You may be one of the many people in the world who loves listening to audiobooks. They can be found virtually anywhere: the World Wide Web, bookstores, rental services, and department stores, among other places; and now just about every book imaginable is available on both compact disc and audio cassette. Perhaps, too, you are broke. Perhaps the holiday season has left you with a tarnished ticket, but you can’t shake the desire to finally relax and enjoy listening to his favorite book. Fortunately, that is not an impossible dream, regardless of the circumstances. And it is a dream that can be realized without spending a single penny!

There are many ways to get free audiobooks. An obvious example would be your local library. While this little tip may not hold true for every library, it can be said that many branches are now catching up with the trend. Of course, there are always those whose local libraries are too “old fashioned,” but at the other end of the spectrum, many libraries now offer free audiobook downloads.

However, if your local library seems to be of the old brand, then there are plenty of options for those with internet access. A Los Angeles-based service, Jiggerbug, offers free trials of its audiobook rental service. They provide an extensive catalog of audiobook titles; and if you like the audio in your collection, feel free to burn it to CD for your personal use (which means don’t get caught selling multiple copies of Brokeback Mountain out of the trunk of your car). Copyright laws don’t take kindly to breaking; the consequences of doing so can be dire.

Also worth noting is Project Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.org), a website consisting of free computer-generated audio that is available for download. Although its selection doesn’t include much contemporary reading, it’s a good source for classic literature if you don’t mind listening to a computerized voice.

And finally, there’s always the DIY method: record your own audiobooks! This is especially a great idea for parents of young children. With the free Microsoft Speech SDK and Text Aloud MP3 software, you just have to decide which book you think your child or children will enjoy the most. Also, don’t worry if you don’t have the voice of James Earl Jones, the kids don’t care. It wouldn’t be a bad thing though, would it?

While these suggestions may seem obvious to some, it’s often the obvious things that get overlooked. Regardless of your methods, though, it’s hard to go wrong when you get free stuff!