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By: Mary Burkey,
on 8/20/2012
YA author superstar, Nerdfighter & Booklist alumni Green has the solution to Back to School blues – this inspiring video ode to the value of public education. Perfect as I set off for a new day and new year in my school library. Thanks, John, for making my first day back AWESOME!
By: Mary Burkey,
on 7/27/2012
Olympic sports to family-friendly classics, teen favorites plus a Playboy short story – these 8 freebies have something for everyone. Enjoy but remember: these are limited time offers that may disappear at any time, so download now to build your audio library!
Two short podcasts from Naxos Audiobooks:
Olympic Memories Podcast (MP3) British broadcaster John Goodbody recalls some of his favorite memories from the Olympic Games he has reported.
London Games Podcast (MP3) John Goodbody on how London won the 2012 Olympic Games.
The Poetry of Sport. And speaking of the Olympics, don’t forget that you can listen to NPR’s broadcasts as audio links and create a playlist for download. Here’s a story on the Olympic sport of… Poetry!
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. Read by Grover Gardner. Published by Blackstone Audio.
Direct link to zipped downloadable MP3 file or M4B file.
“Romance” by Chuck Palahnium. Read by the author. Published by Blackstone Audio.
Originally published in Playboy magazine, “Romance” is a twisted love short story like only Chuck could tell.
Direct link to zipped downloadable MP3 file or M4B file.
![The Wonderful Wizard of Oz | [L. Frank Baum]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51D1R23GXAL._SL175_.jpg)
The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Read by Anne Hathaway. One of Audible’s A-List Audiobooks – a classic listen, great for the whole family. And spoiler! – it’s different than the movie 
This week’s free downloads from SYNC:<
By: Mary Burkey,
on 3/1/2012
Love. This. The Guardian imagines the story of the Three Little Pigs, 21st century-style, in print and online. Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith – are you taking notes for The True Story of the Three Little Pigs 2.0??
By: Mary Burkey,
on 3/5/2012
The importance of audiobooks for those with disabilities was Voice of Choice narrator Vance‘s topic in his most recent blog post. I know the resources available through Learning Ally (formerly Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic) and the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) are life-changing – the continued response to my Booklist article “That All May Read” has shown me that listeners of all ages depend on these services. If you serve patrons or students who have vision, physical or learning disabilities, please take time to learn about the huge variety of materials available for free – and if you have a family member that qualifies, assist them with signing up! In years past, specially-formatted audios came through the mail, but now digital technology allows instant downloads and app-based access. Many times, those with vision or learning disabilities are frustrated when a particular title is unavailable in a commercially-available audiobook through a vendor or public library – yet that same title (and hundreds more) are readily-available through the NLS, or you may even request that Learning Ally record that title for you! The amazing volunteers who record for these organizations provide a marvelous service and often go on to become top audiobook narrators – here’s what Vance has to say about…
Creating audiobooks for the blind, partially sighted or dyslexic. When I began 30 years ago we recorded on reel-to-reel 1/4? tape machines and had one engineer between two recording studios – yesterday there was one engineer to each narrator and everything was recorded onto a computer’s hard drive using rather strange software.
I’m choosing this topic for my first blog on the re-designed “me” website because yesterday I donated some time in support of Learning Ally’s Record-A-Thon (the organization formerly known as “Reading for the Blind and Dyslexic”) and had a wonderful morning down at their studios in Palo Alto which made me recall the many pleasant hours I spent at the Royal National Institute for the Blind’s Talking Book Service (now more than 75 years old) in London in the 1980?s. I always say it’s where I served my apprenticeship in audiobook narration.
Find out more by visiting the link to Simon’s blog & exploring both the NLS and Learning Ally websites!
By: Mary Burkey,
on 7/18/2012
What’s happening in the audiobook world? Here’s a round-up of interesting links…
I am totally inspired by the Contra Costa County (CA) Public Library’s “Snap & Go” project to bring library services to mobile phones, winner of the 2012 John Cotton Dana Public Relations Award. When I saw this promotion on the library’s website…
Now on WestCAT buses: Snap & Go QR Technology
Powered by WestCAT and the Contra Costa County Library
Listen to over 600 audiobook titles on the bus with the Contra Costa County Library’s Snap & Go mobile library access. Wirelessly download audiobooks directly to your cell phone for FREE. It’s a great way to pass time on the bus.
Easy as 1-2-3
1) Download a free QR code reader to your phone fromsnapngo.ccclib.org (1x only)
2) Scan the code from a library poster on Tri Delta Transit buses or wherever you see it posted.
3) Select an audiobook to download and enjoy the ride!
I immediately thought about how to make this happen in my school library, stole shared the idea and brainstormed with my public library partner George Morrison. We’re dreaming up ways to pilot this idea on school buses this fall, with the tag line “Stuck on a Bus?” How about QR codes for links to audiobooks of required classroom reads? Bookmarks with QR codes to a genre list of top teen audiobooks or list of always-available classics in both eBook and audio format? What a great project to tweak and tailor to your population – find out more in this article.
The National Endowment for the Arts has released the newest batch of ” “The Big Read” classic titles for adults and teens. The 31 titles each include a “Learn More” tab for an introductory Preface, a Reader’s Guide, Teacher’s Guide and an awesome Audio Guide for each title. The approximately 30 minute Audio Guide is perfect to expand a listener’s appreciation of a book, to add to your library website or for teachers to add to a novel unit. The Big Read will highlight a different audio guide about a Big Read book and author every 2 weeks. You can subscribe the podcast using iTunes, or any other podcatching tool.
