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Electronic Resources

Through partnership with the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, the eiNetwork, and NetLibrary.com, we are proud to offer online eBooks and downloadable audiobooks to library patrons free of charge.

eBooks

About eBooks: eBooks are electronic books which can be read at the library or on your home PC. We are able to offer eBooks through our partnerships with the eiNetwork and NetLibrary.com. There are more than 17,000 eBooks available through this service that you can access 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Accessing eBooks: Click here to open the NetLibrary home page. You will need to have a valid Allegheny County library card before you can access the eBook library. Once you have successfully logged in to NetLibrary, you will be presented with a list of eBooks that you can browse or search. Click "View this eBook" and it will open in your browser window.
System Requirements: eBooks can be viewed on any computer with a recent web browser and Adobe Reader software installed. For full system requirements, please visit NetLibrary.

Downloadable Audiobooks

About Downloadable Audiobooks

Downloadable audiobooks are digital versions of the latest fiction and nonfiction bestsellers, book club favorites, and more. You can download these audiobooks and listen to them on a Windows PC or Windows Media-compatible audio player.

System Requirements

You must have a Windows PC running Windows 98/ME, 2000, XP, or Vista. You must also have Windows Media Player 9 or later installed; Windows Media Player is a free download from Microsoft. You must use Windows Media Player to listen to audiobooks on your computer.

To listen to audiobooks on the go, you will need a Windows Media-compatible audio player. Due to digital rights management, this service is not compatible with the iPod, Zune, Mac, or Linux operating systems. You must also have an active internet connection to authorize your computer to play downloadable audiobooks; after you have authorized your computer you do not need to be connected to the Internet.

Finding Downloadable Audiobooks

There are two ways to access audiobooks: first, by searching for eAudio items in the Catalog (use the Advanced Keyword search and select 'eAudio' as the material type), or by visiting the NetLibrary home page directly. Both ways require you to have a free NetLibrary account.

Click here to open the NetLibrary home page. You will need to have a valid Allegheny County library card before you can access the audiobook library. To create your account with NetLibrary, click on the Create A Free Account link in the top right-hand corner of the page.

Once you have successfully logged in to NetLibrary, click on 'eAudiobooks' in the left hand menu to go to the list of audiobooks. From there you will be able to search or browse the audiobook catalog.

Downloading Audiobooks

You can download eAudio materials to a USB drive or media player.

When viewing an item on the NetLibrary site, click "Download this Audiobook" to start the checkout process. You can choose from a CD-quality audiobook (this will be a very large file; recommended for patrons who are with broadband access) or a radio-quality audiobook (a smaller file, suitable for patrons on 56K modems).

Make sure that you have enough time left in your current computer session to completely download the audiobook. Partial downloads cannot be resumed.

If you have a compatible USB media player (see below), you must then use Windows Media Player to transfer the file to your portable player.

To transfer your eAudio using Windows Media Player 9:

Find your downloaded eAudiobook file and double click it to open it with Windows Media Player. Windows Media Player opens and will obtain the license to allow the eAudiobook file to play.
Select "Copy to CD or Device" from the media player's menu options. A list of available titles will be displayed in the Items to Copy frame.
Select the title you wish to download by clicking on the check box.
Select a target device from the Items on Device drop-down menu. Click on the copy button to transfer the title.
Windows Media Player will transfer the file to your portable device. When the transfer is complete, disconnect your portable device and enjoy your eAudiobook.

To transfer your eAudio using Windows Media Player 10 or later:

Find your eAudiobook file and double click it to open it with Windows Media Player. Windows Media Player opens and will obtain the license to allow the eAudiobook file to play.
You may stop playback at this point if you choose. Click the 'Library' tab. The media Library will be displayed.
Find your eAudiobook in the Library Playlist pane, or sort your list by selecting the 'Now Playing' selection.
Drag the eAudiobook title from the Contents or Details panes in your library to the List pane to add it to the list of items to be synchronized, ensure that your portable device is connected and click the 'Start Sync' button in the List pane. Windows Media Player will transfer the file to your portable device.
When the transfer is complete, the status field will indicate 'Complete'. You many now disconnect your portable device and enjoy your eAudiobook.

Returning and Renewing Audiobooks

Audiobooks do not have to be returned. The license to the downloadable audiobook will expire after three weeks, but can be renewed once, for a total of six weeks. After the end of that period you will have to delete the audiobook from your computer's hard drive or portable player.

Burning Audio CDs