CDs, Playaways, eAudiobooks-- OH MY!

Did you know that Worcester Public Library has audiobooks available in many different formats?  We have audiobooks in the following formats– CDs, Playaways, and Downloadable Audiobooks. 

Let’s talk about each: 

CDs

Come to the library to find audiobooks on CD.  These types of audiobooks can be played using any boombox, radio, or disc reader. The loan period is 3 weeks with 2 automatic renewals. (And we're are fine free!)

Playaways

Playaways function very similar to an MP3 player or an iPod. Playaways are MP3 players with an audiobook downloaded onto it. You can use earphones or an auxiliary cord to connect to a speaker to listen to them. Some cars have auxiliary ports that will allow you to play them through the car's speakers. The loan period is 3 weeks with 2 renewals.

Downloadable Audiobooks  

To access the library's downloadable audiobooks you can use our two apps, Libby or Hoopla. Libby is the app for Overdrive, which allows you to check out up to 10 titles at a time and up to 10 holds. With Hoopla you can borrow up to 4 titles per month. Both of these apps have automatic returns and will allow you to return the books early. The loan period for Hoopla is 21 days. Libby loan period can be 7, 14, or 21 days. You can set which loan period you prefer. 

Check our online catalog for titles on CD and Playaways. Titles available on Hoopla, however, will not show up in our online catalog, so, you must log into Hoopla to see what is available. Many Libby titles will show up in our online catalog, although it takes time for the newly added titles to show up, so be sure to use the Libby app for accuracy. Remember to check both apps to see if the audiobook you are interested in is available. 

With Libby you can add other Library systems in Massachusetts to your account with your library card so that you can have access to more titles. The more library cards you have-- the merrier! You may need to use the “deep search” function to see if another library system has what you are looking for.   

For more information about Libby and Hoopla please check our website's Ebooks and Digital Media page.  

If you need assistance with learning how to access or use Libby or Hoopla you can request to have a one on one appointment  with a librarian for assistance. Request assistance by clicking this link. 

If you need to get a library card you may come to any of our locations or apply for an ecard online. For more information on what is required to get a library card please check our website.

New Electronic Resources @ WPL

 CRAFT & HOBBY

An online platform that caters to a wide range of interests to fun and creative educational resources.  One can explore in-depth instructional videos and classes to learn a new hobby or improve existing skills. Sewing, fitness, cake decorating, woodworking, crochet, painting, knitting, photography and many more activities are available. Some content is also available in Spanish. Classes cater to both beginners and advanced learners, and individuals can learn at their own pace. Some content is also available in Spanish.

PRESSREADER

A digital newsstand featuring more than 7,000 of the world's popular newspapers and magazines in many languages. Enjoy instant access to news and articles from thousands of miles away in full-color, full-page format. It includes advertisements, classifieds and everything else you would see on the paper format. it's just like reading the print edition! Download the app for use with a mobile device.

LOTE4KIDS

A storybook read along platform for young children, where you can read and listen to books in more than 60 languages. Families who want to teach their children another language from the comforts of their home will find this resource very helpful. Every title is fully animated with English translations to help kids learn languages and develop reading and listening skills. Parents and caregivers may also find access to American Sign Language very useful. Download the app for use with a mobile device.

All resources are available from our database pages for both in-library and remote use. A WPL card is required for remote access. 

Kanopy: Honoring Martin Luther King Jr.

Explore the work of Martin Luther King, Jr. with Kanopy, a streaming service that is free with your WPL card. Titles include I Have a Dream, which features four historic speeches by Martin Luther King Jr., and Black America since MLK: And Still I rise which analyzes African American history within the past 50 years.

WPL card holders have 9 tickets to use to watch films. Follow this link to learn more about how tickets work. The Kanopy app is available on mobile devices and smart TVs. Create an account here. If you already have an account, click on the film title to sign in and start watching. 

I Have a Dream

This historical compilation features highlights of major speeches given by the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C. - August 28, 1963

Brown Chapel, Selma, AL - March 8, 1965

Final Speech - April 3, 1968

Robert F. Kennedy Eulogy - April 4, 1968

PBS: In Remembrance of Martin

Personal comments from family, friends, and advisors fill this remarkable documentary honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Coretta Scott King joins the Reverend Ralph Abernathy, Julian Bond, Jimmy Carter, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, Senator Edward Kennedy, John Lewis, Bishop Desmond Tutu, and Andrew Young, who recall Dr. King's career and trace his leadership in the civil rights movement.

Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise 

This series looks at the last five decades of African American history through the eyes of Henry Louis Gates, Jr., exploring the tremendous gains and persistent challenges of these years. Drawing on eyewitness accounts, scholarly analysis and rare archival footage, the series illuminates our recent past, while raising urgent questions about the future of the African American community and our nation as a whole.

King: A Filmed Record

A monumental documentary that follows Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from 1955 to 1968, in his rise from regional activist to world-renowned leader of the Civil Rights movement. Rare footage of King's speeches, protests, and arrests are interspersed with scenes of other high-profile supporters and opponents of the cause, punctuated by heartfelt testimonials by some of Hollywood's biggest stars.

The Talk: Race in America

This film documents the increasingly common conversation taking place in homes across the country between parents of color and their children, especially sons, about how to behave if they are ever stopped by the police.

At the River I Stand

A skillful reconstruction of the two eventful months that transformed a strike by Memphis sanitation workers into a national conflagration. 

Big Library Read: A Snake Falls to Earth

From November 2-16 library users can participate in The Big Library Read featuring A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger. This e-book club connects readers with the same book at the same time without any waitlists or holds. Download the discussion guide to start a conversation with other readers. You can also visit the Overdrive discussion board to share your thoughts. 

The book follows Oli and Nina, two very different people in very different circumstances — Oli, a cottonmouth snake from the Reflecting World where animal people roam and Nina, a teenage Lipan Apache girl in our world. Nina and Oli have no idea the other exists. But a catastrophic event on Earth, and a strange sickness that befalls Oli’s best friend, will drive their worlds together in ways they haven’t been in centuries.

Listen to the Big Library Read interview with Darcie Little Badger

To borrow the title, go to mywpl.org. Under Resources, select eBooks and Digital Media. Click on OverDrive to check out A Snake Falls to Earth from the catalog. 

To read this book on a handheld device, download the Overdrive app or Libby app. 

Readers  have a chance to win a tablet, a blanket or Libby swag if they use #biglibraryread on social media from November 2-16. 

Together We Read: The Girl in His Shadow by Audrey Blake

 

From July 13-27, library users can participate in the Big Library Read featuring The Girl in His Shadow by Audrey Blake. This eBook club connects readers with the same book at the same time without any waitlists or holds. Download the discussion guide to start a conversation with other readers. You can also visit the discussion board to share your thoughts.

The Girl is His Shadow is an unforgettable historical fiction novel about one woman who believed in scientific medicine before the world believed in her. Raised by the eccentric surgeon Dr. Horace Croft after losing her parents to a deadly pandemic, the orphan Nora Beady knows little about conventional life. While other young women were raised to busy themselves with needlework and watercolors, Nora was trained to perfect her suturing and anatomical illustrations of dissections.

Women face dire consequences if caught practicing medicine, but in Croft’s private clinic Nora is his most trusted—and secret—assistant. That is until the new surgical resident Dr. Daniel Gibson arrives. Dr. Gibson has no idea that Horace’s bright and quiet young ward is a surgeon more qualified than even himself. In order to protect Dr. Croft and his practice from scandal and collapse Nora must learn to play a new and uncomfortable role—that of a proper young lady.

 
-Click here to borrow The Girl in His Shadow. To read this book on a handheld device, download the Overdrive app or Libby app.

-Read a letter from Audrey Blake. 

-Join the hosts of the Professional Book Nerds podcast for an interview with Audrey Blake on July 26th at 2 pm EST. Register here. 
 
-Share your thoughts on social media by using #biglibraryread to be entered to win a Big Library Read giveaway bag. See official rules here. 

WPL Pride Guide

Join Worcester Public Library in celebrating Pride Month. View our resources below to learn more about the LGBTQ community and how you can become an ally by supporting Pride every month of the year. Click here to learn about Worcester Pride, which takes place in September. 

WPL Staff Picks Booklists

LGBTQ Mysteries and Thrillers

LGBTQ Romance

LGBTQ Sci-Fi and Fantasy

LGBTQIA+ Nonfiction

Libby eBook and Audiobook Pride collection

Recommendations: Looking for something new to read or watch featuring LGBTQ characters? Our librarians are here to help you find books, magazines, and DVDs you'll enjoy. Fill out the form and we'll let you know when your titles are available to pick up. 

Kanopy: A collection of films honoring the LGBTQ community. Free to use with your WPL card. 

