This section contains answers to typical
questions you might have regarding
audiobooks.
Q: How do I find audiobooks?
A: You can find
audiobooks by performing a Search the
NetLibrary home page, and from the
Audiobook Center.
Q: Do I need a NetLibrary
account to access audiobooks?
A: No. You can search
and listen to a free preview of most
audiobooks in your library's collection,
without logging in. To download and
listen to audiobooks on your personal
computer and supported portable
listening devices, you will need a
NetLibrary account.
Q: Do I need any software on
my computer to listen to audiobooks?
A: Audiobooks can be
downloaded or played on any personal
computer or portable listening device
that supports Microsoft Windows Media
Player v9 and above, Musicmatch Jukebox
v8.2 and above, or Nullsoft Winamp v5
and above.
Q: How long does it take to
download a NetLibrary audiobook?
A: Download time
depends on the size of the audio file
and the speed of your Internet
connection. See
Audiobook Estimated Download Times.
Q: Why doesn't the audiobook
download, even though I get an acquiring
license message?
A: If you have an older
Windows Media Player version the
download appears to be working. Windows
Media Player shows "acquiring license,"
but eventually you get a message that
you don't have a license to play the
audiobook. You need to download a newer
version of
Windows Media Player
Q: Can I play audiobooks on
portable listening devices?
A: Yes. Audiobooks are
compatible with a wide range of portable
listening devices that support secure
WMA format. See
Supported Portable Listening Devices.
Q: How do I transfer files to my
portable player?
A: You must transfer the files to
your portable device using Windows Media
Player v9 or above. This ensures
that the
license is properly transferred. Other
methods of transferring files may result
in errors.
After downloading, open the audiobook in
Windows Media to acquire the license. Select
the audiobook in your playlist, and
click the "copy to CD or device" button.
Follow the Media Player instructions
from that point.
Q: How many audiobooks can I
check out simultaneously?
A: You can checkout a
maximum of ten (10) audiobooks at any
given time. You will not be able to
check out additional titles until the
license for a currently downloaded
Audiobook expires.
Q: What is the checkout
period for audiobooks?
A: NetLibrary
automatically downloads a license, with
each download, which lets you access the
audiobook for 21 days. The license lets
you copy the audiobook to two additional
portable listening devices.
Q: Can I renew audiobooks
without downloading the file a second
time?
A: Yes. Audiobooks can
be renewed at any point by logging into
your account. A renewal provides you
with an additional 21 days of access
from the date of renewal.
Q: What does "You need a
license" mean?
A: You may have
downloaded a new version of Windows
Media Player and need to resynch with
the portable listening devices. Contact
your computer or portable listening
device manufacturer for specific
information.
Q: Why won't the audiobook
play on my portable listening device? It
played just fine yesterday.
A: The checkout period
for the audiobook may have expired.
Login to the NetLibrary web site, and
click on the My Checked Out items link
in the upper right-hand navigation, to
see if the Audiobook checkout period has
expired.
Q: Do I need to return
audiobooks when the checkout period
expires?
A: No. The license for
downloaded audiobooks automatically
expires after 21 days. You will not be
able to play the audiobook, even though
the file remains on your personal
computer and portable listening device.
You need to manually delete the file
from your personal computer and portable
listening device.
Q: Can I burn an audiobook to
a CD?
A: Yes and no.
NetLibrary cannot stop you from burning
the audiobook file to a CD, but
encryptions on the audiobook file will
make it unusable.
Q: Do I have to wait for the
file to download before I can listen to
an audiobook?
A: No. You don't have
to wait for the file to download before
you can listen to the audiobook. Once
you select a download option, you are
prompted to Open or Save the Audiobook
file.
- If you select the Save option,
you can specify where the file is
placed on your personal computer.
This option takes less time to
download the file, since it is only
downloading the file. Note:
NetLibrary highly recommends this
option.
- If you select the Open option,
NetLibrary launches Windows Media
Player and begins streaming the
audio as the file downloads. Once
the download is completed, the file
is saved to your media player's
download directory. This option
downloads the file slower than the
Save option, since it is playing at
the same time it is downloading the
file. You can stop the download at
any time, change the download
preferences, and restart the
download.
Q: What level of audio
quality can I expect from an audiobook?
A: NetLibrary offers
two audio qualities: CD quality and
radio quality. CD quality offers
high-fidelity playback for patrons with
high-speed Internet access. Most
portable listening devices do not
support the playback of files lower than
32 kbps, so you must download the CD
quality file if you are going to
transfer and listen to the Audiobook on
a portable listening device. Radio
quality provides faster download speed
and is ideal for patrons with dial-up
connections.
