Nashville Public Library now offers Playaways: each palm-sized unit is loaded with an audiobook!

Nashville Public Library is now offering the Playaway – the first self-playing digital audiobook – at the main library downtown, adding the innovative digital format to our existing audiobook collection. Library patrons love them, and they're available at the Main Library, along with the Bordeaux, Edmondson Pike, Hermitage, Green Hills, and Madison Branches!

Not an MP3 or CD player and not software, Playaway is the self-contained audio equivalent of a book. Half the size of a deck of cards, Playaway gives listeners the option of placing digital bookmarks and controlling the speed of a narrator’s voice, all while easily moving both forward and back through audiobook selections that can range from six to twenty-four hours. Additionally, Playaway has a universal headphone jack that works with almost any type of headphone or mobility accessory. Playaway’s simple functionality and immediate usability separate it from other audio book formats.

What do I need to get started?

• A Library Card
• 2 AAA batteries (1 AAA will give you about 10 hours of play—most books will take 2.)
• Your own earbuds or headphones (standard mini-jack earbuds for ipods, radios, and portable CD players will work). If you don’t already have a set, they are very inexpensive and widely available.

What is the checkout period?

• 3 weeks, just like our other audiobooks!
• Playaways may be renewed one time.

How do I find Playaway titles?

They are available by browsing at the Main Library, as well as the Bordeaux, Edmondson Pike, Green Hills, Hermitage, and Madison Branches. At this time, Playaways are not requestable.

For more information, call the main library's Popular Materials department at 862-5852.