Update on mp3 audio books, iPods and libraries

WOW, I am in 2 people's feeders - doesn't take much to excite me nowadays :)

Since my last posting on the subject, I have been very busy investigating other options for buying mp3 files to lend out on iPods. I found this interesting post on Gordian Knot. It seems Bartlesville Library has been doing what I want to do for a while. Ironically, they found that iTunes was the best way. They were loading audio books onto patrons’ devices but then also purchased their own iPods for loan, in the same way that I would like to. With iPods (not sure on other mp3 players), you can’t synchronise the device to more than one computer. This, to me, is a bonus with relation to the copyright issue. If a patron tries to use the library’s iPod with iTunes on their home computer (eg to copy the audio book for home), the computer will erase all files from the iPod, as it has already been synchronised with the library’s pc.

With my investigating hat still on, I contacted one of the Library’s audio book publishers who are hoping to go down the path of mp3 files for purchase (as opposed to mp3 files on CD). The person I spoke to was under the impression that the licence meant one copy could be loaned out at a time, so if I chose to make a copy of an audio book and lend it out on an iPod, that would be ok as long as I removed the cd copy from the shelves. This seems too good to be true! I would be happy to buy audio books as mp3 files on CD and then transfer them to an iPod and not lend out the actual CDs, but I think this warrants some more investigation.

THEN Boney-girl sent me this doozy. This is the Catholic Ed Office in NSW and they are lending out audio books on iPods! They use Audible.com, which the iTunes person has also referred me to, so I went there. They seemed ok, so I sent them an email outlining what I wanted to do and got this back “In regards to the sharing of audio books, you will only be able to activate 2 iPods on your Audible account. There may also be some geographical restrictions on certain titles on our website due to your location.” I replied back asking what activating only 2 iPods means (useless if it means I can only download to 2 devices – what is the point??) and also asking what the geographical restrictions are. There was no reply regarding geographical isolation, but that copyright meant an account couldn't have more than 2 iPods to download to. I managed to track down another 2 email addresses to contact, so currently have 3 emails floating around somewhere in cyberspace.

I do find it strange that a public library can't lend out an audio book when they can lend out print copies.

Oh, and there are lots of libraries in the US that are loaning iPods with books loaded on them, such as South Huntington Public Library in New York.

So does anyone have any ideas here???