Library patrons now have anytime, anywhere access to a dynamic collection of digital audio and e-books through a new library service, NEIBORS, the North Eastern Iowa Bridge to Online Resource Sharing.

With a valid library card, a resident of Elkader, rural Clayton County, Elkport, Garber and St. Olaf, who are in good standing can log onto the digital library website by simply clicking on the catalog button and log into your library account. OPEN ACCESS PATRONS WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO USE NEIBORS BEGINNING JULY 1ST, 2012. All you need to log in is your library card number and your telephone number. Once logged on, patrons can install the free software on their home computers, check out and download popular and classic audio and e-books to their PC or e-reader. If downloading to your computer you can then transfer to a portable IBM-compatible MP3 player or even burn some titles to CD and listen in the car. (Please note that this service works best with a high speed internet connection).

This service is available 24/7. This collection of downloadable audio books is ever changing and includes gendres in mystery, business, biography as  well as romance and classic literature.

Patrons can check out up to two titles at a time, and at the end of the 7 or 14 day lending period, the audio books will expire from their PC and be automatically returned into the NEIBORS digital collection. With e-readers titles can be returned early, but audio titles cannot be returned early. With the digital titles, there are no more late fees or damage costs. The service is free, easy to use and best of all, available from anywhere in the world.