This is not necessarily new: Audible, OverDrive and others have been trying to crack the library downloads market for at least 2-3 years now. But with MP3 players market finally taking off, this is a good time: public libraries from NYC to Alameda, Calif., are letting patrons download book titles to which they can listen on their computers or portable music
Of course, most of them are Windows Media format, hence not downloadable directly to iPod. Vendors such as OverDrive and NetLibrary have licensing deals with publishers and provide digital books using Windows Media Audio format, which includes copyright protections, which makes the downloadable book unplayable after say three weeks.
About 1,000 libraries have signed up for OverDrive’s audiobook service since its debut late last year. NetLibrary, teaming up with Recorded Books, launched a similar service in January and counts 200 library customers.
OverDrive recently launched a video download service for libraries.
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