It seems as though our lives are dictated by computer
screens. We shut off our alarms on our iPhones that get us up for work. We go
to work and stare at a computer screen. We go home, and stare at a TV screen or
another computer screen for a few hours. Repeat.
While I’m in a generation where we are “expected” by
older adults to know more about technology, I prefer a good, “old-fashioned”
book. I made myself get a Kindle so I could help patrons who use them, but
there is something about the smell of a book, and the sense of accomplishment
one feels after turning a physical page. One can also see how much he or she
has left to read, whereas with eBooks, that is hard to tell at times. Personally,
it actually stresses me out a little, not knowing how long a book is going to
last.
On the flip side, some people may admit they read
faster on an eBook than they do with real books. Some people would rather take
his or her time with a physical book, but they may read faster on the screen
and would want to get a book read more quickly that way. Others may not be in
close proximity to a real library to pick up and drop off books with ease, and
so must rely on their eBooks instead. It is even more convenient if the library’s
policy is an automatic return after a week or two, so patrons won’t have to pay
fines on eBooks.
However, to me, there is an issue with quality control
when it comes to eBooks. I will only read eBooks if I know the author is a
trusted author, and their book is originally printed in hard copy. That way, I
know that their book has been edited. It is difficult to read for fun when all
I can see are glaring grammatical errors that have not been spotted by an editor,
or worse, that the editor ignored the mistakes on purpose.
I’ve always been one to want to read myself. I don’t
like being read to, which makes it less fun to listen to audiobooks. When it
comes to stories, I prefer coming up with the voices of the characters.
Sometimes, if I listen to an audiobook, the narrator throws me off when he or
she reads two or three different characters, but in similar tones, or in an
attempted/failed accent. There are so many people who want to be voiceover
actors and actresses. My question is that why audiobook companies won’t hire
more people to narrate a story?
Another concern that I have, (and anyone can debunk it
at any time), is if eBooks and audiobooks will eventually end up doing more
harm than good for public libraries in general? It seems like large companies
such as Audible are on the rise, and more people are listening to books more
often than making trips to the brick-and-mortar library building. I would think
that people would want to just pay for an audiobook through Audible than
waiting for a title at the library or have to pay a hefty fine if it is not
returned. Buying a book eliminates those issues altogether. According to the
article Global Audiobook Trends and
Statistics for 2018 by Michael Kozlowski (2017) states,
He went on to say “One of
the things that’s most interesting to me here is the fact that it used to be
that the success of an audiobook was correlated with the success of the print
book. That is no longer true. The number of audiobooks that perform well independent
of its print and eBook circulation is increasing. The format itself is creating
new ways of discovering content that is becoming increasingly independent of
the underlying print and eBook success. I think that is an interesting
phenomenon. People are choosing titles because it is a good audiobook—not
necessarily, because it is a good print book. Narrators have a big role in that
too. Narrators continue to have their own fan base and often times, listeners
will find them before they even find an author.
All to say, that while I do not like audiobooks and
eBooks, I will use them. The library can adapt to whatever changes it needs to
make in order to support patrons better, and that will probably be the increase
in use of eReaders. I am honestly concerned that the library may have a lower priority
with patrons with the rise of audiobook companies outside of the library, and it
is a librarian’s responsibility to be able to draw in patrons and make them want
to come to the library. However, we were just as concerned with eBooks, and
nothing has happened to threaten the library’s existence yet; the same could be
said for audiobooks. I know Overdrive is an option that many libraries have,
and that technology is useful, and that patrons may choose audiobooks and
eBooks, which is fine. I just am wondering if this will be a good thing for
libraries in the long run.
Works Cited
Kozlowski,
M. (2017). Global Audiobook Trends and
Statistics for 2018. Retrieved from https://goodereader.com/blog/audiobooks/global-audiobook-trends-and-statistics-for-2018
