Editor’s Note: In an effort to help our OA community stay sane during this extended break, the Olivian will offer an extensive guide of what to watch, listen to, read, and eat. These posts will be written by members of the OA community. If you are interested in sharing ideas for passing the time, email rschussler@easton.k12.ma.us. Stay safe. Stay sane.
I love reading, but sometimes I want to get something else done at the same time or I am tired of looking at a page or screen. Especially now, with libraries closed indefinitely, it can seem hard to find a way to work literature into all this free time. One solution is to listen to audiobooks. This is something I love to do because it lets me work on artwork or simply rest on the couch at the same time.
If you have a SAILS Library account, there are lots of resources available to you through SAILS OverDrive: https://sails.overdrive.com/sails-amesfree/content.
They have a large selection of ebooks, audiobooks, videos, and even magazines. You can also download Libby, the accompanying app, so you can listen or read on your phone or other device. Simply sign in with your library card number and pin, and you can borrow the resources for periods of time.
The resources on SAILS OverDrive are used by a lot of people, so you may find that the particular item you want is in a long waiting line! You can place a hold, similarly to how you would for a normal library book, but here are a few tips before you resign yourself to the waiting game:
First, check if the item is available at one of the “Partner Libraries.” There’s a drop-down tab at the top of the web page where you can visit affiliated libraries’ OverDrive systems and can still check out books, even if you aren’t a member at that particular library. You will have to sign in again after saying that you are a visiting member from the SAILS network. This can also help you find items that might not even exist in the SAILS collection. One of the first partner libraries that I usually check is the Boston Public Library system, because it is large and often has the most copies of any one item.
If the item you are looking for is checked out at every location, one step that can still save you some time waiting for a book is to compare wait times between the libraries. If you click on the item, say The Hunger Games audiobook, you can click on the small blue question mark next to “Wait Time” and see the specifics of how many copies are in circulation, how many people are waiting in total, and how many people are waiting per copy. The Libby app is slightly different to navigate, but also has this information. Compare wait times across libraries and choose the shortest one, or place holds at multiple libraries and then delete the others after the first copy comes to you!
One more general tip for anyone new to audiobooks: If you don’t like the reader, it might not be worth it! This is one element unique to audiobooks, but don’t give up if you’re turned off at first. Try finding another book. While a reader you dislike can ruin a book, discovering a voice you love can make a good story even better. My personal favorite is when I find an older reader with a British accent!
I hope you give audiobooks a try over this break if you find yourself bored. If you don’t know what to listen to, try a book or series that you’ve already read. Listening can give you a different perspective and you also have the option to multitask if you’re not concentrating so hard on the plot. Happy listening!