LongStation

Here is an “underpublicized gem” that Houston residents can enjoy (please check your local area for availability).  The Houston Public Library offers a huge collection of Downloadable Audiobooks for easy access with your current library card. Here are the details:

• Your HPL PowerCard is required to download the audiobooks.
• The audiobook files are in Windows Media Audio format (WMA).
• Checkout period is 3 weeks.
• Users can check out 6 titles at a time.
• To listen, download the Audiobook to your PC and use your audio player.

I like that the library is using WMA files, as they seem safe at the moment and seem to work well with liscensed content. Also, a three week period, 6 books at a time, etc…. all seem quite fantastic. Pass this around, I would like to see the service continue.

Also, I expect that this will be a growing trend that may span to movies, documentaries, etc. It is good to see a library expand with the times. They have terrific content, but when is the last time you went into a library? Online visiting is a good fit. Kudos to the library.