Kathy:
Here is where I get all my audio-books from - I download them right on to my MP3 player after getting them into my computer and they don't expire in a week as does the same book played directly from the computer download file.
www.listennj.com - this is a great free service my county library system is part of. The rules are simple:
1) you can take out up to 3 books at once
2) you can put up to 5 on hold
3) books expire in 7 days, but you can "renew" the license right away if it is not checked out by someone else, or get back on the waiting list if it is checked out.
4) you are notified when books become available by email - the email is good for 5 days, but you have 48 hours to reply once you answer the email.
5) you can not return a book early, so carefully choose your books :)
I've listened to about 30 books so far through this service - it takes roughly 5 minutes to download or transfer the entire book. Having it on my MP3 player is great, mine is an 8 gig Creative Micro player which easily fits in my shirt pocket.
I listen to 2 to 3 books a week (mostly unabridged - I hate dumb downed books) and I get to listen to them while making rounds to 30+ building on my base when working evenings and midnights, and also when on maintenance during days. It is a great way to fill the 2 hours on the road each and every night to the same old 30+ buildings, which gets really old fast.
I just started using the service a while ago, and I sure hope it is around a long time. My alternative is books on CD, I've given up on getting audio-books from the library on cassette - they just are worn out too much. But my County System's Audio book CD collection is over 40,000 books - wow!!
I just downloaded 2 more to start tonight. I go to bed each night (or day - ugh shift work) listening to the books too, so I really get lots of "Ear-reading" in each week.