Public library lends out book-filled iPod Shuffles
By Jlowe110
@Jlowe110 (313)
United States
January 2, 2007 8:39pm CST
This really amazes me. How can a Library afford to do this?
Youd think people would take them. I think its pretty cool, but theyre probably more expensive then buying the cds.
We know that small-town libraries have shed their image as fusty repositories of moldering encyclopedias and are now high-tech temples of e-learning, but we were still impressed to find out that at least one library has come up with a novel way to get teens into libraries: put audiobooks onto iPod Shuffles. We have it on good word that the South Huntington Public Library in Suffolk County, New York, is doing just that. They apparently have a handful of Shuffles, pre-loaded with books, and are planning to add more. Given the ongoing Shuffle shortage (even Apple's online store has a two-week delay on shipping them), we're surprised that the library has any at all to share; let's hope for their sake that borrowers don't "forget" to return them.
Source from engadget
2 people like this
7 responses
@thewatchlist (653)
• United States
3 Jan 07
What are you talking about? Ipod's site says the shuffles' ship within 24 hours. http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore?family=iPodshuffle
Also, they are only $79. Books on CD are rather expensive. I'm not sure if the library makes backups of their books on CD or not but if they don't, rebuying a lost or scratched set is expensive. Also, loaning out a portable device is a great idea because maybe not everyone who uses the library has a portable device (especially one handy enough to hold multiple books where if you buy books on CD they are usually many CDs long). Also, they can quickly make new titles (or rare titles) available without waiting on shipping of books or books on cd if they are using a download service.
Good for libraries for being $$ smart and going that route.
1 person likes this
@shywolf (4514)
• United States
3 Jan 07
Wow! I wish that our local libraries would do something of this nature. I hadn't heard about this until now. It does sound like a great way to get teens to visit the library, lol! I would love to 'check out' one of these Ipods myself. Maybe one day a library here in Missouri will offer such a service. Thanks for sharing! ^_^
@doingit4fun (917)
• United States
4 Jan 07
I'd love if my library did that! I'm suprised that it hasn't been done much before, because I live in a very techy area.
@mari61960 (4893)
• United States
4 Jan 07
Wow that's a great idea. I wish they had that at my library. I love listening to adio books. I listen to them in my car when I go on long drives or vacations. I will have to make the suggestion at my library. We are a college town so I will also check and recommend it to our college library. Great discussion thanks.
@Janono630 (238)
• United States
4 Jan 07
Ya i guess that that would be a good idea but i still prefer to just read the books myself that way i can go at my own pace and can stop if i want to imagine whats going on.
@hassanchop (820)
• United States
4 Jan 07
That's a good idea for those who learn better via audio. I learn better through reading though, so I would never rent one, I would just rent a book. Maybe the library preloads the iPod with a GPS unit or something, so they can figure out when an iPod goes missing.
@nickiy (40)
• United States
4 Jan 07
they probly have some sort of "insurance" system, i mean if you rent a book and dont return it they make you pay for the book before you can get another.... also, the ipod shuffles SHUFFLE your songs, and items so they are for the most part in no real order, how can you put an audio book on one and expect it to make sence( since all of them i have seen take more than one disk...
@khalid111 (186)
•
4 Jan 07
i never knew they did this maybe u live in the states or something because i dont think they do this in the uk
