WEEK ELEVEN PROMPT

Ebooks and audiobooks are a part of our landscape. What does the change in medium mean for appeal factors? If you can’t hold a book and feel the physical weight of it in your hands, how does that affect your knowledge of the genre? How about readers being able to change the font, line spacing, and color of the text-how does that affect pacing and tone? How about audiobooks? Track length, narrator choice, is there music? For this week, I want you to think about how ebooks and audiobooks affect appeal factors- also think about appeals that are unique to both mediums. Please feel free to use your own experience and that of your patrons. I look forward to reading these!

This is definitely all new to me. I am of the old school where I have to have the physical book in my hand to be able to flip through it or skim it to read. I do not need to have illustrations in the book, because when I read I make up my own ideas of what the characters look like. So, for me, I do not think that a physical book affects my knowledge of the genre. We all have imagination and we need to use it! The only time I actually downloaded an ebook on my iPhone was when I forgot my hardcopy and I wanted something to read to pass the time. I will say it was very convenient. Also, I resorted to downloading an ebook when I could not get a copy of a book that I was on a long waiting list. Luckily I did not have to read more than a couple of pages, because my hardcopy became available soon. I do not even like to read copies of assigned reading online. I like the printed material so I can highlight. 

This is just my personal feelings. I realize ebooks are so convenient for people, especially when traveling. Also, checking out an ebook is so easy and you do not have to physically go to the library. I do think it is neat that the reader can change the font, line spacing, and color of the text. I know as I get older I need larger print and I can read it much faster. It definitely affects the pacing and tone, but that is a good thing to be able to read at whatever speed the reader enjoys.

As far as audiobooks, I have not tried one yet. I heard that you can control how fast the narrator speaks, so the pace does not lag. I know many of our patrons listen to audiobooks, especially when they drive in their cars. I do know that a good narrator will make or break the book. One of my co-workers really like Will Wheaton and he mentioned, he listened to Will’s narration of Ready Player One. He said it was as good as reading the book. I just listened to a review of audiobooks and suggestions by Catriona (Little Book Owl Blog). She mentioned that some books use ‘voice actors’ which shows how sophisticated this medium has become. She reviewed some memoirs narrated by authors, like Tina Fey’s Bossypants. She said it helped that Tina is a comedian which she adds flavor to the reading. She reviewed Illuminae which she mentioned that it was like listening to a movie.

I think the bottom line is that it does not matter what form you use to get information. What is important is that you can enjoy and learn from whatever medium appeals to you and meets your needs. Per one of our reading assignments, books originally were not available to all. At that time, storytelling was the mode of entertainment and this was the way children learned and were entertained. It helped them to use their imagination. Audiobooks have provided the same medium and today it has become a really sophisticated endeavor to sell these books and provides the public with the best of the best to enjoy these books.

Reference

Mediatore, K. (2003). Reading with Your Ears: Readers’ Advisory and Audio Books. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 42(4), 318-23. Retrieved from Library Lit & Inf Full-Text database