Free, digital books are now available online from Hickory Public Library, thanks to a donation from Laneventure and the Interco Charitable Trust. You can d ownload best selling audio books and print books 24/7 to your PC, burn to CD, or download to an MP3 player at home, in the office or from anywhere in the world. Now your library never closes!

This new online digital book collection comes from the North Carolina Digital Library (NCDL). Hickory Public Library is the latest public library in the state to have joined in bringing this resource to library cardholders. Other members include county library systems in Asheville-Buncombe, Caldwell, Catawba, Davidson, Henderson, and New Hanover counties; and the city systems of Greensboro and High Point.

The Library offers two kinds of digital books: Digital Audio Books and eBooks. Digital Audio Books, spoken-word digital audio files, can be enjoyed on your PC or portable audio device. You can also burn them to CD and listen in your car or on any standard CD player. An eBook is a digital version of a book that can be read on your home computer, Smartphone, Palm OS device, or PocketPC. The book collection offers a wide variety including fiction, mysteries, romance, nonfiction, best sellers, and more.

To access the digital books, go to the library’s website at www.hickorygov.com/library/ and click on the NCDL icon on the homepage. Log in with your library card ID and begin enjoying this great new service. Lending periods for digital books are 7 days and the books are automatically returned, so there are never any late fees. All you need is a library card to get started.

For more information call Patrick Beaver Memorial Library at 304-0500 or Ridgeview Branch Library at 345-6037.