Unabridged Digital Audio Books
How to Register for the Unabridged Service:
This service is available free of charge to all Talking Book Program
patrons.
- To become a Talking Book Program patron, see Applications
in English and Spanish.
- If you are already a Talking Book Program patron and would like to
register for the Unabridged service, send an email to tbp.unabridged@tsl.state.tx.us.
Include the following information in your email:
- A subject line of "Unabridged Enrollment Request"
- Patron name
- Patron number
- A statement saying that your computer meets the minimum system
requirements.
- Email address (if different from the address from which the request
is being sent). You will receive a return email with your login
and additional program information.
Brief Description:
- Three download/playback options:
- Commercial recordings from various publishers
- WMA format (Windows Media Audio), an encrypted, copyright-protected
format for most titles
- MP3 format available as of December 2008 for a small but growing number of titles
- About 2800 titles, with titles added each month
- Various genres, including current and older titles, with focus on
recent popular fiction; also a collection of about 300 school-oriented titles
- Ability to search and browse by several categories
System Requirements:
- Designed for Windows-based systems for most titles
- As of December 2008, may also be used with Mac system for a small but growing number of titles in MP3 format
- High-speed Internet connection highly recommended though not required.
See
additional system requirements.
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Process Overview: Using the Unabridged Service
One-time process:
- Download free OverDrive Media Console software.
Regular process:
- The regular process consists of the following steps: 1) Log in; 2)
Browse or search titles; 3) Add titles to your BookBag; 4) Check out
titles (this transfers them from your BookBag to your Bookshelf, where
they remain until the end of the circulation period); 5) Download titles
to your computer; 6) Transfer titles to a portable device or burn to
CD (optional); 7) Play.
Checking out:
- Up to 7 items in BookBag at one time; titles remain there awaiting
checkout for up to 90 minutes.
- Up to 5 items checked out at one time.
- Most items are checked out for 14 days. After 14 days the license
expires. Book is no longer playable on computer or downloadable to portable
player or CD, although titles that have already been transferred to
player or CD are still playable.
- Cannot check books back in—just wait for them to expire.
- May place a Hold if book is unavailable; you will receive an email
when it becomes available; Hold status expires 48 hours after notification.
- Once a title has expired, you may delete the file or check it out
again to renew the license.
- Individual publishers may have specified a different loan period
or disallowed download to player or CD. Book description includes these
specifications.
Downloading:
- Most titles are 8-12 parts long; each part is about 1 hour of play.
- Dialup may be used but takes much longer to download; you may want
to download overnight or begin listening to the first part while other
parts are still downloading.
- About 1 part per CD.
- You may download some or all parts; books stay on the Bookshelf throughout
the circulation period and may be downloaded at any time during that
period.
Help Available:
- General information about service: Call the Talking Book Program
(1-800-252-9605) or visit the Unabridged
site.
- Readers advisory or browsing assistance: Call the Talking Book
Program
(1-800-252-9605).
- Technical assistance: Refer to the following Unabridged help
resources:
- Send suggestions for additional authors or titles to Tom Peters,
Unabridged Project Coordinator at tpeters@tapinformation.com
or at 816-228-6406.
- Free online orientation
sessions and recorded
sessions are also available.
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FAQs:
- How do I check a book back in once I’ve finished it?
You cannot check a book in before the 14-day circulation period has
expired. The book will check itself in automatically at the end of the
circulation period when the license expires.
- What is the difference between My BookBag and My Bookshelf?
Your BookBag is a temporary holding area for books while you are browsing.
Books in your BookBag have not yet been checked out. You can have up
to 7 titles in your BookBag at a time, and they will remain there for
up to 90 minutes. Once you have checked the books out, they are moved
from your BookBag to your Bookshelf. You can have up to 5 books checked
out (on your Bookshelf) at one time. Books will remain on your Bookshelf
during the entire circulation period (generally 14 days) and may be
downloaded from there. If you need to re-download the same book for
any reason during the loan period, it will still be available on your
Bookshelf.
- What portable devices can I use to listen to Unabridged books?
A list of devices known to be compatible is at http://www.overdrive.com/deviceresourcecenter/.
You will also find there a list of devices known to be incompatible,
as well as instructions for testing any device for compatibility. In
order to be compatible with WMA titles, a portable device must support DRM-protected
Windows Media content at 32kbps. A small number of MP3 titles are also available as of December 2008.
- Can I use Unabridged on more than one computer?
Yes, your Unabridged account may be accessed from any computer meeting
the system requirements.
- Are there Spanish-language books in the Unabridged collection?
There are a few Spanish-language books in the Unabridged collection.
A list of Spanish-language titles is available on the Unabridged Project
site at http://www.unabridged.info/documents.htm.
You may send suggestions for additional titles or authors to Tom Peters,
Unabridged Project Coordinator at tpeters@tapinformation.com or at
816-616-6746.
- Can I change my PIN?
The Unabridged PIN cannot be changed. Each library card number is permanently
associated with the assigned PIN.
- May I request specific titles?
You may send suggestions for additional titles or authors to Tom Peters,
Unabridged Project Coordinator (tpeters@tapinformation.com
or 816-616-6746) for consideration.
NOTE: See our Web Policies
& Disclaimers page for more information about linking to Web
sites other than our own.
Contact Us:
Questions about Unabridged? Contact us at tbp.unabridged@tsl.state.tx.us
Talking Book Program
Texas State Library and Archives Commission
PO Box 12927
Austin TX 78711-2927
1-800-252-9605 (in Texas)
512-463-5458 (in Austin)
512-936-0685 (fax)
tbp.services@tsl.state.tx.us
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