As a youth services librarian, the majority of questions that I get from patrons that aren't about physical books are about audiobooks. Many reluctant readers will be persuaded to get an audiobook along with a physical copy to read along with, especially if their dislike of reading comes from the fact that they are struggling with it. However, it is very rare for me to see a child who likes e-books.
My library's system, Bibliocommons, will pull up all relevant titles with a search- if I do get a patron who wants a e-book, I can still look by the same appeal factors. Lately, I've noticed that we have many older titles or titles in a series as a e-book, but no longer have a physical copy. When a patron asks for one of these books, that is a way for me to push e-books and explain how to download them.
I think that a unique appeal of audiobooks is that they make stories beyond a person's reading level accessible. They are also wonderful for families to listen to a story together. A patron might enjoy certain narrators more than others. The narrator can also make or break an audiobook for a patron- even if its a story and an author that they love, a poor narrator can be off putting. On the flipside, an exciting narrator can make a story better if it was otherwise uninteresting to a patron.
A unique appeal of e-books is that they are more portable and accessible (within the limits of internet access). A patron going on a trip can take several books with them on one device. Parents love them because they don't have to worry about their child returning books on time. Many books, especially some romances, are exclusively released as e-books. Some readers may enjoy this if they feel judged for their reading habits when checking out physical books- with e-books, they can get anything they like on their devices. The appeal is also great for very busy patrons. A friend of mine completing her MSW loves e-books since she often doesn't want to take the time to go to the library to browse, but still loves to read for pleasure when she can.
Overall, I think a lot of the appeal factors are the same, but librarians should ask patrons how they prefer to absorb a story. Some patrons will be more flexible if the medium they want is not available, but others will not. As someone who likes neither audiobooks nor e-books for the most part, I don't find myself getting a ton of questions about them, but will still suggest them as options if a physical copy is unavailable.
I do not like that many older titles are becoming ebooks. I've noticed many graphic novel series getting digital orders now, too. When I tell patrons about these digital versions, they are quick to say "forget it" or "nevermind," when it will simply take 10 to 15 minutes to explain how to use their smart phone I notice they are holding to access the books they really want.
ReplyDeleteExcellent response! Full points.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteYou and I have many of the same thoughts regarding ebooks and audiobooks. I liked your idea about audiobooks helping people read beyond their reading level. I never thought about it that way.