NETLIBRARY

MARY LOVES HER AUDIO BOOKS. OVER THE YEARS SHE HAS INTRODUCED ME TO THE CONCEPT AND I ENJOY THE MYSTERIES (WHO DONE IT?), SUSPENSE (WHAT NEXT?), AND WESTERNS (COWBOYS?). MARY FOR YEARS HAS CHECKED THESE AUDIO BOOKS OUT AT THE LIBRARY. FIRST IT WAS CASSETTE TAPES, AND NOW IT'S CD DISKS.

WE WOULD OFTEN SHARE IN THE LISTENING OF THE AUDIO BOOKS WHILE ON ROAD TRIPS IN THE HONDA OR DRIVING BACK AND FORTH TO WORK. IT MAKES A LONG CAR TRIP MUCH MORE ENJOYABLE LISTENING TO A YARN SPUN BY LOUIS L'AMOUR ABOUT THE SACKETT BROTHER'S ADVENTURES.

TODAY WE GET OUR AUDIO MATERIAL THROUGH NETLIBRARY. NETLIBRARY IS A NATIONAL LIBRARY SERVICE PROVIDING AUDIO MATERIALS TO THE LOCAL LIBRARIES. YOU CAN NOT ACCESS MATERIAL DIRECTLY FROM THEM, BUT MUST INSTEAD GO TO ONE OF THE PARTICIPATING LOCAL LIBRARIES.

WE OF COURSE USE THE CLARK COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM, WHICH HAS A HUGH SELECTION OF AUDIO BOOKS. IN LOOKING AT THE INTERNET HOWEVER, THE LA CROSSE PUBLIC LIBRARY ALSO HAS A NETLIBARY SET UP. CHECK YOUR LIBRARY TO SEE IF THEY USE THE NETLIBRARY SERVICES.

ONCE YOU HAVE YOUR LIBRARY ACCOUNTS SET UP, PROPER FREE SOFTWARE, YOU USE YOUR COMPUTER, SO IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE YOU ARE AS LONG AS YOU HAVE INTERNET SERVICE. THIS SERVICE IS JUST LIKE CHECKING OUT A BOOK AT THE LIBRARY, "FREE".

YOU CHECK OUT THE BOOK ON THE INTERNET, AND DOWNLOAD IT TO YOUR COMPUTER. AFTER THE BORROWING PERIOD THE SOFTWARE MAKES THE BOOK SELF DESTRUCT, AND YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT RETURNING IT TO THE LIBRARY.

YOU HAVE SEVERAL OPTIONS FOR LISTENING TO YOUR BORROWED AUDIO BOOK. YOU CAN PLAY THE BOOK ON YOUR COMPUTER, YOU CAN BURN THE BOOK TO CD AND USE YOUR CD PLAYER AT HOME OR IN THE CAR, OR YOU CAN UPLOAD THE AUDIO BOOK TO YOUR MP3 PLAYER.

WE USE THE MP3 PLAYER OPTION. IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THE MP3 PLAYER YOU SELECT IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE SOFTWARE USED IN PLAYING AND DOWNLOADING OF THE AUDIO BOOK. FOR EXAMPLE, THE POPULAR I-POD, BY APPLE DOES NOT WORK. THIS IS OF COURSE BY DESIGN SO THAT YOU HAVE TO BUY YOUR MUSIC AND AUDIO BOOKS FROM I-TUNES.

OF COURSE AN MP3 PLAYER IS A PERSONAL DEVICE AND ONLY ONE PERSON CAN HEAR THE BOOK. ALSO IT'S VERY DANGEROUS TO USE THOSE HEADPHONES OR EAR BUDS WHILE DRIVING A CAR. THE SOLUTION IS AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE THAT BROADCASTS YOUR BOOK TO AN FM RADIO SO YOU CAN HEAR IT THROUGH YOUR CAR'S STEREO SYSTEM.

ON A PERSONAL NOTE, PUTTING ON THE BOSE HEADPHONES TO LISTEN TO MY BOOK COMES IN VERY HANDY WHEN I BECOME BURNED OUT ON HGTV, OR IN THE CAR WHEN WE ARE LISTENING TO TWO DIFFERENT BOOKS. MARY USES HER MP3 PLAYER AND EAR BUDS AT WORK ON BREAK AS SHE TIRES OF THE SPORTS AND NANCY GRACE ON CNN.

JUST AN IDEA FOR YOU MEDIA FANS OUT THERE. IT'S BECOMING MORE POPULAR AND WE OFTEN WE HAVE TO SIGN UP ON A WAITING LIST FOR A BOOK WE WANT TO HEAR.

"SUNNY & 80"