Prompt #11 eBooks and Audiobooks Appeal Factors

 

One disadvantage of eBooks is how much they cost libraries. For example, Gross (2021)

 writes, "In 2011, HarperCollins introduced a new lending model that was capped at twenty-six

 checkouts, after the library would need to purchase again" (p. 6). The library I worked at didn't

 get eBooks immediately, primarily due to cost. The other local main library around town did

 have eBooks, and so the patrons and staff wanted eBooks at our library, too! We finally got

 eBooks from Baker & Taylor's Axis 360 a year later. The pandemic of COVID-19 changed

 eBooks as well. eBooks gained popularity, mainly because libraries were closed or limited

 due to the virus.

Even before Covid-19, I was a big fan of eBooks. One reason is that I could get the eBook much faster than the book's version. I liked that I could save space in my house by downloading my eBooks on E-reader. Traveling with eBooks is more manageable than with large, clunky books. Yes, I take more than one book on trips. With eBooks, I don't have to worry about returning the book and accumulating fines. Another reason is that I can have trouble reading smaller print as I age. With an eBook, I can make the display bigger so that I can read the text. Otherwise, I would have to use a magnifier to read a book or, if it is too small, not read it. EBooks and audiobooks have a common benefit or appeal factor for people with poor eyesight or who have arthritis and can't hold a regular book. They can help readers enjoy books they might have been prevented from enjoying before the eBooks were available.     

According to Dunneback (2011), the display is a vital appeal factor for eBook readers. For example, she mentions that having an e-reader that can change pages using a finger will recreate the feel of the book. The size and weight of the e-reader, which can be the reader's preference, is the same as a reader preferring paperbacks to hardbacks (p. 327).       Because of the change in display factors, the pacing might change due to the different spacing in the book since it is being altered from the way the author intended it. It may be more challenging for someone with eBooks to weigh the book's length, so they may have to rely on the narrative. A disadvantage is trying to go back to check the information in the book quickly. This is the first year I have bought an eBook textbook instead of a physical copy due to the cost. This has been frustrating me to no end. It is hard to go to a chapter, forward to the index, and back to another chapter quickly. While an eBook has highlighters, I miss using an actual highlighter to mark my book.  

            I don't have much experience with audiobooks. I have never listened to one, but that may change soon. I feel that I may not pay attention and miss an important point in the book. I did ask my sister about her love of audiobooks and why they appeal to her. One reason was that she could listen to books anywhere and read a story. She likes male voices better than female ones because she can hear them over the lawnmower. But she loves audiobooks that feature both male and female narrators, which is an appeal factor strictly for audiobooks. Mediatore (2003) lists five important appeal factors of audiobooks: pacing, characterization, storyline, and frame. The fifth important appeal factor unique to audiobooks is the narrator, who works with the other four (p. 319). A narrator can make or break an audiobook. Pacing is an appeal factor.

The story's tone can create a difference in leisurely or fast pacing. If the pace doesn't match the narrator, it can cause the patron to stop listening. Characterization is vital because different voices can demonstrate the differences between multiple characters. According to Mediatore (2003), "the frame is the feel or the tone of the book garnered from the narrator" (p. 320). Music, sound effects, and additional readings create the frame and add layers to the audiobook. Format is essential when looking for audiobooks. I know I have patrons who only want CDs or MP3 players. Our Playaway or MP3 players have gained popularity since you don't need a separate device to play the Playaway. Just put in batteries and go!      

 

References

 

Dunneback, K. (2011). E-books and Readers' Advisory. Reference & User Services            Quarterly, 50(4), 325–329. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20865421

Gross, D. A. (2021, September 2). The surprisingly big business of library e-books. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-communications/an-app-called-libby-and-the-surprisingly-big-business-of-library-e-books

Mediatore, K. (2003). Reading with your ears: Readers' advisory and audiobooks. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 42(4), 318-323. Retrieved from http://ulib.iupui.edu/cgi-bin/proxy.pl?url=http://search.proquest.com.proxy.ulib.uits.iu.edu/scholarly-journals/reading-with-your-ears-readers-advisory-audio/docview/217876117/se-2