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Which Connecticut Libraries Have Good Audiobook Collections?

Connecticut Nutmeggers

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1Sandydog1
Jan 21, 2008, 8:48pm Top

I commute about an hour a day, and as a result have been able to complete a lot of great books. I'm particularly fond of classic literature and Teaching Company lectures. I'm keeping busy with audiobooks from Milford, Hamden and New Haven. Are there any other large collections out there?

2collsers
Jan 21, 2008, 10:49pm Top

My local library doesn't have a huge selection, but can get pretty much anything through interlibrary loan (well, at least anything I've thrown at them!) I'd suggest asking your librarian if your library has a similar program.

My library also has a digital download program, where you can download audio books for a certain period of time. I don't think it works well for commuters, however, because the formats are limited, and you are unable to burn them to discs or transfer them to your iPod (some other mobile devices are compatible, however).

3Sandydog1
Jan 27, 2008, 4:19pm Top

Thanks collsers, I was just ignorant about my own small town library's interlibrary loan services. I also enjoy "roaming the stacks" of large town collections. I checked out reQuest and found all kinds of audio titles of interest.

4clamairy
Jan 27, 2008, 4:26pm Top

I have that same problem that collsers mentioned. I use an iPod, so if I can't get the book in a compatible file format it's useless. I get books on CD from my library, and transfer them. It's time consuming, but effective.

5perlle
Feb 3, 2008, 10:56am Top

Interlibrary loan. The best tool at any library. If it's on reQuest there's a good chance they can get it. Some libraries do refuse to participate in ILL, particularly with DVDs and audiobooks, but sometimes a library can even find items out-of-state.

6Sandydog1
Feb 9, 2008, 12:24pm Top

I spent a few minutes on ReQuest today. I found just about everything of interest to me: Sophocles, Euripides, Plato, Aristotle, Donne, Hobbes, William Blake, Wordsworth, Goethe, Blazac, Dickens, Trollope, Ibsen, Shaw, O'Neill et multi al. I'll be bugging my librarian for months to come.

7Sandydog1
Feb 11, 2008, 7:21pm Top

I think Blazac is an alien from the planet Xenon. I meant Balzac.

8ChristineMM
Mar 24, 2008, 7:39pm Top

The Westport library has a big audiobook collection, including children's. If you have a CT library card you can get a card with Westport and then you can access their free downloads of audiobooks via the Internet too. I do not know if those are iPod compatible or not though. They are set to automatically delete themselves in 30 days or something like that.

I was surprised to find out that my library has a collection of lectures on audio CD. You should ask your library if they have them because I only stumbled upon mine by accident. They had them in an out of the way spot not mixed in with the books or audiobooks.

I hear that New Canaan has a large selection of "The Teaching Company" recordings.

9Sandydog1
Mar 29, 2008, 8:53pm Top

Thanks, I'll check them out. I've listened to about a dozen "The Teaching Company" programs. They are excellent. I'm noticing our CT Libraries are also purchasing a lot of "Modern Scholar" titles as well.

10Sandydog1
May 1, 2008, 11:18pm Top

I haven't gone "all the way to" Westport yet but I've hit the Fairfield Public Library a couple times. It seems like every time I go in there, there are Bridgeport residents taking out books. I too am from out of town and the librarians are wonderfully hospitable. The audio book selection is enormous. I've died and gone to heaven.

11ChristineMM
Dec 20, 2008, 10:59am Top

My friends say New Canaan has a large selection of The Teaching Company, I have not verified this (you can phone them or check online).

Westport has a fantastic library, with top 10 circulation in the state, they often have brand new books for adults. They have a ton of children's audiobooks (in case anyone else is interested). Their checkout time is 21 days and you can renew online very easily and quickly.

Easton has some lectures, not Teaching Company but well known college professors.

I find it is worth it to take a drive to another library to borrow a lot of books then to renew online when I need to. Going out of town once a month to borrow then to return and take out more is a cost savings compared to buying them! And since through MY library's system we can't interlibrary loan audiobooks I have to drive there.

Also Westport has a video collection that is on par with Blockbuster and has artsy films, documentaries and even instructional videos such as on art techniques. The video borrowing time is 7 days and they can be renewed online.

