School’s out, and we’re all planning our summer vacations. If you want to listen to books the whole family can enjoy, then visit the library’s extensive collection of downloadable audio books on its website (www.summitcountylibraries.org). Click on the “Downloadable Collection” button on the home page, and look for your device, e.g., an MP3 player, iPod, iPhone, iPad or other portable device. Download the “Overdrive Media Console” for your device, and you’re in business. You can check out as many as five titles at a time for a week or even three. Just plug your device into the auxiliary in your car and play it through your car’s stereo system, or listen to the book with your headphones.

Downloadable books include biography, classics, fantasy, kids and teen fiction, novels and many more. Great possibilities for the whole family include books by Christopher Paolini, such as “Eragon,” which is Book 1 in the Inheritance cycle. Fifteen-year-old Eragon believes he is just a poor farm boy until his destiny is revealed as a Dragon Rider. Gifted with only an ancient sword, a loyal dragon and sage advice from an old storyteller, Eragon is soon swept into a dangerous mix of magic, glory and power. The books are read by Gerard Doyle, who keeps all the voices unique for dwarves, dragons, elves and humans. These books will make a car ride go by very fast! If you don’t have a portable device but still have a CD player, you can check out the CD copies of the books from the library, as well.

If you want to avoid the hassle of keeping track of the library’s books, try downloading e-books from the Downloadable Collection. You will first need to download the free Adobe Digital Editions software to be able to read e-books on your laptop or mobile device. Also check out the e-pub version of the book or the Kindle version for your Kindle reader. If you’re not sure what to do, scroll down the page and click on the word “Help” for more information. Once you’ve downloaded the software, you have more than 5,000 fiction and nonfiction e-books for everyone in the family. All you need is your Summit County Library card, but make sure it hasn’t expired. If it has, just call the library, and we can renew it over the phone. Then look at whatever category of book interests you, and click on “show me what’s available.” It should say “borrow” next to the title if it can be checked out right now; otherwise, you’ll need to put a hold on the title and wait for an email to tell you it’s your turn to check out that e-book. You have three days after receiving the email to go into your account on the website and check out the book from your holds list.

These maneuvers are quick, easy and fun and will give you a wealth of interesting and enjoyable reading. Some favorites are the books by Lee Child featuring his protagonist Jack Reacher; one was recently made into a movie starring Tom Cruise. Fans of Janet Evanovich can enjoy her books featuring Stephanie Plum, a not very good bail bonds woman who lives in New Jersey, works for her cousin Vinnie and has a grandmother who goes to every funeral.

Whatever your reading tastes, we have an e-book that you might like to read. So check out our Downloadable Collection, and enjoy a fun summer vacation without worrying about getting your library books back on time.