Yes they do So_P..
But for me it is easier and turn around is just 
few days.
     
I list 16 books at a time.   Some are home,  some are
on the way from the central library and some are on their
way back to the central library,   by mail.   There is no
charge to send them via mail.   And they are delivered
right to my mail box.   

Sandy - The Talking Books sound like a wonderful thing! Do you have to show eligibility for this service, (visually handicapped), or is it available to people with other types of disabilities, or no disabilities?

Would I be eligible, being outside of US?...

So_P,  the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, might have a similar book lending operation for visually impaired and/or hearing impaired.  I don't know if it's only for U.S. residents, but you should be able to inquire online.

SCFSue

P.S. My friend Bonney's husband received books from the L of C and I think our local library might have ordered them for him or he ordered directly from the Library of Congress.

Bubble. I would think that one had to have a US library card to be able to download anything out of US.

Quote from: Marilyne on December 30, 2016, 12:30:32 PM
Sandy - The Talking Books sound like a wonderful thing! Do you have to show eligibility for this service, (visually handicapped), or is it available to people with other types of disabilities, or no disabilities?

Here is a link to how the talking books program works...
Each State has it own State Library to contact for  more information.       I was encouraged to sign up for it
Via the "Iris Network" here in Portland Maine:
http://www.theiris.org/... 

It is available to people who have handicaps and require
assisstence via talking books.    What ever the handicap might
be.     

It is a us Governement program,  so I am not sure how it
works for people outside the USA. 
I suspect that answers  to that can be found via any
agency in your area/country that deals with disabilities
and help available.


http://www.maine.gov/msl/outreach/lbph/talkingbooks/index.shtml

Thanks for the info.

Sandy - Thanks for the information.  I'm sure neither I, nor my husband would qualify for the program, but we very well might in the future.  Until that time, I plan to buy a device of some sort, for listening to audio books. I don't know if I can use my Kindle?

I picked up two books from the library, that finally came in - I requested them both, way before Christmas.  They are The Trespasser, by Tana French, and Gone to Soldiers, by Marge Piercy.  Both were recommended on two of the book sites that I belong to. 

I was surprised to see that "Soldiers" is 700 pages long, and is a hard cover, with small print on large pages!   It weighs about five pounds!  I honestly don't think I will be able to sit with it on my lap, or even haul it around the house!  I'm disappointed in the size, but the reviews I've read on this novel are all raves, so I'm anxious to see what it's all about.  I'll start reading it this afternoon, and see if I like it right away.  If so, I'll stick with the book, or check into getting it later on my Kindle. 

The other one, "Trespasser", must have also been recommended on a book site, or maybe someone mentioned it in this discussion?  I most likely won't even get to that one before it's due back. 

So, I still have all the books I got as Christmas gifts, but they will be waiting for me after I read these two. (or most likely only one!)    

I was talking to my Friend who has MS. Now had it about 14 years and so getting where he is pretty disabled now. Telling him about the Talking books.
Monday I will go talk to my library and see what I can find out about setting him up if available. He like me has love reading all his life but no long can hold on to one or goes out doors.  He does still live alone with a male assistant daily. We talked for 2 hours this morning. He is always in such good spirits. Amazes me. Stops me from complaining about the little things when I stop by to visit.

This is where you go for the talking books in Illinois:

https://www.illinoistalkingbooks.org/apply

It is not at your local library.   
Check out this website and that will tell you all about it.

I didn't stay up to greet the New Year.  Went to bed at 11:00, thinking about how I used to try so hard to stay awake until midnight, when I was around 11 or 12 years old.  My grandmother had a small tabletop radio, and she would let me sleep in her bed, so that I could listen to all the festivities that were happening at that time. (This was before television!)  I mostly recall listening to Guy Lombardo, Harry James, and other Big Bands of that era, who were broadcasting live from places like, The Starlight Roof, on top of the Waldorf Astoria, in Manhattan . . . or  the many ballrooms across the country, like the Trianon Ballroom or the Aragon, or the Hollywood Palladium.  Besides the music, I could hear the happy sounds of laughter and talk in the background. Oh how I longed to be there!  I was thinking about those times when I fell asleep last night. I still long to be there!

I don't enjoy New Year's Eve like I used.  Don't care for most of those singing groups.  I used to love watching and hearing those Guy Lombardo days.  We are on Central Time in this part of Florida and I forget as I am so used to eastern time.  We stayed up to watch the ball come down when it suddenly dawned on us at 11:30 CT that we had missed it so went to bed.

