A Digital Bookmobile? Its on the road!

I remember when audiobooks were on vinyl! Really! (Shorter books and plays, mostly). Imagine listening to a book on a turntable, and having to flip it every 20 minutes. Imagine a part of the story skipping on a scratch …on a scratch …on a scratch. Sure, vinyl’s cool and all, and I won’t argue that I’d rather listen to the Rolling Stones on vinyl than any other way, but I’m glad the days of vinyl fiction are long gone. Audiobooks really took off when walkmen hit the streets and cassette tapes came into vogue. The library still owns a lot of books on tape, and they still get a lot of use, for now anyway. They only need to be flipped every 45 minutes. Then CDs came along, cutting down the size – and the flipping – still more.

Now we have downloadable digital audiobooks, ebooks, music and movies, and the works of Dickens could probably be carried by that ID chip in your pet’s ear. (Hey – now there’s an idea!) Yes, the new format takes some getting used to, but once you get the hang of it you’ll never want to go back to that CD/cassette/vinyl business again. For audiobook lovers, digital downloads mean no scratches, no packaging, and no flipping! A tiny Mp3 player can carry a hefty shelf of audiobooks, ebooks, music and video.

Curious? Ready to make the leap? Or maybe you’re already downloading stuff, but didn’t know the library offered digital media. Come by the Southwest Branch on May 27th  or 28th and explore the Digital Bookmobile. This 74-foot, 18-wheel tractor-trailer (its really pretty amazing looking) is equipped with broadband Internet-connected PCs, high definition monitors, premium sound systems, and a variety of portable media players, all of which help you explore The Library’s download service including sample ebooks, audiobooks, music, and video.

The Library will host the nationally touring Digital Bookmobile at our Southwest Branch on Wednesday, May 27th and Thursday, May 28th from 10-5