Q: Can I download audiobooks
to public computers in my library?
A: Yes and no.
Allentown Library does make a computer
available in the A-V Department
where you can download an audiobook and
transfer it to your device.
However, generally, NetLibrary strongly
advises patrons not to download
audiobooks to a public computer and some
libraries do not provide the necessary
equipment to then transfer the Audiobook
file to your portable listening device.
Q: Are audiobook files
automatically removed from my computer
when the checkout period expires?
A: No. You need to
manually delete the audiobook file from
your personal computer and portable
listening device. However, if you want
to renew the audiobook, click on the
file to automatically open the
NetLibrary web site (if your computer is
online). You can login to your account
and renew the checkout.
Q: How do I listen to an
audiobook in the car?
A: You will need a
radio transmitter or other device
adapter that works with your portable
listening device and car stereo. Contact
your device manufacturer for specific
requirements.
Q: How do I delete an
audiobook from my personal computer or
portable listening device?
A: You can delete an
audiobook file from your personal
computer or portable listening device in
the same manner as you delete other
files. Contact your personal computer or
portable listening device manufacturer
for specific information.
Q: How do I know which
version of Windows Media Player I have
installed?
A: There are two ways
you can determine which version of
Windows Media Player you have installed:
Press the F1 key anywhere on the Windows
Media Player window. The version
displays. Press the Alt key anywhere on
the Windows Media Player window. The
standard menu bar displays. Then click
on Help and About Windows Media Player.
Q: How do I remove the media
bar?
A: The media bar is a
toggle on your web browser. If the media
bar displays on your web browser, click
on the Media icon located in the toolbar
of your web browser to "remove" it.
Click on the Media icon again to
"display" it. You can also click on the
close window icon located at the top of
the actual media bar.
A. Click the "Media" toggle button in
the toolbar at the top to expose (or
hide) the media bar. If you have started
playing an audiobook file in the media
bar, and then hidden the media bar
without stopping the file from playing,
the Audiobook file continues to play
even if the media bar is not exposed.
You must expose the media bar and stop
the file from playing with the controls
in at the bottom of the media bar. B. In
the bottom left of the media bar, under
the "Media Options" drop-down, go to
"Settings" and un-check "Play web media
in the bar." Use this option if you have
previously selected to play files in the
media bar and want to change the setting
in the future. NetLibrary recommends
that you save audiobook file and then
open it in Windows Media Player.
Listening to a file while it is
downloading increases the download time.
It is also advisable that you save the
file in a specified directory, so you
can easily remember where the file was
saved.
Q: How do I stop playing a
file in the media bar, even if I don't
see it?
A: You need to display
the media bar (click on the Media icon
on the web browser toolbar), click on
Media Options at the bottom of the media
bar, scroll to Settings, and click on
Play Web Media in the Bar. You can then
close the media bar.
Q: Is there a safe way to
remove the connection from my portable
listening device connected to my
computer?
A: Yes. NetLibrary
recommends that you use the Remove
Hardware option (generally found on your
Control Panel) to remove the connection
from your portable listening device.
Q: Can I download and play an
audiobook on a Mac?
A: NetLibrary
audiobooks cannot be played on Macs
because the latest version of Window
Media Player available for Macs (version
9) is based on Windows Media Rights
Manager version 1.3. NetLibrary uses
version 2.x licenses for audiobooks in
order to maintain a high level of
security. Because the latest version of
Windows Media Player for Macs does not
support 2.x licenses, NetLibrary
audiobooks cannot be played on Macs at
this point in time.
Q: Can I download and play an
audiobook on an iPod?
A: No, NetLibrary
audiobooks cannot be played on iPods.
iPods use the .aac file format and the
.aac file format does not support the
Digital Rights Management protection
required by NetLibrary audiobooks at
this time. Digital Rights Management
protection helps ensure that the content
of our publishing partners is secure,
especially when items are checked out
from the library's collection and
borrowed by a user rather than
purchased. This Digital Rights
Management technology allows checked out
items to expire on the due date.
Q: I can't find "Author" or
"Book Title" mentioned in my Media
Player? How do I find, play, and
transfer my audiobook file?
A: Media players and
portable listening devices may be music
oriented, so you need to be creative
when trying to find your audiobook file.
Try looking under Album title for your
Audiobook title or under Artist when
looking for the Author.
