Friday, August 10, 2007

Gold Mine of Audio Books for FREE!

I have to share this amazing website with you guys.

Auditory Rehabilitation is of the utmost importance after getting a Cochlear Implant. After I get the surgery and then turned on, the rehab starts. It is the same process if you break your foot. After it heals, you have to do some physical therapy to get it back up to snuff. The same principles are applied with the ear. Tools like Books on CD and MP3 will help my brain get use to listening sounds out of my left ear again. I have to retrain my brain with the speech provided on the audio books that this is what speech sounds like while I am reading along with the book in my hand. I just have not looked at the library inventory yet.

What was I waiting for? I decided to go over to the library with a friend of mine. Instead of doing my usual gossiping with her, I decided to observe my surroundings for once. While she hunted down some sort of weird tomato book, I found the Adult books on CD section. I snooped around and started a mental inventory. In the corner of one of the shelves, a bookmark caught my eye that said Free Audio book Downloads. I snatched one up and headed back to work.

This is the greatest find for me since sliced bread or lincoln logs. I do not know which one came first for me. Anyway, the bookmark had a website, ListenNJ.com that I went to as soon as my fingers hit the keyboard. Shortly thereafter, I realized that this website is the answer to all my auditory rehabilitation. I am going to download the unabridged audio books and then check the book out in the library so I can follow along. How is easy is that?

Overdrive.com is a website that collaborates with libraries across the world to offer free Audio Books, E-books, Music, and Video. All you need to have is; a library card, download and install the free Overdrive Media Console software, and Windows Media Player 9 with the security update that can play the protected content. Depending on the audio book that you download, you can burn it to a CD or upload it to your MP3 player. Unfortunately, this does not work with Ipod’s or Mac’s. One day it will, one day. There is always ways around it. Here are the pertinent links so you can see if you can take advantage of this!

Search for your Library
Search for your library first and see if they offer free downloads.

Download the free Overdrive Media Console
This will download the content and play it.

Download Windows Media Player 9
In case you don't have it or you would like to upgrade.

Instructions on how to install the security update for Windows Media Player 9

I have complete confidence that I am not going to run out of rehab materials for quite some time.

1 comment:

Sam said...

What a fantastic resource! I thought I was limited to CDs borrowed from the library and sure enough, its a member of Overdrive...found, thanks to you!