We live in an extremely fast paced society. It’s often hard to find leisure time between work and family responsibilities. One of my favorite leisure activities is curling up with a good book. Unfortunately, it’s often difficult to find the time to read. If you have an extensive reading list like me, it’s going to be nearly impossible to read everything you want in one lifetime. Fortunately, LPPL has several audiobook formats to help you get through your list.
June is Audio Book Month. Each branch in the LPPL system has several options for your listening pleasure. Audio books are great for traveling. You don’t have to keep switching radio stations to find something enjoyable. When I travel, I like listening to the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. With eight books in the series (each book about 400-500 pages) as well as a few novellas, it’s quite a lot to get through. With an audiobook in my car, I can finish an Outlander novel in about 2 and a half weeks.
If you don’t have a CD player in your vehicle, or you don’t travel much, fret not. LPPL also has MP3 players called Playaways to listen to your favorite novels. Unlike CDs, audio cassettes or downloads, Playaway does not need a separate player. Instead, the Playaway comes pre-loaded and ready to use with one audiobook. The Playaways are very easy to use. There are different narration speeds so you can listen at your own pace, as well as automatic bookmarking (no more trying to remember where you stopped in your audiobook) Since the Playaway is small, you can listen to it in your car by plugging it in to a universal jack, or carry it on you and plug it in to your favorite headphones. Audiobooks and Playaways aren’t just for busy adults. LPPL also has Playaway Bookpacks. Each Bookpack contains a Playaway and paperback book help bring pages to life at the push of a button, delivering read-along experience to children. If you child is a reluctant reader, or has some difficulty reading, Playaway Bookpacks are a great tool to help create a deeper engagement in reading and helps develop confidence in young readers.
If CD audiobooks and MP3 players aren’t your thing, LPPL also has e-audiobooks available through both CloudLibrary and Hoopla. Simply download your favorite titles, and listen to them on your smartphone or tablet.
- Katie, Reference Librarian