History

Act Up Oral History Project

Digital Transgender Archive

GLBT Historical Society 

Library of Congress: LGBTQIA+ Studies Resource Guide

Additional Resources

Human Rights Campaign: Being an LGBTQ ally

Lambda Literary

Tips for LGBTQ Travelers

Youth.gov

Happening at WPL

Join us on Friday, June 24 @ 3pm at the Main Library for a showing of the documentary Paris is Burning. No registration required. 

Visit our Teen Space to view the Artivism Gallery featuring artwork created by teens about the issues that are important to them. You can also follow our Teen Department on Instagram @mywplteen. 

Kanopy: Celebrating Pride Month

Celebrate Pride Month with Kanopy, a streaming service that is free to use with your WPL card.  Sign in to mywpl.kanopy.com to watch on your computer or download the Kanopy app to watch on your mobile device or smart TV. Click here for instructions on how to create an account. 

 

Check It 

This film festival favorite follows a group of African-American gay and transgender youth in one of Washington D.C.'s most violent neighborhoods. After being subjected to constant torment and assault, the group formed their own gang for camaraderie and protection.

United in Anger: A History of Act Up

An inspiring documentary about the birth and life of the AIDS activist movement from the perspective of the people in the trenches fighting the epidemic. Utilizing oral histories of members of ACT UP, as well as rare archival footage, the film depicts the efforts of ACT UP as it battles corporate greed, social indifference, and government neglect. 

Call Her Ganda

When Jennifer Laude, a Filipina transwoman, is brutally murdered by a U.S. Marine, three women decide to investigate the case: an activist attorney, a transgender journalist, and Jennifer's mother. Together, they galvanize a political uprising, pursuing justice and taking on hardened histories of U.S. imperialism.

Funeral Parade of Roses

Director Toshio Matsumoto's shattering, kaleidoscopic masterpiece is one of the most subversive and intoxicating films of the late 1960s: a headlong dive into a dazzling, unseen Tokyo night-world of drag queen bars and fabulous divas, fueled by booze, drugs, fuzz guitars, performance art and black mascara. Stanley Kubrick cited the film as a direct influence on his own dystopian classic A Clockwork Orange.

Political Animals 

Emotionally charged like its subjects, the film follows four ground-breaking women who took the fight for gay rights off the streets and into the halls of government.

Viva

Jesus is a young hairdresser working at a Havana nightclub that showcases drag performers, which he hopes to be one day. But when his father has different expectations, the men struggle to understand one another and reconcile as a family.

Kanopy: Conflict in Ukraine

Kanopy, streaming service that is free to use with your WPL card, has assembled a collection of films that provide further context on the conflict in Ukraine. To view the complete list of films and learn more about this moment and the events that led up to it, visit go.kanopy.com/ukraine. To learn more about Kanopy, click here. 

To find books about these events, view our Understanding Ukraine booklist. 

Breaking Point 

This documentary looks at people who were transformed by a democratic revolution and gave up their normal lives to fight a Russian invasion. 

Maidan: Uprising in Ukraine

Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa, Maidan chronicles the civil uprising that toppled the government of Ukrainian president Victor Yanukovich and has since developed into an international crisis between Russia and the West.

Putin's Way

With only a smattering of biographical details released to the public and his sometimes puzzling public appearances, scholars-and even many world leaders-still struggle to understand the man at the helm of the Kremlin. To glean a clearer picture, Frontline took a closer look at some of the most identifiable aspects of Putin’s public persona.

Chechnya: War without trace

Award-winning journalist Manon Loizeau returned to the places she filmed while undercover in Chechnya. Behind the gleaming façade of the new Grozny, Loizeau discovered women and men more terrified than in all the years of war and occupation. 

Together We Read: The Five Wounds by Kirsten Valdez Quade

 

 
From February 7-21, library users can participate in Together We Read: US featuring The Five Wounds by Kirstin Valdez Quade. This e-book club connects readers with the same book at the same time without any waitlists or holds. Download the discussion guide to start a conversation with other readers. You can also visit the discussion board to share your thoughts.
 
