Ebooks and Audiobooks

I have rarely listened to audiobooks because my brain travels to different places all the time and I cannot pay attention. Most of my time spent listening to audiobooks is pressing the rewind button! However, my dad is an avid audiobook listener because his office is a two-trailer semi-truck, and it helps him to pass the time while expanding his mind. He loves to tell us all about what he's reading, whether it's a piece of classic literature, a thriller, a mystery, or a history book. One regular patron at the library is blind, so he comes in to check out over ten audiobooks at a time. He keeps a binder of all the authors and books he's read and marks all the authors he and his wife (who is also blind) do not like so that we no longer give them that author. He and his wife love thrillers and mysteries and know practically every author publishing in that genre.

Those two patrons and my father are a fantastic example of the power and necessity of the audiobook, and how despite not being in physical format, one can enjoy the books and form reader appeals just like people who prefer the traditional book. As Cahill and Moore (2017) tell their readers, the phonograph was envisioned "as an oral book reading device" with Thomas Edison's first recording being "a recitation of 'Mary Had a Little Lamb'" (p. 1). For my two regular patrons, blind readers were the target audience of "federal funding for recorded books" (p. 2). It also turns out that their favorite genres (thriller and mystery) are what publishers look for, as titles that are "exciting and suspenseful" are preferred; they hold readers' attention (p. 2). Appeals for audiobooks are relatively the same-- my patrons and my dad like stories that are engaging in their text and an engaging narrator. 

Narrators are their own appeal factor unique to the audiobook world. Do you like a narrator who does voices? Who speaks gently or enthusiastically? Who uses music in their narration? Depending on the genre of the book, the reader could want something different out of their listening experience.

When it comes to e-book devices, I have zero experience. I have never owned an e-reader (I am currently saving up for one), so it has never occurred to me all the ways that a reader could prefer their experience. Dunneback (2011) details all the ways a reader could have certain appeals, such as their e-reader's display font, size, resolution, or manipulative factors such as a touch screen (p. 327). All these things can affect what books they have access to at your library. Certain books may not be available on their e-reader because your e-book provider is not compatible. Because of this, the knowledge one has of the genres they enjoy can be limited (unless you're like my friend who enjoys less than legal outlets to download books). On the other hand, there may be titles that are only available on e-book, limiting a librarian's scope for reader's advisory if they do not read e-books themself. This is what makes book-talking with other staff members so valuable!

In regard to the font, size, and format of the page changing the pacing and tone, I believe that there may be limits when the reader employs a much larger text. The dialogue and narrative could be staggered by font size that is too large, breaking the reader's immersion. However, a reader who is used to a larger text size may not be phased by this. I rarely interact with people who read e-books, and those who do talk about e-books do not mention text size.

To conclude, audiobooks and e-books (which are REAL books) are an important part of any library. Popularity aside, there are patrons like my blind couple who need audiobooks to enjoy reading like those who can see. Appeal factors can differ, and some appeals are exclusive to the world of audio and e-books. However, this does not make the job of a librarian any different. As a librarian, we must keep abreast of our entire catalogue, including the digital offerings. If we only stay within our realm of physical books, we run the risk of leaving a patron with the wrong information or lack of service. While I do not partake in audiobooks or e-books (as of right now), I do my best to keep myself knowledgeable about what we offer so that I can help every patron.

Cahill, M., & Moore, J. (2017). A Sound History. Children & Libraries: The Journal of the Association for Library Service to Children, 15(1), 22–29.

Dunneback, K., & Trott, B. (2011). E-books and Readers’ Advisory. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 50(4), 325–329.