BARD: Downloading Audiobooks with a Mac Computer

  1. Downloading a Book
    • Log in to BARD.
    • Find the book you want to read.
    • Click or press Enter on the blue Download link.
    • A dialog box will ask if you want to Open or Save the book. Select Save.
    • Most Macs default and save to the Downloads folder on your hard drive. The download process will begin automatically when you click Save, and may take several minutes depending on the size of the book and the speed of your connection to the internet.
  2. Unzipping BARD Books
    • The downloaded book is a zipped file. You need to unzip the file in order to read the book. To unzip a file: Double click on the file (or press Enter). It may take a few seconds; during this time, the Archive Utility window will appear on screen, showing the progress of the unzip process.
    • The files inside will automatically be unzipped into a new folder with the same name as the original zipped file (but without the .zip extension). The new folder will be in the same directory as the original zipped book folder.
    • Once a book has been unzipped, you can delete the original zipped file.
  3. Moving the Unzipped Books to your Flash Drive or Cartridge
    • Open Finder.
    • Open the Downloads folder. Your USB flash drive or blank digital cartridge will be listed under Devices.
    • Move, copy or drag-and-drop the unzipped book from the Downloads folder to your USB flash drive or blank digital cartridge. Note: You can put multiple books on a USB flash drive or cartridge. A 2-gigbyte USB flash drive or cartridge can hold about 25 to 30 books.
  4. Listening to the Book
    • Safely remove the flash drive or cartridge from your Mac.
    • Turn your digital player on.
    • Plug your flash drive into the USB port on your digital player. (Note: The USB port, which has a removable plastic cover, is on the right side of the player next to the audio jack.) If using a digital cartridge, insert it in the front of the player, just like a regular digital book.
    • The digital player will announce the book that is on your USB flash drive or cartridge. Press Play to listen. Or, if there are multiple books, hold the Play button down until the player beeps to go into bookshelf mode. Then select the book you want.
    • Once you have finished a book, you can delete it from your USB flash drive or cartridge. If you want to read the book again, keep it in either its zipped or unzipped form.

Contact Talking Books for assistance at 561-649-5486.

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