The Five Wounds takes place during Holy Week in the small town of Las Penas, New Mexico. Thirty-three-year-old unemployed Amadeo Padilla has been given the part of Jesus in the Good Friday procession. He is preparing feverishly for this role when his fifteen-year-old daughter Angel shows up pregnant on his doorstep and disrupts his plans for personal redemption. With weeks to go until her due date, tough, ebullient Angel has fled her mother's house, setting her life on a startling new path. The Five Wounds spans the baby's first year as five generations of the Padilla family converge: Amadeo's mother, Yolanda, reeling from a recent discovery; Angel's mother, Marissa, whom Angel isn't speaking to; and disapproving Tíve, Yolanda's uncle and keeper of the family's history. Each brings expectations that Amadeo, who often solves his problems with a beer in his hand, doesn’t think he can live up to.
 
The Five Wounds is a miraculous debut novel from a writer whose stories have been hailed as “legitimate masterpieces” (New York Times). Kirstin Valdez Quade conjures characters that will linger long after the final page, bringing to life their struggles to parent children they may not be equipped to save.

 
-Click here to borrow The Five Wounds. To read this book on a handheld device, download the Overdrive app or Libby app.

-Read a letter from Kirstin Valdez Quade
 
-Share your thoughts on social media by using #togetherweread

Freegal: Streaming 24-7

 

If you have a Worcester Public Library card, you can now stream music on Freegal 24 hours a day, seven days a week! Listen to newly released albums, genre playlists and watch music videos from today's biggest artists. Read below to learn more about this free service. You can also watch our tutorial for tips on getting started with Freegal. 

Don't have a WPL card? Click here to apply for one. 

What is Freegal?

Freegal is a downloadable music service, like iTunes, available to all WPL card holders. No special software is needed to use the service, and there are no digital rights management restrictions.

How much music is on this site?

New music is added daily, but it's safe to say that there are thousands of artists, tens of thousands of albums, and hundreds of thousands of songs. The Freegal site offers access to about 15 million songs, including Sony Music’s catalog of legendary artists. The content is based upon a license with Sony Music Entertainment. 

How do Freegal downloads and streaming work?

With a WPL card, you may download three songs per week on your personal computer and then you may add the song to your personal music player. In addition, you have access to unlimited streaming.

What’s the difference between streaming and downloading?

Downloading is capturing and keeping the file on a permanent basis. Streaming is accessing the file on a temporary basis, while being connected to the internet. Streaming gives you access to more music. 

How do I download a song on my computer?

When you’ve found a song you want, click on the “Download” link next to your chosen song. At the prompt, select Save and choose where you want to save the song.
Note: Anytime you click on the “Download” link, even if you decide to cancel or play it, the download will count towards your weekly allotment.

Can I download a whole album?

Songs are available on an individual basis only. You can choose, over time, to download all the songs on an album. 

What can I legally do with downloaded or streamed music from Freegal?

The music you access via the Freegal site is for non-commercial purposes only. It comes with a license for personal use only. This means that you cannot duplicate it for others, or play it in public, other than for the intended enjoyment of a normal circle of family or friends. 

How do I get the Freegal Mobile App?

• If you have an Apple device (iPhone/iPad/iTouch), you will be able to download the Freegal® Music App by doing a search for “Freegal Music” in the App Store.
• If you have an Android phone or tablet, you will be able to search for “Freegal Music” in the Google Play store. As a precaution, while many Android devices successfully run the Freegal app, not all Android devices are compatible. Barnes & Noble tablet devices are not compatible with the Freegal app.
• You can download the Freegal app for your Kindle Fire through the Amazon Store. Freegal is supported on Kindle Fire 3rd generation and up.

How do I get started?

Click here to go to the Freegal website for Worcester Public Library. Click "login" on the top right and enter your WPL card number and PIN.

Big Library Read: Five Total Strangers

 

From November 1-15 library users can participate in The Big Library Read featuring Five Total Strangers by Natalie D. Richards. This e-book club connects readers with the same book at the same time without any waitlists or holds. Download the discussion guide to start a conversation with other readers. You can also visit the Overdrive discussion board to share your thoughts. 

A page-turning thriller, Five Total Strangers focuses on Mira, who just needs to get home for the holidays. But when an incoming blizzard results in a canceled connecting flight, it looks like she might get stuck at the airport indefinitely. And then Harper, Mira's glamorous seatmate from her initial flight, offers her a ride. Harper and her three friends plan to drop Mira off on their way home. But as they set off, Mira realizes her fellow travelers are all total strangers and every one of them is hiding something.

Soon, roads go from slippery to terrifying. People's belongings are mysteriously disappearing. Someone in the car is clearly lying, and may even be sabotaging the trip—but why? And can Mira make it home alive, or will this nightmare drive turn fatal?

