Children's Kit

A book accompanied by a CD or cassette with a recording of the book read aloud. Also, language-learning audio/book sets designed for children.

Downloadable Audiobooks

Downloadable Audiobooks are digitized sound recordings of printed books read aloud. The Recorded Books collection, available through NetLibrary, features over 2000 titles including current best sellers, modern day classics, and popular non-fiction. Downloadable audiobooks can be "checked-out" to your computer and played on your computer or on portable mp3 devices.

You can search for downloadable audiobooks in the library catalog as you would a printed book. Catalog records are linked to the e-book content. Alternately, you can go to Oakland Public Library's Articles & Databases page, click on Downloadable Audiobooks, and make your selection using NetLibrary's interface.

Unfortunately, the downloadable audiobooks available through NetLibrary are not compatible with iPods!

You need to establish a free account with NetLibrary before you can view the audiobooks in that collection. The link for establishing a NetLibrary account can be found in the upper right corner of the NetLibrary home page. Establishing a free account only takes a few minutes. This account is beyond the library card number and PIN required for access to other electronic resources through Oakland Public Library.

If you need to apply for a Library card click here.

If you have a library card but need to establish a PIN, click here.

e-Books

e-Books are books in electronic format. In most cases, e-books have also been published in traditional paper format, and may be available both ways. Generally, you don't need to "check-out" e-books, but they are always available to view online.

The e-book format is very appropriate for reference books. It's easy to search the text of e-books for the exact information you need, and they are available through any computer with an internet connection. It's easy to print individual pages, although printing whole chapters is tedious and time-consuming.

You can search for NetLibrary e-books in the library catalog the same as you would a printed book. Catalog records are linked to the e-book content. Alternately, you can select from among several collections of e-books available on Oakland Public Library's Articles & Databases page. These include Safari Tech Books, The Gale Virtual Reference Library, Tumblebooks (for kids) as well as NetLibrary. Titles provided through Safari Tech Books and Tumblebooks are not included in the library catalog. The links available on the library's Articles and Databases page are the only path to these resources.

You need to establish a free account with NetLibrary before you can view the e-books in that collection. The link for establishing a NetLibrary account can be found in the upper right corner of the NetLibrary home page. Establishing a free account only takes a few minutes. This account is beyond the library card number and PIN required for access to other electronic resources through Oakland Public Library.

If you need to apply for a Library card click here.

If you have a library card but need to establish a PIN, click here.

Limits to service: Oakland Public Library shares access to the NetLibrary and Safari Tech Book collections with a consortium of several hundred other public libraries in California. The shared collection for Net Library includes 6 copies per title, and the shared collection for Safari Tech Books includes 18 copies per title. For example, If 18 people in California are already viewing a particular title in the Safari Tech Books collection at the same time, the 19 th viewer will be turned away. If this happens to you, you will be prompted to enter your e-mail address to be notified when the title is again available. The wait may be very short.

Language Kit

Language learning CD or cassette tape, often with accompanying book.

Music Kit

Play along CD or cassette tape with accompanying music score. These include the Jamey Aebersold and Music-Minus-One play along kits.

VCD

VCD stands for 'Video Compact Disc'. Basically, a VCD is a CD that contains video and sound. It can be played on almost all modern DVD players and on most computers with a DVD-ROM or CD-ROM drive with the help of a software based decoder/player. Most of the VCDs in Oakland Public Library's collection are in Asian languages and are located at the Asian Branch.