NEW BERLIN – In January, patrons of the Four County Library System will be able to download an electronic archive of text for tens of thousands of books without ever having to leave their home computer.

Director Darlene LaBrie explained the New Berlin Library will be one among 36 area libraries to participate in the program, which will offer free downloadable audiobooks and electronic books through the Four County Library’s website, www.4CLS.org.

“These services will be great for people not wanting to leave their home. Electronic books and audio can never replace print, there’s just something about the feel of it, but it shouldn’t keep us from taking advantage of new technology. The electronic books will help many disabled people, who rely on audio or have limited mobility, to access their local libraries at the click of a button,” said LaBrie.

“As of Jan. 18, these new materials can be downloaded to a computer and many electronic readers, including Nook, Kobo, Literati, Pandigital, Sony’s e-reader and Apple’s iPad, along with MP3 players, the iPhone, Android and other portable devices,” said a Dec. 21 announcement from the Four County Library System.

LaBrie said the content from the electronic library would be shared among all the participating locations and includes many documents already part of the public domain, such as most classics.

“Downloaded items have a two-week loan period with automatic return, so there will never be a fine for an overdue audiobook or eBook,” stated the Four County Library announcement.

LaBrie said the 30,000-plus archive would also include other titles and was a paid service that each individual library choose to opt into, provided they’re connected to the Internet.