Don’t miss a live, virtual event with author Natalie D. Richards on November 8 at 2pm ET. Register today.

To borrow the title, go to mywpl.org. Under Resources, select eBooks and Digital Media. Click on OverDrive to check out Five Total Strangers from the catalog. 

To read this book on a handheld device, download the Overdrive app or Libby app. 

Readers also have a chance to win a tablet, Libby swag and signed books by the author if they use #biglibraryread on social media from November 1-15. 

Kanopy: Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15th - October 15th) recognizes the contributions and influence of Hispanic and Latinx Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States. To learn more about this integral part of American history, try one of these films available through Kanopy, a streaming service that is free to use with your WPL card. If you do not have a Kanopy account, you can create one. Click here to get started. If you’ve enjoyed any of these films, or have other suggestions, leave a comment below. 

Los Punks

This film, directed by renowned photographer Angela Boatwright, explores the young, mostly Hispanic, Punk scene in L.A. and finds an undeniably gritty, yet creative environment.

CubAmerican

Spanning the past 60 years of Cuban history, this film discusses universal themes of loss, freedom, assimilation, struggle and triumph through the stories of Cuban exiles that have achieved acclaim in diverse fields in the U.S.A. and beyond. 

I am The Queen

In Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood, the Vida/Sida Cacica Pageant brings together members of the Puerto Rican community to celebrate its transgender participants.

Las Marthas 

Follows two young women as they prepare for the annual debutante ball in Laredo, Texas that honors George Washington's birthday. 

Every Child is a Poet 

This film traces Piri Thomas' path from childhood to adulthood in New York City's Spanish Harlem from the 1930s through the 1960s. It explores his parents' immigrant experience, his struggle to come to terms with his mixed racial identity, and his emergence as a writer and acitvist. 

Big Library Read: The Quiet Girl

 

From June 28 - July12 library users can participate in The Big Library Read featuring The Quiet Girl by S.F. Kosa. This e-book club connects readers with the same book at the same time without any waitlists or holds. Download the discussion guide to start a conversation with other readers. You can also visit the Overdrive discussion board to share your thoughts. 

In her debut thriller, S.F. Kosa presents a tightly-woven book sure to inspire questions about trauma, memory, and how well we ever know the people we love. When Alex arrives in Provincetown to patch things up with his new wife, Mina, he finds an empty wine glass in the sink, her wedding ring on the desk, and a string of questions in her wake. 

The police believe that Mina, a successful romance author, simply left, their marriage crumbling before it truly began. But what Alex finds in their empty cottage points him toward a different reality: Mina has always carried a secret. In his hunt for the truth, Alex comes across Layla, a young woman with information to share, who may hold the key to everything his wife has kept hidden. A strange, quiet girl whose missing memories may break them all.

Don't miss a live, virtual event hosted by Professional Book Nerds podcast with author S.F. Kosa on July 7 at 12pm ET. Register here. 

To borrow the title, go to mywpl.org. Under Resources, select eBooks and Digital Media. Click on OverDrive to check out The Quiet Girl from the catalog. 

To read this book on a handheld device, download the Overdrive app or Libby app. 

Use #biglibraryread on Twitter for a chance to win a Samsung Galaxy tablet & signed book from the author.

Freegal: Celebrating African American Music Month

 

Learn more about African American musicians with Freegal, a music streaming service that is free to use with your WPL card. Featuring artists such as Al Green, Nina Simone, and Duke Ellington, this list illustrates the ground-breaking contributions of African American artists to all genres of music. To listen to the African American Music Month Essentials playlist, click here.

How to Access Freegal

To access Freegal you need a Worcester Public Library card (or a card from a library that subscribes to Freegal). If you don't have a WPL card, it's easy to sign up for one! You can fill out an application at mywpl.org or visit one of our branches. Once you have your card, visit Freegal.com and log in with your card number and pin. 

If you have more questions about Freegal, visit their FAQs page. 

Additional Playlists

Paisley Park Radio: Prince Essentials

Featuring the greatest hits from The Purple One. 

Juneteenth

Artists using their voices for activism.

Miss Simone: Nina Simone Essentials 

An extensive playlist of the "Strange Fruit" singer. 

Hip Hop Treasures 

Hip Hip classics and today's favorites. 

Havin' Me Some Fun Tonight: The Best of Little Richard 

25 songs from a Rock N' Roll pioneer.

Aretha Franklin's Top Hits

The best of the Queen of Soul.