Free e-books and audio books with your library card

Posted October 13, 2016 11:00 pm

Submitted by Vernon Area Public Library

When savvy consumers of e-books and downloadable audio books want the next best-seller, they pull out their wallet - and grab their library card.

Readers can buy e-books for $12 to $30 a pop or shell out a monthly subscription fee for audio books. But that adds up quickly. Anyone with a Vernon Area Public Library card can read e-books and listen to audio books for free.

A newly redesigned cloudLibrary is among Vernon Area Library's digital offerings. A library card and the cloudLibrary app are both free and there are no fees for - or limits on - downloading.

The cloudLibrary app lets users browse an extensive collection of titles on their smartphone, tablet or computer. The app keeps all borrowing in sync, meaning that whichever device a patron chooses on which to read or listen, their borrowed books will be there, their place marked.

So, for example, when a cloudLibrary user borrows an audio book on their desktop, they can listen to it in their car using their smartphone. A book downloaded to a tablet can later be picked up on a smartphone.

Browsing the cloudLibrary is similar to an in-library or bookstore experience. Shelves are organized by category such as fiction, nonfiction or kids, as well as by themes like biography, business or history.

If a title is not available, cloudLibrary estimates when it will be and the patron can place it on hold or filter to see only those titles that are available for checkout, with no wait. The app includes a search option for finding specific titles or authors.

The redesigned cloudLibrary app works with a range of devices, including Android and Apple products, as well as e-readers like Nooks and most Kindles. The app is not currently compatible with Kindle Paperwhite or Kindle Voyage.

Library cardholders can get started at bit.ly/VernonCloudLibrary.

Residents of the Vernon Area Public Library District who do not have a library card can apply for one at the library or online at http://bit.ly/VernonLibraryCard. To find out which library district you live in, visit http://bit.ly/MyGovtSvcs.

Device help is also available. To make an appointment with a librarian for one-on-one assistance, call (224) 543-1485.

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