HOPE 2017 IS GOOD TO ALL OF YOU

Sandy.  Oh! good, we will check that organization out.
It should help him.  thanks

http://my.playaway.com/playaway/   This is a newer audio book that our library has.

We stayed up for the ball drop last evening.    I'm not so much into the show beforehand anymore.   As someone said,  "There is no more Guy Lombardo".    It is kind of interesting to see all the people at Time's Square and the fire works after but that's all.     Debby was over and we had pizza and wings and a movie on Netflix.   Al napped so he could hold out until midnight and she and I worked on a jigsaw puzzle that I bought at an estate sale this summer.    The picture is of the Las Vegas strip.    It has been quite challenging and isn't finished yet.    She stayed overnight and made a Shepherd's Pie for our dinner today.   It was a  good time  and a fun change from our regular routine.

Cold and drizzly today and yesterday, so I've been staying inside and reading.  Of all the books I have here to choose from, I picked The Trespasser, to start with. I saw that it was on the NYT Best Seller list this week, which is probably why it's only available for one week from the library.  Turns out it's a murder mystery, which is not my favorite style of book.  Even so, I'm really liking the characters, and the setting, which is in present day Ireland. 

I'm still reading, and enjoying, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up.  I'm inspired, but somehow I continue to sit around reading and watching TV, instead of getting to the business of "tidying up"!     

I finished The Trespasser, by Tana French, and thought it was an excellent crime thriller!  Not the style of book that I usually enjoy, but I have to say that this mystery novel was good, and really pulled me in from the very beginning.

The main character is a woman detective on the Dublin, Ireland Police Force, and what an unusual and intriguing character she is!  I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good mystery, and to everyone else who wants to take a chance on something different! 

Marilyne, that sounds like a book I would like.  Will look for it.

Meto.  Off to the library soon. Cold out.

Marilyne, I was able to borrow that book from the library thru Overdrive for my iPad.  But, I am on "hold".  This is the first time I have actually done this thru Overdrive and it was simple.  They supposedly will notify me by email when it is available so I will find out then how simple that part is.  😀

I got an iPad Pro (the large one) for Christmas and I LOVE it.  I'm getting more used to reading on the iPad and actually prefer reading books this way (I never thought I would say that).

FlaJean,  I'm another one who never thought she would prefer reading books on a device - but I have become thoroughly spoiled to borrowing library books on my Tablet through Overdrive!
The e-mail notices work fine for me and include a link so you can find them in your Holds.
I've been going through books so fast that I finally started a data base so I could remember which ones I've read.
I can also borrow magazines the same way - but am finding I don't enjoy reading them on the Tablet quite as much as the books.

Son/dil gave me Netflix for Christmas and I'm surprised to find I now have about 9 movies or Netflix original series in my "queue".   
Guess I've finally caught up with the times.   

It seems as though Netflix did quite well this past Holiday season!    Debby gave us 6 months of Netflix for Christmas.   She was funny about it.   Earlier we were out shopping and she was looking to buy a Blu Ray disc player for herself and she talked to me about getting one for ourselves so that we could look at you tube videos on the TV.     I did decide to get one and then at Christmas, lo and behold we now had Netflix.   We have enjoyed having the movies without commercials.   Last evening we watched the movie Big Stone Gap.   That was from a book by Adriana Trigiani  that I had read several years ago.   

Callie,   I have really enjoyed using the Kindle too and get books from our Library quite often.   I seem to have trouble with Overdrive but use Hoopla through our library.

Maryc,  So glad you mentioned the movie "Big Stone Gap".  I've read the book and either didn't know or didn't remember there was also a movie.  Will have to look for it and put it in my Netflix queue.

There must be several programs similar to Overdrive.  I'm so grateful that it's possible to get the library books this way because it's gotten much harder for me to get to the library in person. 
So far, I haven't had this happen - but I like the feature of the book "disappearing" if not renewed by its due date....no overdue fines!
I also like being able to put 10 books at a time on Hold or on a Wish List and then being notified when one or more is available for borrowing.
Plus - I love finishing a book at - say - 11:05 p.m. and starting another one at 11:06!  So many choices - so little time. 

So far, I can't think of any thing to dislike!
 

