E-books, Kindles, Nooks… and books

On occasion the library is asked about downloadable e-books and if we are going to be getting them. The answer is probably.  Someday.  But for now the e-book scene is reminiscent of the VHS vs. Beta format battles.  With limited funds and a host of copyright and privacy issues still waiting to be settled, the Spokane Public Library is holding back and keeping our powder dry.  A nice discussion of the issue can be found here: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010947444_ereaders01m.html

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User tip

When using NetLibrary’s Media Center for downloading audiobooks, I discovered something interesting.  Even though the status bar might indicate that the download is proceeding at a snail’s pace, it is actually going much more quickly.  An audiobook that I just downloaded to my mp3 player showed that it was only about 20% downloaded when the download was completed.  So… if you are staring at a download status bar that isn’t moving, give it a chance to finish grinding through.

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Heard any good books lately?

NPR talks to David Sedaris and Martin Jarvis about what makes a great audiobook — and a great reader.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120769925

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Confessions of a Mullah Warrior

Massood Farivar draws on his unique experience as a native Afghan, a former mujahideen fighter, and a longtime U.S. resident to provide unprecedented insight into the recent collision between Islam and the West.

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Recommended audiobooks for your iPod

Looking for some good content for your iPod?  Give these a try… (more…)

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Finding mp3/iPod compatible titles

With over 1,000 mp3 downloadable audio titles currently available, the question then becomes this: How do I find them?  There are a couple answers to that question, but the easiest ways are listed here:

Approach 1: Go to Netlibrary under “Subscription Databases.” Under “Advanced Search,” users can limit their search by format.  Select “eAudiobooks” and then choose “mp3.” This will bring up the 1,097 titles that are available.

Approach 2: Open up the Netlibrary Media Center (downloadable through the link above). Click on “Search” in the upper-right hand corner and limit by “mp3″ under “Format.”  This will pull up all available mp3 titles.  Alternately, users can go to the “Browse” tab, select mp3 as the format then limit by broad subject area such as Memoirs, Business, Classics, Mystery & Suspense, etc.

Happy listening!

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The mp3/iPod compatible audiobooks are here!

They’re here!!!! The mp3/iPod compatible titles from Netlibrary are now available!  You can’t see me (I hope) but I’m doing a little victory dance right now.  There are still a few wrinkles to be hammered out with the catalog records, but for now just know there are two ways to get a listing of the current iPod compatilble titles:

Approach 1: Go to Netlibrary under “Subscription Databases.” Under “Advanced Search,” users can limit their search by format.  Select “eAudiobooks” and then choose “mp3.” This will bring up the 375 titles that are available.

Approach 2: Open up the Netlibrary Media Center. Click on “Search” in the upper-right hand corner and limit by “mp3″ under “Format.”  This will pull up all available mp3 titles.  Alternately, users can go to the “Browse” tab, select mp3 as the format then limit by broad subject area such as Memoirs, Business, Classics, Mystery & Suspense, etc.

Enjoy!

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New Ground

Hello, Spokane!

Apologies for the delay in updating this blog but we’ve had a change of guard here in the Purchasing/Cataloging department.  As the person now in charge of purchasing movies, music and audio books for the Spokane Public Library, I went out on a limb and assumed that you, our dear public, would be more interested in having me focus my time on purchasing new titles and subsequently figuring out how to catalog them than spending time on the blog.

But now that I have a couple months under my belt, I’m to the point where I can do both both!

Stay tuned for regular (and maybe frequent even?) updates to this site.

All the best,

Mark Pond

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2009 Indies Choice Book Awards include lighthearted categories

Most engaging author was won by SHERMAN ALEXIE. No surprise to anyone who has heard him speak!

The American Booksellers Association (ABA) announced the winners of the inaugural Indies Choice Book Awards. Formerly the Book Sense Book of the Year Awards, the new Indies Choice Book Awards reflect the spirit of independent bookstores nationwide through new categories and a broader range of winners and honor books. Audiobook copies of the 2009 Indies Choice Book Award Winners available at Spokane Public Library include:

Best Indie Buzz Book (Fiction):

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Fiery Shaffer and Annie Barrows.

Best Conversation Starter (Nonfiction):

The Wordy Shipmates, by Sarah Vowell. Read by Sarah Vowell, with celebrity guests.

Best Author Discovery:

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, by David Wroblewski. Read by Richard Poe.

Most Engaging Author:

Sherman Alexie

Other Indie Buzz Honor Book recipients include:

Best  Book (Fiction) Honor Books

 
City of Thieves, by David Benioff. Read by Ron Perlman.

The Given Day, by Dennis Lehane. Read by Michael Boatman.

People of the Book, by Geraldine Brooks. Read by Edwina Wren and [Downloadable audio] version

Best Conversation Starter (Nonfiction) Honor Books:

Hurry Down Sunshine: A Memoir, written and read by Michael Greenberg

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, by Haruki Murakami, translated by Philip Gabriel. Read by Ray Porter.[Downloadable audio]

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Grammy awards given for audiobooks too!

Spoken word Grammy winners

The titles below were nominated for Spoken Word Grammy award and the 2009 winner is in BOLD below.

CHILDREN: Best Spoken Word Album  (For albums consisting of predominantly spoken word vs. music or song.)

Around The Campfire
Buck Howdy With BB
[Prairie Dog Entertainment]

The Big One-Oh
Dean Pitchford
[Random House Audio/Listening Library]

Brown Bear And Friends
Gwyneth Paltrow
[Macmillan Audio]

The Cricket In Times Square
Tony Shalhoub
[Macmillan Audio]

Yes To Running! Bill Harley Live
Bill Harley
[Round River Records]

ADULT: Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Story Telling)

An Inconvenient Truth (Al Gore)
Beau Bridges, Cynthia Nixon & Blair Underwood
[Simon & Schuster Audio]

Born Standing Up
Steve Martin
[Simon & Schuster Audio]

I Am America (And So Can You!)
Stephen Colbert (& Various Artists)
[Hachette Audio]

Life Beyond Measure
Sidney Poitier
[HarperAudio]

When You Are Engulfed In Flames
David Sedaris
[Hachette Audio]

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