Technology

Every day, Troy residents download hundreds of free ebooks, audiobooks, and songs from the Troy Public Library. Are you ready to take the next step into this digital library – available to you 24 hours a day, seven days a week, no matter where you are?

If you say yes, then attend All about eBooks, at 6:30 pm, Thursday, September 20. This 90-minute interactive session, taught by Library staff, will answer all of your questions about ebooks and music, and show you what Library resources are available to you at home. We will demonstrate more popular eReaders, purchased courtesy of the Friends of the Troy Library. And if you have an eReader, bring it, and we will show you how to set up an account.

Downloadable ebooks are transforming the way people read, just as downloadable music changed the way we listen. Register today for All About eBooks. Questions? Call the Library's Technology Center at 248.524.3542 or email techroom@troymi.gov.

The latest technology – one more reason why a Troy Public Library card is a great investment.

Music lovers, the Troy Public Library has something new for you.

Now, with a valid Troy Library card, you can download up to five songs per week from the vast Sony music collection using Freegal Music. There are thousands of artists, tens of thousands of albums, and hundreds of thousands of songs spanning over a hundred genres from which you can choose.

All of the music downloads directly to your iTunes, Windows Media Player, or other music-playing software, and then can be transferred to your portable device. This makes Freegal easy to use. And best of all, Freegal music has no digital rights management (DRM) restrictions, which means once you download the songs, they are yours to keep.

There is even an app for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad users, and an app for Android users.

Click here and enter your Troy Library card number to start downloading all your favorite music today!

Have you ever wanted to tame a bull in Spain, or order kare-kare at your favorite Filipino restaurant? Have you ever wondered how to pronounce the name of Eyjafijallajökull, the famous volcano in Iceland, or what it would be like to have a conversation with the Swedish Chef of Muppets fame? Well now you can!

In addition to the 30 international languages and 12 ESL courses that are currently offered by the Library through the Mango Languages eResource, there are now four new languages in the Mango Languages Learning Center: Castillian Spanish (a dialect spoken in northern and central Spain), Icelandic, Swedish, and Tagalog (the national language of the Philippines).

To get started learning a language, all you need to be is a Troy resident with a Troy Public Library card. Then visit the Mango Languages Learning Center. And remember, you can also learn a language on the go with Mango Languages Mobile Apps. Click here for more information. 

Do you want to learn a new language but are always on the go? Do you own an Android or an iPhone? Are you a Troy resident? If you answered "yes" to these questions, then the Troy Public Library is the place for you!

The Library's Mango Languages eResource offers a mobile app for Androids and iPhones that allows you to access 30 foreign languages and a dozen ESL courses 24 hours a day, seven days a week, no matter where you are.

Accessing one of the the Mango Mobile apps is simple and quick. There are just a few things you need to get started:

1. A Troy Public Library card.

2. The Mango Languages iPhone app, which can be found by clicking here, or the Mango Languages Android App, which can be found by clicking here.

3. A Mango account, which can be set up by visiting the Mango Language Learning Center.

Mango is easy to use and fun to master. Download the app and learn on the go today!

Here is your chance to learn all about eBooks and win an Amazon Kindle or a Barnes & Noble Nook.

On Tuesday, June 19, the OverDrive Digital Bookmobile – a 74 foot-long, 18-wheel tractor-trailer painted bright blue – will be in the Troy Library’s north parking lot from 12 noon until 6 pm.

But unlike bookmobiles of yesterday that would drive around delivering print books to your neighborhood, the Digital Bookmobile is outfitted with computers, eReaders, mp3 players and other portable electronic devices. The Bookmobile will showcase the Library’s collection of free eBooks and audiobooks, and show you how easy it is to download to your eReader, smartphone, or tablet with a Troy Public Library card.

And, if you are in the market to buy an eReader, you will be able to sample different types to see which best suit your needs.

Plus, when you visit the Digital Bookmobile, you can enter to win either an Amazon Kindle Touch or a NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight, provided by the award-winning Friends of the Troy Public Library.

Drop by the Library on June 19, to visit the 21st century version of an old library favorite – and learn about the fast-growing world of eBooks.

(P.S. If you cannot make the Digital Bookmobile and have eBook questions, drop by the Library's Technology Center during open LIbrary hours and a staff member will be able to assist you with all your issues.)