Jamie Kelly, right, a marketing and event associate for OverDrive, shows Jordan Ristich and Pam Mason how easy it is to download digital books to listen to on computers or mp3 devices.
PRESCOTT - When Tricia Berlowe and her son Alex take road trips, they face a bit of a dilemma: Even though they both like to read to pass the time, Alex is subject to motion sickness if he tries to look at a book in the car.
So, while he would love to get lost in his favorite science fiction stories to make the trips go by faster, the Prescott youth says, "I get carsick easily."
On a long road trip over the Christmas holiday, the Berlowes found a solution to the problem in audio books.
"I can listen without getting carsick," Alex said.
But they soon discovered that buying audio books can get pricey.
So they were happy to discover Tuesday afternoon that nearly 1,000 audio books are available to them for download for free through the Prescott Public Library, via the Yavapai Library Network.
To promote that fact, the library served as host this week to the Digital Bookmobile, an 18-wheel tractor-trailer equipped with the technology necessary for downloading the audio books.
After happening upon the bookmobile late in the afternoon, the Berlowes got a brief introduction to the technology from Jamie Kelly, a marketing and events associate who travels with the bookmobile.
While downloadable audio books have been available through the Yavapai County Library District Network for some time, Prescott Library Assistant Director Roger Saft noted that the library would like to get the word out to more of its patrons about the service.
That is where the bookmobile comes in. Fresh from Farmington, N.M. the day before, the truck arrived in Prescott early Tuesday and spent the day in the library parking lot.
Throughout the day, about 150 people stopped by to take a tour and ask questions about the technology.
Saft said the people he spoke with ranged from those familiar with the technology to others who needed basic instructions on how to get started.
Susan Lapis, assistant director of the Yavapai County Library District, was one of the local library staffers on hand to help answer patrons' questions.
She noted that 891 Windows Media Audio-compatible titles are available through the county network, along with 89 titles that are compatible with iPods and Macintosh.
Anyone with a local library card can go to the library's website at www.prescottlibrary.info to access the downloadable books.
Lapis explained that library users will need to check out the audio books, just as they do with actual books. Because of licensing issues, she said only one library patron at a time can check out the audio books. After 14 days, the download will disappear from the person's computer.
"It's just a different format," Lapis said of the downloadable audio books. "It's a wonderful format."
Saft said anyone who needs instructions on the technology may call the library at 777-1500 for help with the process.
Based in Cleveland, Ohio, the bookmobile is a service of OverDrive, Inc., the company that provides the download service for the library network.
The bookmobile came to the library free of charge as a part of the library network's subscription to the download service, Prescott Library Director Toni Kaus explained.
The bookmobile began its tour of the U.S. in New York City in August, and has since traveled the entire East Coast and through Texas, Arizona, and Southern California, said driver Dan Smith.
