Trends in Audio Books in Libraries
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1JoeB1934
I come as a non-librarian with a question that only librarians can answer. First, some background.
I have been a book reader for over 50 years and have always preferred audio books for my reading. First, being CDs of Scottish mysteries.
I rarely buy a book but use the fabulous Denver Public Library for all of my reading. I have grown to read very diverse genres and I acquire them by placing holds for the desired books at the DPL and on Libby.
This year I am finding that I can check out a print version of most books long before an audiobook becomes available. A gap of 10 weeks isn't uncommon.
Being an analyst at heart this has led me to the following questions:
1) How does a librarian allocate scare resources ($) across print and audio releases?
2) Has the digital age which creates time demands on individuals caused an increasing trend to audio which can be listened to while commuting, or other
chores?
3) Are the books ranking at the top of the Hot at Libraries list driven by specific medias?
Insights to these questions would be of interest to myself, and I assume others. To some degree these questions have come to me along with some discussions of how readers benefit by reading print vs listening to audio.
If you are interested, here is a link referencing these issues.
Is Listening to Audiobooks Really Reading? | WIRED
https://www.wired.com/story/is-listening-to-audiobooks-really-reading
Oct 27, 2022 · According to this rather tenuous logic, listening to audiobooks is inferior precisely because it is easier—because it lacks the element of suffering that is incontrovertible evidence …
Author: Meghan O'gieblyn
I have been a book reader for over 50 years and have always preferred audio books for my reading. First, being CDs of Scottish mysteries.
I rarely buy a book but use the fabulous Denver Public Library for all of my reading. I have grown to read very diverse genres and I acquire them by placing holds for the desired books at the DPL and on Libby.
This year I am finding that I can check out a print version of most books long before an audiobook becomes available. A gap of 10 weeks isn't uncommon.
Being an analyst at heart this has led me to the following questions:
1) How does a librarian allocate scare resources ($) across print and audio releases?
2) Has the digital age which creates time demands on individuals caused an increasing trend to audio which can be listened to while commuting, or other
chores?
3) Are the books ranking at the top of the Hot at Libraries list driven by specific medias?
Insights to these questions would be of interest to myself, and I assume others. To some degree these questions have come to me along with some discussions of how readers benefit by reading print vs listening to audio.
If you are interested, here is a link referencing these issues.
Is Listening to Audiobooks Really Reading? | WIRED
https://www.wired.com/story/is-listening-to-audiobooks-really-reading
Oct 27, 2022 · According to this rather tenuous logic, listening to audiobooks is inferior precisely because it is easier—because it lacks the element of suffering that is incontrovertible evidence …
Author: Meghan O'gieblyn
3JoeB1934
>2 reconditereader: Thank you very much for these links. They revealed so much about the pricing and other complexities in the audio book realm. I will continue my efforts to understand this process a lot more than I have now.
Thanks again.
Thanks again.
4DanieXJ
>1 JoeB1934: Have you talked to the Denver librarians directly? I just ask because while a lot of libraries do ordering and that sort of thing similarly, it's never done exactly the same.
From your messages here you're definitely not being demanding (which is awesomely refreshing) and in that case a lot of times the person or people who do the ordering are more than willing to talk to patrons.
Also, librarians almost always like feedback on which we're good purchases (good novel, narrator, etc) and which were not. Think of yourself as a focus group of 1. That's what we love from most patrons so that we can order better.
From your messages here you're definitely not being demanding (which is awesomely refreshing) and in that case a lot of times the person or people who do the ordering are more than willing to talk to patrons.
Also, librarians almost always like feedback on which we're good purchases (good novel, narrator, etc) and which were not. Think of yourself as a focus group of 1. That's what we love from most patrons so that we can order better.
5JoeB1934
>4 DanieXJ: Thanks for the advice, I will do so next week as I have questions arising from the two links given to me by reconditereader.
