fulfilling a dream...

SunnyG · Post by **SunnyG** » July 1st, 2021, 4:44 pm

Hello! I first got hooked on recorded books back at the end of the 90's, while I had a long commute around DC. After I was married (most of the aughts), I basically missed a whole decade of music, while listening to recorded books from the library, and also found many reasons [read: excuses] to be in the kitchen so I could continue listening, since my work commute was no longer as long at that point. I stopped listening to books as much after I left my ex, and actually picked up NPR more, and then discovered podcasts. So, I have done a lot more of those in the years after my marriage. I had discovered Librivox at some point during this time.

I've always loved books, but since college, I just find I don't have the time to read like I used to... or, it's harder to make the time, I guess... I've been reading Becoming by Michelle Obama for... goodness... I guess 2 years now? And it is a fun and easy read, a great book!... I just have so many other things I am doing anymore that it is hard to devote time to simply sitting and reading. (Don't judge... I am close to being done, finally!

) Also, I have always read to kids when I babysat or while I worked as a nanny. There were some series as a nanny where I would change my voice for the different characters.

Several years ago while I had a contract office job, we were allowed to use headphones while we worked. It was a lot of computer work, not necessarily boring, but much of the same monotonous and repetitious tasks... it was easy to do most of the work and literally have half a brain on that, and allow the other half to listen to a book or a podcast. I downloaded and listened to many books from here, actually getting a chance to "read" Anna Karenina (which I would never have done otherwise, but what a beautiful story!), among many others... I actually found it challenging to find recordings long enough that I wasn't going to complete in a day and a half (hence my finding long books like Anna Karenina), to keep my interest. I had felt it would be fun to be able to volunteer to read, at some point... but didn't have the equipment.

Last year I had an opportunity to get a microphone, but couldn't get it to work on my laptop. Recently, I have had a friend help me so I have a new set up now, and the microphone finally works. So, here I am! I am excited to begin volunteering as a reader!

It might take me a few chapters to get into a good reading voice... I hope you folks are patient!

I am in North Carolina these days, east coast of the US.

Post by **ColleenMc** » July 2nd, 2021, 3:14 pm

Welcome from Georgia (the state not the country)!

The best place to start is the wiki guide for Listeners and Volunteers: https://wiki.librivox.org/index.php?title=Main_Page . This will give you an idea of what you need and the steps to getting started. I recommend poking around the Librivox site for a bit as well as these boards to get a feel for how the whole process works, if you haven't previously been familiar with Librivox or used it as a listener.

You will want to do your 1-minute test to make sure your technical specs are good to go and once that has been okay'd, then a good way to get your feet wet is to do a chapter in a group project, or read a short work or a poem for one of the collections that are always going on in the Readers Wanted: Short Works board.

If you have any questions, just ask. Enjoy!

Colleen

SunnyG · Post by **SunnyG** » July 2nd, 2021, 4:12 pm

Thank you! I have done things out of order (

), and actually posted this after having been working on my test. Which has been a challenge. And I have chosen a book/chapters in the middle of trying to get my software/ test recording all lined up.

Trying to find the 1-min test thread so I can keep an eye on it, since it appears I don't get notified about all replies to posts. There is a lot of stuff on the forum... I wish there was a way to bookmark threads to keep my eye on things that interest me.

Post by **ColleenMc** » July 2nd, 2021, 4:43 pm

SunnyG wrote: ↑July 2nd, 2021, 4:12 pm Thank you! I have done things out of order ( ), and actually posted this after having been working on my test. Which has been a challenge. And I have chosen a book/chapters in the middle of trying to get my software/ test recording all lined up.

Trying to find the 1-min test thread so I can keep an eye on it, since it appears I don't get notified about all replies to posts. There is a lot of stuff on the forum... I wish there was a way to bookmark threads to keep my eye on things that interest me.

You can bookmark threads! When you open a thread there's a little wrench button next to the "post reply" button at the top. Click on the pulldown list and choose "bookmark topic". If you choose subscribe, you will get email notifications. Personally I just bookmark so that the post is flagged in the notifications when I log in, since I check in a couple of times a day.

Colleen

SunnyG · Post by **SunnyG** » July 2nd, 2021, 4:46 pm

[/quote]
You can bookmark threads! When you open a thread there's a little wrench button next to the "post reply" button at the top. Click on the pulldown list and choose "bookmark topic". If you choose subscribe, you will get email notifications. Personally I just bookmark so that the post is flagged in the notifications when I log in, since I check in a couple of times a day.

Colleen
[/quote]

Ah! Very nice! Thank you!

Glad I said something. Haha!

SunnyG · Post by **SunnyG** » July 2nd, 2021, 5:11 pm

Ok. I also seemed to have lost my breadcrumbs to the 1-min test, so I can see if anyone has listened and commented on that. Can you point me in the right direction for that, as well, please?

And, along the way signed up for another book... should be some short readings. Haha! But, on a roll, now!

One more question.... we only have the use of 25 smilies?? I have a much broader need for smilies than the ones provided...

SunnyG · Post by **SunnyG** » July 2nd, 2021, 5:13 pm

Oh! And how do I access my bookmarks when I want to find them, even if no one has replied...

Post by **ColleenMc** » July 2nd, 2021, 5:55 pm

I've never tried to access my bookmarks outside the notifications, so I'm not really sure...

You should be able to find your 1 minute test by going to the Listeners Wanted board and looking for your post there. Any thread that you start or contribute a post to will have a little red star next to it in the index for that board.

Colleen

SunnyG · Post by **SunnyG** » July 2nd, 2021, 6:02 pm

Awesome! Thank you much!

SunnyG · Post by **SunnyG** » July 2nd, 2021, 6:08 pm

ColleenMc wrote: ↑July 2nd, 2021, 5:55 pm I've never tried to access my bookmarks outside the notifications, so I'm not really sure...

You should be able to find your 1 minute test by going to the Listeners Wanted board and looking for your post there. Any thread that you start or contribute a post to will have a little red star next to it in the index for that board.

Colleen

Sweet! Well... I found the list of bookmarks and subscriptions by finding and reading the FAQ's.

They are accessible through the control panel under your name at the top right.

HandmadePSK · Post by **HandmadePSK** » October 19th, 2021, 10:47 am

SunnyG wrote: ↑July 1st, 2021, 4:44 pm Hello! So, here I am! I am excited to begin volunteering as a reader! It might take me a few chapters to get into a good reading voice... I hope you folks are patient!

Thank you for coming, sunny girl!

It hasn`t been a really short path that led you here!

So, welcome and have a good time!