iPod-using audiobook fans, rejoice! Nashua Public Library’s downloadable audiobook collection has just become much more widely available to iPod users.

For three years, Nashua Public Library has been part of a statewide consortium that purchases audiobooks for patrons to download and play on portable media players.

The audiobook service that we use, Overdrive, provides books in WMA format with digital rights management (DRM). There are more than 2,700 books available in the WMA format. They play on a wide variety of media players. However, until a few weeks ago, these files couldn’t be transferred to iPods.

In April, the New Hampshire Downloadable Audiobooks consortium started adding audiobooks in MP3 format, which can be transferred to iPods. The MP3 collection has been gradually growing, but at just over 200 books, it is not nearly as large as the more established WMA collection.

The good news: iPods can now play many of the WMA files, too!

To transfer WMA files to an iPod, there are three requirements:

• First, you must have the latest version of the Overdrive software, which allows you to download the audiobooks and then transfer the files to your iPod (OverDrive Media Console v3.2 for Windows®).
• Second, you will need iTunes version 7.6.2.9 (or newer) and QuickTime v7.4.5 (or newer). Shuffle owners will need to use iTunes version 8.1.0.52 (or newer).
• Third, you'll need to be using a Windows-based computer. The Overdrive software for Macs does not allow the transfer of WMA files.

While MP3 files transfer in mere seconds, WMAs do take some time to transfer to an iPod. This is because the files are converted to a different format before being transferred to the iPod. I tried the process on an iPod Touch and found that the transfer took about 5 minutes per part. So, an audiobook broken into 12 parts can take about an hour to transfer.

But with a little patience, iPod users can now play a much wider selection of audiobooks. Try it, and let us know what you think!