Easley Library Bookworms discussion

Over on one of our other threads, Crystal recently suggested a discussion of audiobooks. That's a format Easley library has never really tried to collect. Back in the early 90s, we had a very few audiotapes that had been donated; but I don't think they were ever used, and they were eventually weeded (that is, discarded) as the tape technology fell out of fashion. But maybe it's time to re-think the format.

Do any of you folks listen to audiobooks on CD? Why or why not? What are your thoughts about that format? Would anybody like to see this library offer audiobooks for checkout? Or do you think it wouldn't fit in with our core mission?

I like audiobooks, Werner. In a previous job, I had to drive quite a distance to work, so I would borrow books on CD from the public library, stick them in the car's CD player, and listen on the way to work and back again.

I have a CD set of The Hobbit that I love to this day. And, in keeping with my previous post on the ebook thread, I listened to all the Harry Potter books through the public library's collection that way, too. I was practically speaking with an English accent between them and the Hobbit. Hours and hours of listening fun!

These days, I can download the audiobooks from the public library to my Kindle or Kindle app on my phone, and off I go. Like Crystal mentioned, they disappear at the end of their checkout time, and I don't even have to bother taking them back to the library.

I haven't done much listening this winter, but now that I have been reminded, and the weather is (hopefully) getting warmer, I'll start doing this more. I like to listen to books when I go for walks. It's a beautiful way to pass the time.

I listen to audio books most of the time. I am not a bit fan of television but I will put on an audiobook in the kitchen while I'm doing chores in there or while I'm folding laundry, etc. It helps to make tasks far more tolerable and at the same time I am working my way through a terrific book (most of the time). It also substitutes for one of my deepest pleasures - being read to. I have learned what types of books are better for me to listen to and which are better to read. Often if I get stuck with a print book, whether hard copy or kindle, using the audio might get me through to the end of the title.

Like Paula, I also download from the library and I have a subscription to Audible which I really love. They have daily deals that are usually between $2.95 & $4.95 and I've discovered some terrific authors because of the specials.

For the questions of audio books in Easley library, I would think that while it is a college library, we do have popular DVDs and several types of fiction available, so why wouldn't audiobooks fit our mission? I would also recommend that you look into "playaways" that can plug into a car audio system that has an auxiliary jack for mp3 players and smartphones. This is the main way I listen to audiobooks. Would it be feasible to bring on a subscription to Overdrive which allows patrons to download audio books? I'm not sure what other systems are out there but I do know that Tazewell, Craft Memorial, and Princeton Libraries all have this delivery system.
Paula - my favorite set of CDs is The Chronicles of Narnia. My husband and I also listened to all of the Harry Potter books on audio except the last book. We couldn't wait for it to come out on audio when the book was released. We bought it and he read it to me. :-)
It is a beautiful way to redeem the time.

For myself personally, audiobooks don't readily fit into my lifestyle. The computerized audiobook technology would no doubt play on my home computer; but most of the kinds of activities I do at home involve using the computer for something else. And the only other kind of activity I do at home that wouldn't be prohibitively distracting is pedaling on the stationary bike, for exercise. But that's my time for reading print books, and I wouldn't sacrifice that!

Probably the most common setting for audiobook use is in the car. But although I have a driver's license, I really dislike driving, and I'm not naturally talented at it. And in the unlikely event that I'd ever drive our car again, I'd be so intent on not killing myself or somebody else that I couldn't pay much attention to an audiobook! Barb enjoys being read to when she drives; but rather than use an audiobook for that, if I'm with her, I read to her. (We usually do our daily Bible reading that way; and we always have a "car book" in the front seat that we're currently reading on.) As I sometimes say, we use "organically powered audiobooks." :-)

All of that said, I can see how audiobooks can be a very vital and valuable part of many people's reading experience. So it's certainly a format to think about!

Werner, you might try listening while you walk to work, sometime. I find listening while walking in the park is incredibly entertaining.

Crystal, someday, I would love to see us with an OverDrive subscription. I've looked into it a little bit, but right now, we just can't do it.

On the other hand, I love that our students can have access to the Tazewell County Public Library and (I think) Craft Memorial, too. While we can't do it, yet, the public libraries are providing such a wonderful service with recreational ebooks and audiobooks, I am happy that we can point our students in their direction for those particular types of resources right now. I hope that we can offer them in the future, too!

Paula, I'd have two problems in listening to e-books while walking to work. One is that I don't own any mobile technology that would play them in that setting. But more importantly, on the days that I walk to work, I use that time for prayer. (I've got multi-tasking pretty much down to a science. :-) )