What began as a Google search by a book editor in Canada became an aha moment for Arlington Heights resident Awilda Prignano. When asked to make an audio recording of a story she had written for publication in a collection of motivational essays, she discovered the solution was right in her own zip code.
“My editor said, ‘Awilda go to your local library. They have a professional audio booth you can use,’” Prignano recalls. “I couldn’t believe it. Someone in another part of the world was telling me about this amazing resource and there it was right in my own backyard.”
The resource was the library’s Studio. Located on the first floor, the Studio offers the space, hardware and software for customers to get creative with video, music, graphic design, digitization and more including a studio production vocal booth. Prignano booked the audio booth twice to practice reading her 2,500-word story and get familiar with the equipment.
“It was so easy and convenient to book online each time, and the staff couldn’t have been more helpful with technical assistance,” Prignano says. “Each session was two hours and best of all it was free—where else can you get that?”
Prepared and ready, she booked a final session. This one for the official recording of her story, The Thriving Monkey, Chapter 20 of Follow It Thru: Obstacles Equal Opportunities – a 17:52 recording that Awilda did in one take!
“I was so proud of how smoothly it all went and then even prouder when I found out that my recording was the one they submitted to Amazon to pitch the audiobook because of the quality.”
Awilda is already at work on a follow-up to this project and is grateful for the support and resources.
“This is a dream of mine to be a writer and to see it start to come to reality has truly been amazing.”