Altamont Library Notes for Wednesday, March 1, 2023
Have I ever mentioned how much I love audiobooks? I do!
Listening to audiobooks is the primary way I read over the past few years, and anyone who says that listening to audiobooks doesn’t count as reading can go jump in a lake.
I still love reading on paper, and I still find some time to do it almost every day, but the ability to listen to a good book in my car on my way to and from work or while I’m cooking or doing chores around the house has allowed me to read so many more books than I would otherwise be able to.
Currently, I’m listening to “Heirs of the Founders: The Epic Rivalry of Henry Clay, John Calhoun, and Daniel Webster” by the historian H.W. Brands and read by Eric Martin, which I understand might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I think it’s great and very pleasingly narrated. (For first-time audiobookers, I often recommend the wonderful novel, “The Dutch House” by Ann Patchett, narrated by national treasure Tom Hanks, or any of Bill Bryson’s books narrated by the author.)
I mention this because the primary way that I get audiobooks on my phone is through a free app called Libby. Libby allows library users to download anything from the Upper Hudson Library System’s catalog of tens of thousands of ebooks and digital audiobooks for free! All you need is a smartphone or tablet and a library card and you’re all set.
Libby is produced by a company called Overdrive, and ever since Libby came out, Overdrive has had two different apps that you could use to get free ebooks and downloadable audiobooks. When libraries first started lending out digital materials, many library users started using the old Overdrive app, and lots of folks are still using it.
The time has come, however, to make the switch. Starting in late April, app stores are no longer going to offer users the Overdive app and they won’t update it any longer. So, if you’re still using Overdrive and want help in switching to Libby, just stop by and we’ll be able to help.
You can learn more about Libby at https://www.overdrive.com/apps/libby. You’ll still be able to have access to the same catalog of tens of thousands of ebooks and digital audiobooks, you’ll just be accessing them through a new, more user-friendly app!
If you already use Libby, here’s a pro tip: The Upper Hudson Library System has an agreement with our neighboring Mid-Hudson Library System that gives us access to their Libby catalog too, so there are even more thousands of books to download and read or listen to! If you’d like to get connected with the MHLS Libby catalog, we can help with that too!
First Monday
Book Club
Do you love to read? Do you love talking about what you’ve read with other interesting and smart people? If so, please join us for the next virtual meeting of the First Monday Book Club on Monday, March 6, at noon. If you would like to join us for our next meeting, please call us at 518-861-7239 or email us at and we’ll make sure that you get all the details.
Just like last month, we’ll be talking about Kate Atkinson’s beloved novel “Life After Life.” We’ll discuss the second half of the book at this meeting. There will be plenty to discuss, so call today to reserve your copy and join us! If you’d like to read ahead, in April and May, we’ll be talking about Anthony Doerr’s “Cloud Cuckoo Land!”
Ukulele Group
Do you uke? If you do, even if you’re not very good yet, please join our monthly ukulele meetup. Our next meeting will be Tuesday, March 7, at 6 p.m., and we’d love for you to join us. It’s too cold to meet in the Orsini Park gazebo, so we’ll be meeting inside the library. Bring a song or two to share with the group if you like. This is a fun, inviting way of growing as a player, picking up hints and tips, learning new tunes, and meeting fellow ukesters. We hope to see uke there!