Week Eleven Prompt Response: eBooks & Audiobooks

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Audiobooks

         I still remember one of the bookish YouTubers I follow respond to a viewer’s argument that audiobooks aren’t actually reading books. The YouTuber countered this by sharing some people are unable to read traditionally printed books. Reasons lie in visual hindrances (such as blindness or dyslexia), those who can’t hold a book, and those who have difficulty focusing on the words for extended periods of time. This certainly doesn’t discredit the validity of audio alternatives to take in stories. I like how Mediatore (2003) describes audiobooks in a positive, awesome way as “…changing a written art form into a spoken art form” (p. 319). They are indeed manifested as an art, like a live production of a live play performance. Words, sounds, and music come together to make a great audiobook that conjures up clear visuals within the imagination. As mentioned in the readings for this week, elements for an enjoyable audiobook experience include the narrator(s) matching the pace, sound, accents, and tone true to the original tale, have differing emotions and pitches in voice between characters, and any accompanying soundtracks/music matching the feel/atmosphere of the story. It’s an exciting, fun approach to storytelling for all readers, drawing from roots of oral tradition.

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         Yet another positive attribute of audiobooks is that they help books become less intimidating for reluctant readers, and for others who struggle getting through books in print-form. Mediatore (2003) mentions “listeners ‘primarily choose audio book titles that [they] are unlikely to read in print form. These are titles that [they’ve] always wanted to read but have never gotten around to [reading]’” (p. 318-19). I know for books like Gone with the Wind and The Count of Monte Cristo, I would likely want to use both print and audio versions. Oh, and the pronunciation is a plus!

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I have listened to two audiobooks; and from someone with a background of only reading print books, it required a shift of mindset to take in the story. I enjoyed both audiobooks, but I didn’t become an avid audiobook consumer. However, taking the time to experience two different audiobooks has helped me better apply what we’re learning to helping patrons find audiobooks. Based on working in a library, I know that who narrates books matters a great deal. One of my co-workers diligently listens to anything read by David Tennant. A friend of mine loves listening to A Series of Unfortunate Events because it is spectacularly produced, voiced, and constructed. I wholeheartedly agree.

eBooks

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         Individuals who are prudish about eBooks astound me. Whereas audiobooks are literally a different way of processing information, an eBook is simply the words being read on a screen rather than paper (plus you can change background color, font size, and sometimes even the font itself!). I’ve come across several prudish individuals in person, at work in a public library, and online. Although in some cases, eBook aversions rise from a dislike (or lack of knowledge) of technology, which is fair. On the other hand, in times like our current pandemic, I’m sure there’s a spread of appreciation for technology!

         The appeals of eBooks are many; environmentally friendly, ease of access, easy & cheaper to self-publish, they’re portable and light, they can be adjusted to specific user needs, there’s a multitude of titles available to browse without needing to leave the couch, and the book titles remain confidential to everyone around you… but there’s also only one tiny thing that needs to be off/wrong to ruin one’s access to the eBook. The ensuing slew of questions to patrons, too. Abridged or unabridged? What device are you going to use to read? Which app do you have/prefer? Kindle or online reading? Did you download it? Do you know your library card number & password to login? Did you make a free account with the eBook provider? Okay you’ll need to reset that password, which is different than your library pin… I personally dislike helping with eBooks over phone; oftentimes it just requires some tinkering with the devise in person to get it working.

         Ebooks have a huge patronage, but there’s the annoyance of number of copies available through libraries. After going through the eBook readings, I became jealous of ignorance of not needing to worry about eBook licensing use and vendors, which lead into disputes between booksellers and libraries; or monetary “wars” to quote Vinjamuri (2012). I still get mad thinking about Macmillan embargo to give libraries ONE COPY of new eBook titles for the first 2 months after its release (ALA Turns… p. 10). But the shared goal between booksellers and libraries is to keep people reading books, who in turn would keep buying from bookstores as well as check them out from libraries. The low risk, free access to books at libraries could make a patron a dedicated “automatic buyer” of series/authors from bookstores. I liked how Dunneback (2011) describes, “Books are the brand of libraries. All formats of books. All. Formats” (p. 327). Of both audiobooks and eBooks, I think Dunneback (2011) sums it up perfectly; “We are experts in connecting readers to books. Those skills will carry us into the future no matter the format” (p. 328).

Resources

ALA Turns to Congress Amid Macmillan Ebook Embargo. (2020). American Libraries, 51(1/2), 10.

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

Mediatore, K. (2003). Reading with Your Ears: Readers’ Advisory and Audio Books. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 42(4), 318. Retrieved from JSTOR.

Scardilli, B. (2020). What’s New With the Biggest Ebook Retailers. Information Today, 37(1), 18–20. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Robinson, M. (2017). Lessons learned from promoting audiobooks. The Bookseller. Retrieved from https://link-gale-com.proxy.ulib.uits.iu.edu/apps/doc/A498846799/LitRC?u=iulib_iupui&sid=LitRC&xid=d2987b6a

Vinjamuri, D. (2012). The Wrong War Over EBooks: Publishers vs. Libraries. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidvinjamuri/2012/12/11/the-wrong-war-over-ebooks-publishers-vs-libraries/#543b305a6da0