Westport is open SEVEN days a week and late at night--such a wonderful schedule and a wonderful library!!

12debl
Jan 10, 2009, 12:29pm Top

I was reading about the downloadable audiobooks at Westport with interest. Our local library (Farmington) stopped this program due to budget - I used to use it a LOT and have gone back to loading in CD's. I was wondering if I could request a card with Westport from as far away as Farmington.

BTW, on the downloadable incompability with Ipods -- I bought a cheap 1 Gig MP3 player at Walmart that is compatible with the Overdrive software and used that - it was faster and easier than waiting for loans or driving to other libraries.

Thanks in advance for the info

13loud4alibrarian
Jan 29, 2009, 12:56pm Top

Stamford's main branch - the Ferguson Public Library has a good selection of audiobooks as well. They even have a computer for books to be checked out via MP3 players.

14szarka
May 31, 2009, 12:19pm Top

Otis Library in Norwich has a decent audiobook collection. It tends toward bestsellers (both fiction and non-), but that's exactly the kind of book I like to "read" via audiobook--something I don't necessarily care to have in my permanent collection at $30 a pop.

15Sandydog1
Edited: Jul 10, 2010, 1:18pm Top

I just finished Against the Day in all its 42-CD (1100 page) splendor. This old skool audio listener thanks you, Cheshire library!

I'm enjoying the folks at Seymour library as well. The small town friendliness of Bethany meets up with a large collection like that of a Woodbridge.

And speaking of the Valley, even Derby and Derby Neck have fun book and audio collections.

16Sandydog1
Jul 1, 2012, 1:15pm Top

Today I am mourning the demise of the iCONN book search feature, a victim of budget cuts. Sigh...

Time to buy a Kindle and open up the wallet, again and again...

17clamairy
Edited: Jul 10, 2012, 8:59am Top

What?!!!? When will they be pulling the plug? :o(

(Because I just used it a couple of days ago to track down and order an ILL book. )

18Sandydog1
Jul 10, 2012, 11:52pm Top

Sorry, a false alarm or at most, a temporary issue. It is back on line as of about July 3rd or so. The initial announcement definitely mentioned that it was down due to budget cuts.

I'm psyched. I don't actually use interlibrary loan too much, but I physically travel to where the books are. I live on that site.

19clamairy
Edited: Jul 11, 2012, 7:50am Top

*phew* You scared me. I use ILL constantly!

So, other libraries let you take books out using the card from the town where you live? Because both times I have gone to other towns to check out books I found on iCONN they made me fill out a card application form, even though they didn't give me a card for their town, before they would give me any books. One librarian was super nice about it, but I knew her. In Simsbury they left me standing at the counter for about 15 minutes during the process, though they were NOT busy. After that I went back to ILLing it.

20Sandydog1
Jul 14, 2012, 11:27pm Top

It does take a few moments to get your card into their system. But I rarely get long faces or long waits.

21clamairy
Jul 16, 2012, 9:04pm Top

My library joined a bunch of others in the state and now offers free audio downloads for a 'three week' loan period. Truth is they stay on your iPod, PC, Mac or mp3 player forever. They just make you wait three weeks before you can check out more, but you are allowed to check out four at a time. I've downloaded six books in the last month. (There's an option to transfer files to disc if you prefer.) There are dozens of libraries in CT that belong. I'm not sure how you go about accessing it if your library isn't part of program, but I'm sure there's a way. Maybe one can apply for a card from one of the member libraries.

The link is here: http://libraryconnection.lib.overdrive.com

22ne_anomaly
Jan 1, 2013, 3:42pm Top

I've never listen to audio books. When I have time to sit and read...I sit and read. Besides, I mostly read New England history books and books about cemeteries. Who does audio books for that? ;-)

23clamairy
Jan 1, 2013, 4:11pm Top

Audiobooks are awesome folks who have to drive or for people like me who walk several miles a day and want to something to listen to other than music.

24JAshleyOdell
Feb 13, 2013, 10:11am Top

I second the http://libraryconnection.lib.overdrive.com recommendation. It's a great service and the collection is always growing. It would be worth suggesting it to your local library if they're not a member and/or seeing if they can do some kind of ILL.

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