed from providers like Overdrive, One Click Digital and Hoopla to computers, tablets or phones. Click on the tab for E-Books, E-Audio, Music & Movies where there is a list of available resources and links to User Guides.

The titles of most audio books are listed in the library catalog and are designated by the symbol of a headset. Hoopla, however, has many additional titles available from their website.

Finally, Talking Books for the Blind and Physically Handicapped is a free braille and talking book library service for people with temporary or permanent low vision, blindness, or a physical disability that prevents them from reading or holding the printed page. Through a national network of cooperating libraries, NLS (National Library Service) offers books in braille or audio formats, mailed to your door for free, or instantly downloadable. Call 800-226-6075 for information.

This story was originally published May 20, 2016 at 6:57 PM with the headline "Listen up! More ways to enjoy audiobooks at your local library."