Audio News Briefs

Ingram Content Group Inc. has entered into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to offer its inventory of 3000 downloadable digital audiobooks to military service members, their dependents, and National Guard members through MyiLibrary, Ingram Digital's online e-content aggregation platform. The audiobook titles will be adding to the collection of more than 500 ebook titles the DOD has acquired from Ingram Digital over the past two years. More info at www.ingramcontent.com.

Now available from Alexander Street Press: Audio Drama: The L.A. Theatre Works Collection, a cross-searchable e-resource that delivers 300-plus dramatic works via streaming audio from the curated archive radio of theater company L.A. Theatre Works. The collection presents classics of the Western canon, modern works by American luminaries, and originally commissioned docudramas by both renowned and emerging playwrights. Audio Drama is available by annual subscription or through one-time purchase of perpetual rights. Prices are scaled to budget and FTE, with optional downloading at an additional annual fee. To request a free trial, email sales@alexanderstreet.com; more info at alexanderstreet.com.

Digital media distributor OverDrive has unveiled the public beta release of an audiobook app for BlackBerry smartphones that will enable the wireless download of MP3 audiobooks from OverDrive's partner libraries and from major online retailers including barnesandnoble.com and borders.com. The audiobook app joins OverDrive's previously released apps for Windows Mobile and Android (see Audio NewsBriefs, LJ 3/15/10). More info at www.overdrive.com.

iMinds, which produces eight-minute MP3 audiobooks in nonfiction categories including arts, science, and religion, has come a long way since its late 2009 launch (see Audio NewsBriefs, LJ 11/15/09). The Sidney, Australia-based company has doubled its catalog to 180 titles, amassed more than 100 iTunes Top 10s, added an ebook component (in ePub and PDF formats), launched iMinds Juniors (five-minute tracks, for children ages seven to 14), and signed a worldwide distribution deal with OverDrive. Learn more about its short-form audio content, downloadable to computers, smartphones, iPods, and MP3 players, at www.iminds.com.