Day: 2 November 2009

Christchurch City Libraries welcomes OverDrive!

Colleen1 Comment

OverDrive is a digital media platform for libraries where people can download audio books.  Overdrive is a subscription-based audio book download service that the Christchurch City Libraries will offer for free to its members. Library membership allows for download (once download software has been installed from the Libraries website) and burning or saving to devices for use ‘on the go’. The service has help and support for Mac and PC and downloading for most of the brands of MP3 players, including iPod, Zune and Sony Reader.

More than 350 best-selling and classic titles will form the initial collection, which customers can access through free software on the library website and their library card and PIN. More titles will become available as the service becomes more popular, catering for adults, young adults and children.

  • Download fiction and non fiction titles from home any time of the day
  • Transfer the titles to your MP3 player or iPod for portable entertainment at the gym, walking or relaxing
  • Burn some titles to disc
  • This service is FREE  

So far Overdrive’s most popular audio book is Audrey Niffenegger’s The Time Traveller’s Wife , though there are other popular titles like Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen.  Authors range from Meg Cabot, Ann Brashares and Bill Bryson to  Austen, Bronte  and Shakespeare. Initial non-fiction offerings include Dr Blair’s Japanese in No Time,  social commentary like Stupid White Men by Michael Moore and access to a belly laugh with the likes of  Blackadder .

NZer Eleanor Catton on the Guardian First Book Award shortlist

DonnaLeave a comment

Eleanor Catton’s The Rehearsal has made it to the Guardian First Book Award shortlist. This is really exciting news for NZ literature and we’ve all got our fingers crossed for victory.

The Guardian reports of her chances in the article Fiction resurgent in Guardian first book award shortlist:

The third novel is New Zealander Eleanor Catton’s The Rehearsal, which has already acquired something of a love it or hate it reputation. The novel has two linked narrative threads: one set in a girls’ school in the aftermath of a pupil-teacher affair and the other in a drama school where details of the affair are used for the end-of-year production. The Bath reading group praised Catton’s writing style for its originality and accessibility, while one Oxford reader remarked: “At last! A book to get lost in.”