NetLibrary adds eAudiobooks from Blackstone Audio

DUBLIN, Ohio, USA,  2 January 2007 —NetLibrary, a division of OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc., and a leading platform for eContent to libraries worldwide, now offers a selection of more than 1,600 classic, best-selling and award winning eAudiobooks from Blackstone Audio.

Bestselling titles from Blackstone Audio include: The Civil War; Mere Christianity; The Aubrey/Maturin Series, Beyond Band of Brothers; Charlie Wilson’s War, and A Confederacy of Dunces, among many others.  Current releases include: The Legend of the Wandering King, a CBC/NSTA Outstanding International Book for 2006; The Secret River, the 2006 Commonwealth Writer’s Prize winner and a shortlisted title for the Man Booker Prize; The Master, an IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and New York Times Notable Book; The Sherlock Holmes Theatre, Blackstone Audio’s 2005 Audie Award winner for Best Drama; The Prestige, winner of the World Fantasy Award; and many more.

"Blackstone Audio is excited to have the opportunity to partner with NetLibrary in bringing our catalog of titles to libraries across the country," said Craig Black, President and Founder, Blackstone Audio.  "Just as we at Blackstone are committed to the production of superior content through the use of quality literature coupled with the highest level of narration available, we recognize this same drive for perfection in NetLibrary.  We eagerly look forward to the opportunity to provide our content by means of digital download through the support of NetLibrary."

Librarians will be able to select from a growing catalog of more than 1,600 Blackstone Audio titles, and order now for delivery in February 2007.  NetLibrary will also waive access fees on purchase of all Blackstone Audio titles made before March 31, 2007.

Library users will be able to search for, preview, download and listen to Blackstone Audio titles through the NetLibrary platform via the Internet.  Users can download up to 10 high-quality, portable eAudiobooks, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  eAudiobooks will download or play on any desktop or laptop running supported media software programs and operating systems.  Users can also transfer favorite titles to a wide range of supported portable devices, including portable music players and portable media centers.

Users can gain access to the platform in a variety of ways, including OCLC WorldCat, OCLC Open WorldCat, WorldCat.org, and directly from the NetLibrary platform. 

A complete list of Blackstone Audio eAudiobook titles is available at: http://www.netlibrary.com/Librarian/Products/Blackstone.aspx.

About Blackstone Audio
Established in 1987, Blackstone Audio of Ashland, Oregon is one of the largest independent audio producers in the country.  Each month, Blackstone presents a list of 25-30 of the hottest new titles, including bestselling fiction, history, mysteries, movie tie-ins, science fiction, children's literature and classics read by award-winning narrators.  For more information, visit Blackstone's Web site at www.blackstoneaudio.com.

About OCLC
Headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, OCLC Online Computer Library Center is a nonprofit organization that has provided computer-based cataloging, reference, resource sharing, eContent and preservation services to 57,000 libraries in 112 countries and territories. For more information, visit www.oclc.org.

Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, NetLibrary (www.netlibrary.com) is a division of OCLC.  NetLibrary provides content and technical delivery solutions to institutional libraries, corporations and government agencies that facilitate the purchase, management and distribution of research, reference, digital learning, and general interest content via Web-based technologies.  NetLibrary's eContent solution is the most broadly adopted in the market, making the content of more than 400 publishers and eContent providers available through more than 13,000 libraries worldwide.

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