Love a good story but feeling overwhelmed by that heavy book, classic literary prose, or confounding nature of James Joyce’s wit? Want to explore new and classic literature, biographies, histories, and philosophies but struggling to find the time? Then listen up and be inspired by the range of audio books available through Naxos Spoken Word Library!
State Library Victoria members can access hundreds of databases from home (if your home is in Victoria). That’s millions of articles, magazines, archives, ebooks, videos, songs, audiobooks and more, available through the catalogue anytime. We’re taking a closer look at new and/or interesting databases as well as hidden gems from our collections. Read on for top picks and tips from Librarians.
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Today we’re looking at Naxos Spoken Word Library
What makes this database so great?
Naxos Spoken Word Library features over 16,000 audiobooks from best sellers to classic fiction, the world’s greatest literature, to best-loved children’s classics, and a wide selection of non-fiction. The library is updated monthly with titles from some of the foremost audiobook publishers in the world, including titles in English, German, Portuguese, and Chinese. Naxos Spoken Word Library provides free on-demand streaming to the world’s greatest literature! What’s not to love?
Naxos can be browsed by category, authors, languages, and by curated catalogues such as bestsellers, featured releases, and recent additions. To support the users through the multitude of texts available on Naxos you can bookmark your audio listening so that you can save key plot points and return to your place in the text with no difficulty.
Naxos fuses easy navigation with functional information. For each of the available titles Naxos provides synopses, detailed information such as run times, ISBN’s and in some cases a downloadable ‘booklet’ that often provides helpful insight into the work, the author and the breakdown of the audio book — perfect for teachers, students, and enthusiasts.
For those simply seeking a good time, never fear! Naxos Spoken Word Library also offers a wide range of fantasy, sci-fi, and feel-good fiction for the casual listener as well an impressive array of business, history, and self-improvement titles for the lifelong learners.
Text-to-screen
Naxos Spoken Word Library offers text-to-screen functionality on much of its collection meaning that you can read while you listen! Audio can give context to the written word and reading can help us comprehend what we have heard, by blending these two methods of reading together our comprehension and retention can be drastically improved. Naxos has made this possible without the need to flip between apps or carry a large book from place to place.
Mobile app
Naxos Spoken Word Library is also available as an app that can be downloaded to your mobile for easy access on the go. The app is available on both Apple and Android phones and provides access to offline listening for when you are traveling or find yourself without a signal, wherever you are. Catch up on your reading between classes, on your way to work, or while finishing housework.
We hope you enjoy exploring Naxos Spoken Word Library. If your taste extends beyond literature, State Library Victoria also provides access to Naxos Music Library, Naxos Music Library Jazz, and Naxos Video Library.
We always welcome your recommendations for database trials – let us know what you’d like to see. Have a research query or questions on how to use our online collections? Ask a Librarian.
