TRL Downloadable Audio Books

Frequently Asked Questions

Timberland Regional Library is pleased to offer downloadable audio books to library patrons. You can browse the audio book catalog, check out an audio book, then download and play it on your home PC or portable audio device.  Some titles can be burned to a CD.  Please note that audio books cannot be downloaded in the library. 

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about the downloadable audio book service.  Also see the extensive Help pages.

How does the downloadable audio book service work? 

• Downloadable Audio Books are digital audio books that may “checked out” through the Library’s web site. You can search the audio book catalog provided by our audio book vendor, OverDrive, and then check out an audio book. 
   

• The first time you use the audio book service, you need to download and install the OverDrive Media Console software on your PC. You can then download an audio book to your PC, transfer it to a Windows-compatible portable listening device, and, in some cases, burn it onto a CD.

Do I need a library card to download audio e-books? 

• Yes. If you do not already have a TRL library card and are eligible for a card, you can print the application that is available online, fill it out, and return to any Timberland library.

Do audio books I have downloaded expire? 

• Yes. Just as with traditional checkout, downloadable audio books are checked out for a limited time. Downloadable audio books “check out” for 14 days.  The expiration date is set exactly 14 days to the date/time that they checked are out. They automatically become inaccessible on your PC when the loan period ends.  

Can I return an audio book early?

• No. Audio books cannot be returned early. 

Can I download audio books in the library? 

• Audio books cannot be downloaded onto library computers or via the wireless network in the TRL libraries. 

Is this service compatible with Apple computers and iPods?

• No.  At this time, OverDrive digital audio books cannot be downloaded to iPods, or used on Mac computers.

  Our audio titles, provided by OverDrive, Inc., use copyright protection technology from Microsoft Corporation. Unfortunately the iPod (and Mac) do not currently support copyright-protected Windows Media Audio (WMA) files.

  OverDrive, along with hundreds of online music and audio book providers, is hopeful that Apple and Microsoft can reach an agreement that would enable support for Microsoft-based copyright-protected materials on the iPod/Mac.

  To review a suggested list of portable devices, click here. Note that in order to use OverDrive Audio Book titles on a device, the device must either support the bit rate of 32kbps or be able to transcode 32kbps files to a supported bit rate.

  You may want to check device documentation to determine if a device supports protected Windows Media content at 32kbps.

  Note: If you are using a Pocket PC, you need to have a memory card with sufficient memory space installed in order to transfer audio book files from your PC to your PDA.

Are there limits to checking out downloadable audio e-books? 

Checkout Period	14 days
Max. No. of Checkouts	4 items
Max. no. of Holds	4  holds
No. of days to checkout a hold after email notification	4 days

What happens if I change my library account/card number?

• If you change your library account (that is, if you need to replace your card for any reason), you will lose access to your OverDrive account. This means you will lose access to titles you have downloaded, as well as to titles you put on hold using the old card number.

Can the library give me technical assistance with the process downloading audio books to my computer?

In order to facilitate troubleshooting, please include the following information in your correspondence:

• Steps to reproduce the problem (in as much detail as possible)
• Exact text of any error message (screen shots are helpful)
• URL(s) of any error page(s) you encounter
• Library card number
• Title(s) of problem download(s)
• Applicable software version (this information can typically be found under Help > About.)
• Operating system (Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 98 SE, etc.)
• Internet browser and version (Internet Explorer 7.0, Firefox 2.0, etc. In most browsers, find this under Help > About.)
• If applicable, device type and operating system

Where can I find out more? 

• See Help - Quick Start Guide

• See Digital Help