Did you know?? You can convert journal articles to audio files

Did you know that you can convert journal articles to audio files from the Marygrove Library website?

The library's Academic OneFile and OmniFile databases let you download articles as mp3 audio files so that you can listen to them at your leisure. Originally this feature was intended as an assistive technology for those people who are blind or have low-vision; however, it also comes in handy if you do a lot of driving and love to multitask!

Want to give this a try? Let's download the audio for an article in OmniFile.

Step 1: Open the OmniFile database, available here: http://research.marygrove.edu/articles-a-databases/search-for-articles.

Step 2: Search for an article on a topic that interests you. Or, copy and paste this article title into the OmniFile search box: "Four Popular Stereotypes About Children in Self-Care: Implications for Family Life Educators."

Step 3: When the article appears in your search results, notice the little speaker icon next to the words "Full Text HTML." Important note: some journal articles give you two full-text options: HTML or PDF. You can only download the mp3 audio file for articles with HTML full-text.

Click the image below to enlarge it - see the little speaker icon?

If you click the article's title to begin reading the full-text, you'll see the speaker icon there as well.

Step 4: Click the speaker icon. A new window pops up which displays the full text of the article and shows you a blue link called "Click to hear audio file."

Step 5: Click this blue link. An option appears to "download audio." At the same time, a computerized voice begins reading the article to you.

Step 6: Click "download audio" to save the mp3 audio file to a convenient location.

Voila! You can now transfer that audio file to your mp3 player or smartphone, and listen to it whenever you choose.

We've just downloaded the audio file for an article in OmniFile. If you've found an article in Academic OneFile instead, look for a link on the right side of the page in the "Tools" section called "Listen." This will give you the option of downloading the mp3 audio file.

Enjoy this new feature, and as always, don't hesitate to call your librarians at 313.927.1346 if you have questions. We're happy to help!