Thanks to Lori Bell, I've been scanning the Memorial Hall Library's web site (they're located in Andover, Massachusetts). They do a great job of providing remote access to their databases, live online chat with a librarian, a browsable catalog (instead of just a searchable one), and they're even circulating Gemster ebooks. Lori led me there, though, because the MHL is yet another library circulating Audible MP3 audiobooks.
What I found interesting, though, was that they've gone beyond circulating the players with cassette adapters to also include a Link-It Audio Transmitter for playing the titles over a radio. Brilliant! I can't believe I didn't think of this! I don't know if they're the first library to circulate transmitters with players, but it's a great idea. If you're thinking of circulating Audible titles, you should definitely consider doing this because many new cars don't come with cassette players (our new minivan didn't).
Also, I didn't realize that Audible is offering a new service that lets libraries circulate the content on patrons' existing players. They're not fully there yet, but here is how Audible's Matt Fine describes their current process for checking out a title (minus the player) to a patron:
“We are able to do this now, by using 'book use credits' which are basically codes a library will purchase from us and then a patron can enter the codes under their own Audible account at home and not get charged for a book download.”
It's an excellent start, and it's refreshing to see a digital content middleman so willing to work with libraries. I've yet to hear about a library circulating Audible titles that didn't have an overwhelmingly positive response to the service. [The Shifted Librarian]