On the go...

Miss Jo brought up a valid point when she mentioned that she "doesn't have time to read." True, in her case (and in mine, and in many people's), it was just a matter of setting priorities -- taking time to read vs. taking time to watch TV, watch a movie, etc.

But it often seems that even if we have time to read, we don't have enough time to finish what we start reading. And when you have to read something for school, or if you just want to read a particular book your friends have read to find out what all the fuss is about, that can be frustrating.

That's one of the reasons why the library has partnered with netLibrary and Recorded Books to offer you downloadable eAudiobooks. These are the same books on tape/CD that you've seen or listened to for years, but with a difference: you can download these at home.

Once downloaded, you can either listen to them on your computer, or transfer them to a portable media player to take with you. Just as easy as downloading music from the 'net, and more convenient than trying to squeeze in time to read -- you can just listen to the book in the car on the way to school, to practice, or whenever.

There are over 1800 titles to choose from, including many particularly aimed at Young Adults. Several hundred more are aimed at "Children", but don't let the tag fool you -- these aren't easy readers. A lot of these are just as challenging as the Young Adult titles, but the subject matter may not be "mature" enough to place it in the Young Adult category.

In addition, there are classics, the Pimsleur language series (in case you need some extra help or just want to learn a new language), the Contemporary English Version of the Holy Bible, and popular adult fiction and nonfiction (which could come in handy when you have that history report on the life of Abraham Lincoln staring you in the face...).

For more information about the program, how it works and which devices are compatible (sorry, no iPods or Zunes at the moment -- complain to Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, respectively), you can visit the library's Web site at: http://www.jacksonvillelibrary.com/eaudio.htm

As always, please leave any questions or comments and we'll be happy to help.