I'm trying to figure out why it is that I haven't enjoyed reading books on my Kindle, like the rest of you have?  I think it must be that when I'm reading a regular book, I look back a lot at what I've already read, to check names, places, time frame, etc.  I also like to place bookmarks on pages that have passages I especially liked, and want to read again.  My Kindle doesn't give me the ability to do that, but I suppose newer models do??  Mine is getting pretty old now.

FlaJean and JeanneP - I hope you both like The Trespasser.  As I said, I usually don't read mystery or crime novels, because I prefer character driven stories, rather than a story that's totally action driven and revolves around solving a crime or catching the "bad guy". 
However, "Trespasser" seemed to have plenty of both!  Great characters, especially the main female detective.  The mystery part was intriguing, and well written.

Marilyne, you can add a "bookmark" on your old style KIndle. I have one, that I use more than my Kindle Fire.  The Fire has so many more ins and outs than the old one, and i haven't taken the time to really learn its use.  I didn't even get deep into the things tht the old Kindle can do either, but it serves my purposes.  When I add a book to the old Kindle, it automatically goes to the KIndle Fire too.
It is both easier and harder to read on the Fire, you have to swipe to turn pages, where on the old one, you just click the button!  Funny how we get used to some things, and don't get into the "new ones".  I still like a "book/book" to have and to hold from this day forward (oops!), and there are always book that get published that I immediately know I will have to either check it out at the library, or order it from Amazon to add to my already seam-bursting library. 
I love Netflix and Amazon made for TV movies.  With this SmartTV, I can get all of them.  (I'm getting better with scrolling thru the menu on the SmartTV.  If it wasn't for my daughter, I never would have learned any of it!

What makes a TV "Smart"?

I've had a Kindle for about 10 years--a gift from one of my sons.  I don't like it much.  I prefer a book, but I did download all of Jane Austin's book on it and enjoy re-reading them when I can get the Kindle to go to the book I want.  I'm just a Klutz at Kindle reading, I'm one of those old dogs who don't learn new tricks!  I finished a book (can't remember now which one) and can't get it to return to the index.  Any suggestions for a quick lesson which will help me return to my index of titles?

Sue

Jeanne Lee

I also want to know, what makes a tv smart?

FlaJean.  Your remark gives me confidence to move up to an IPad Pro . Hope there is not too much further to learn.

Jeanne Lee - I don't have a Smart TV, but I know that they're already set up to get Netflix and Amazon streaming. (And probably lots more!) I think all new sets are "smart", but I'm not sure?

Sue - Your Kindle is about the same age as mine.  I'm sure they have improved a whole lot since then! 

Tome - I can leave a bookmark when I stop reading, so I can continue where I left off.  However, I can't leave "markers" on lots of different pages, that I can refer to later - nor can I look back to an earlier page, to check on a name or place, etc. 

Junee - Good to see you here in the Library Bookshelf!  I hope you return often.  I'd like to get an iPadPro, as well, but first I have to get a new desktop iMac.  My old 2002 iMac is very slow, and often won't let me access certain web sites . . . such as Facebook!  If I want FB, I have to use my husband's computer.   

As Marilyne said, the TV is set up so you can access Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Pandora, etc.  You can stream movies thru Amazon for free if you have AmazonPrime.  Netflix charges, I think, $7.95 a month for streaming. Hulu is about the same $, but I don't care about getting Hulu.

As I told Marilyne back a few pages, ALL tvs are NOT SmartTV's.  Most new TV's are LED, (Light emitting Diode) which makes the picture better, supposedly, and 1080P, which I can't explain to you, but is also clearer sharper picture, HDTV (high definition).  I sound like a commercial for TV sets (lol)!  Just read over some of the ads.  If you are lucky enough to get sale circulars with your newspaper, there are lots of ads.  You can kind of do a comparison as to what each TV has.  Samsung and Sony are the premier mfgrs of SmartTVs, with a bunch of new, un-name brands like Hisense, Roku, Insignia.  Also, Toshiba, LG and Vizio are some better brand names. Sorry to blab on.  Just trying to provide information. 

I will do another post for Marilyne about bookmarking in the old Kindle.  I guess I need to know if hers is the "very first model" of Kindle or 2nd Generation.

Thanks for the info about smart TV's.  You mention Sanyo as one brand.  My son just bought me a Sanyo a couple of months ago but it doesn't seem to have anything extra or special.  Am I just too old and set in my ways to notice or don't all Sanyo TV's have the smarts?