Words are music to their ears
Danish truck drivers are turning off the radio and turning on audio books for long hauls
Danish and German truck drivers are immersing themselves in literature, while they drive. Books-on-tape is the newest fad for truckers on long journeys.
The truck drivers from both countries are privy to more than 300 titles in both languages, courtesy of the IDS truck stop in southern Jutland and nearby Bov Library.
The lending program got on the road in 2004 and the truck stop's materials were borrowed 2000 times in total. The addition of German titles in 2005 has seen borrowing triple.
The books are able to open up a whole new world to the truck drivers, said Lone Mortensen, an assistant at the library.
'Many drivers don't have time to read books during their busy working days and some drivers also suffer from dyslexia,' said Mortensen. 'But by lending out books on tape it gives them a special possibility of getting into the world of books.'
The most popular books in the audio library fall into the suspense and memoirs genres. 'The Man from St. Petersburg' by Ken Follet, several Chris Ryan thrillers and Jason Watt's memoir were among the most borrowed books.
Some 420 Danish and German truck drivers have a lending card for the library centre.