ROGERS — Library patrons received the gift of music this holiday season.

The Rogers Public Library joined the Library Ideas network of library websites, which offers patrons with a library card access to more than 3 million free songs from the Sony music catalog, library officials said.

“This is music our patrons can download and keep. It’s not like an e-book that’s only good for a period of time,” said Jeanne Besaw, technical services librarian.

The name of the program is Freegal Music Service and will increase the size and diversity of the library’s music collection by adding more than 10,000 music labels from 65 countries, Besaw said.

Freegal became available to Rogers library patrons Dec. 22-23.

The library continues to have music CDs available for checkout.

The download program is easy to follow. The music is in the MP3 format so it can be played on a variety of electronic devices, such as iPhones, iPads and tablets in addition to MP3 players, Besaw said.

The Web link can be found on the library website.

There are restrictions in the number of free songs that can be downloaded in a week.

“Under the agreement, our patrons can download three free songs a week, Besaw said.

“We’re excited about the new program and think our patrons will be, too,” said Judy Casey, library director. “We are delighted to offer a service that delivers great music and compatibility with many devices. We believe this music program will be incredibly popular with our patrons and will help the library continue to provide services relevant to our community.”

The addition of the music program is just one way the library is changing to keep pace with the electronic age, Casey said.

Library officials are adding more electronic media to the library. The purchase of e-books and audio books is on the rise because the way patrons use the library is changing, Casey said.

“We are buying more e-books, but we can’t let our print library slide either. Finding the right balance is a struggle,” Casey said.