Resource of the Month: Playaways/Playaway Bookpacks
Many people assume that all librarians do is read. For the most part, librarians do enjoy reading. But the truth is, we’re normal people with busy lives. Sometimes it is hard for us to find time to read. Luckily, LPPL has MP3 players, called Playaways, available for checkout.
What exactly are Playaways? They are small, portable media players that are great for on the go readers.
How are Playaways different from traditional audiobooks? Well, unlike CDs, audio cassettes or downloads, Playaway does not need a separate player. Instead, it comes pre-loaded and ready to use with one audiobook per device. Imagine carrying around an outdated portable cd player to listen to audiobooks, plus a bulky box full of CDs versus carrying around a small MP3 player and a set of earbuds. I know I’d prefer the latter. Playaways are incredibly easy to use too. There are different speeds to the narration, so you can listen at your own pace, with automatic bookmarking so you will never lose your place. There are forward and back buttons, just in case you want to skip (or revisit) a certain part in the book. The Playaway features volume buttons, as well as a universal headphone jack, so you can use your favorite pair of headphones. Moreover, there is no fancy screen to scratch, unlike other expensive MP3 player devices.
Playaways aren’t just for busy adults who have far too large of a reading list to ever complete in one lifetime. Here at the library, we also have Playaway Bookpacks for children and teens. Bookpacks benefit all readers with increased comprehension and vocabulary skills. Playaway Bookpacks help bring pages to life at the push of a button, delivering a fun and educational read-along experience to children of all ages. Each Bookpack contains a Playaway all-in-one audiobook and paperback book(s). Children and teens can follow along with the paperback books as the audiobook reads to them. We also provide Playaway Bookpacks for required reading lists from the surrounding schools, such as Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter”. You can check out up to 5 titles for 21 days. The best part? It’s completely free.