“To Prep Or Not to Prep? That Is The Question” is the title of Grammy Award-winning audiobook producer/director Paul Ruben’s newest blog post on the positives & pitfalls of narrators preparing a book for recording. If you’d like an insider’s view of the art & craft of audiobook production, you can’t get much better than the revealing posts in Ruben’s blog.
NPR’s Press-Play Poetry website is the perfect antidote for listeners with heat-induced short attention spans. The newest post of audible poetry is “Summer Song” by William Carlos Williams, along with the poem’s text and background information.
Another audio production insider, Allan Toving of Tantor Audio, has “Tantorious,” an audio blog where you can download and listen
By: Mary Burkey,
on 7/26/2012
Post a clip of the first chapter of hot new titles along with cover art and satisfy fans and entice new readers of both print & audio editions. Libraries have full permission from publishers to include the audio files and widgets on library websites & social media posts. Hearing a short clip is a great way to gain interest for new titles in your collection and increase circulation of all formats. Highlight your digital collection with direct links to download titles below an embeded clip to make things easy for your online-only patrons. Many audio publishers have email newsletters, such as Macmillan’s “Hear, Here!” newsletter, that will feature cover art and clips for you to use. Promoting Earth Unaware by Orson Scott Card? Grab the clip. Book club reading Where We Belong by Emily Giffin? Play the clip to kick off your discussion. Check the Audiobook Reference Guide on AudioFile’s website for audio publisher websites where you can find audio clips, or sign up to get news alerts which will include links. No need to ask for permission – at the recent Audio Publishers Association Conference, I heard a panel of publishers begging libraries to make use of these promotional clips.
By: Mary Burkey,
on 9/16/2011
Grab the free audio short story “Chosen,” in which bestselling author George Pelecanos first explored the character of Iraq War veteran Spero Lucas, hero of his newest novel, The Cut. Best of all, the audio is read by actor Dion Graham, who appears in TV’s The Wire – a series that includes Pelecanos as a writer. Audiobook fans know that Graham is one the very best narrators, from award-winning adult titles to Odyssey-honored youth & YA titles. Good to know that Dion Graham will be voicing the whole Lucas series, beginning with The Cut. If you’ve never heard Graham work his magic, download “Chosen” for free and see what you’ve been missing! Just visit the Hachette Audio web site, scroll all the way to the bottom, find the “Online Exclusive” on the bottom right of the page, right-click the blue Chosen link, and save the MP3 file to your computer. Then drag and drop onto to your player or cell phone. Or you can visit Hachette Audio’s Facebook page and listen to the story on their Lit Amp online player – no download required. Enjoy this 1 hour 15 minute free treat!
By: Mary Burkey,
on 9/22/2011
Kindle compatibility = audiobook audience. Eager new library download patrons are storming the gates to grab free titles for their Kindle. Last August, I gave you the month that Kindle downloads would go live via OverDrive Media. The rumors started flying earlier this week and OverDrive’s press release yesterday made it official: the Kindle digital deluge has begun! I just downloaded my first free library title to my Kindle in 45 seconds. Sweet! Learn how in the video below.
This new wave of digital download patrons will be prime customers for your audiobook collection. In my “Voices in My Head” column in the Sept. 15 Booklist, I mention that OverDrive’s “Get from Kindle” download button will only allow instant e-book downloads, not audiobooks, which will most likely prompt questions from patrons who currently purchase audiobooks through the Kindle store, and might expect instant audiobook downloads to the Kindle now as well. Librarians can remind patrons that downloaded MP3 audiobooks can be drag-n’-dropped onto the Kindle – or any other media device. This is a great opportunity to promote your entire digital collection to the deluge of new patrons – perhaps with an in-house flyer or video that shows how to download & transfer a title from your MP3 audiobook collection onto the Kindle. Why not pair an always-available classic audio title with an always-available Kindle ebook, showing your users how to toggle back and forth between formats?
By: John Mark Boling,
on 10/27/2011
A big thanks to everyone who joined us last night at the Housing Works Bookstore to enjoy the "Changing World of the Foreign Correspondent" panel moderated by The Paris Correspondent author Alan S. Cowell. Joining the panel to discuss the rapidly changing world of journalism in the digital age were Chrystia Freeland, global editor-at-large of Reuters News; John Darnton, award-winning journalist and bestselling author of Almost a Family and Black and White and Dead All Over; and Peter Godwin, author of Mukiwa: A White Boy in Africa and When a Crocodile Eats the Sun.
How does the job of the foreign correspondent change over time? Will on the ground foreign correspondence be necessary in the future? Does the rapid pace of web journalism compromise credibility in foreign reporting? Last night's panelists tackled these big questions about the state of global journalism in the age of Twitter and shared stories from their backgrounds as pioneers in the field of digital media.
By: Mary Burkey,
on 11/4/2011
The Princess and the Pea & transliteracy. Naxos Audio’s free MP3 file can be played on your computer, or dragged & dropped on any player (just scroll down, right-click link & save). Perfect for your little princess! And perfect timing for me. I’m developing a transliteracy unit for gifted 6th graders, examining the concept of theme in folk & fairy tales, looking at how different formats affect the message and address personal learning styles. This audio will be a perfect addition to the traditional picture books, retold modern versions, graphic novel adaptations, poetry, short novelizations, reader’s theater, novels in verse, video, and long-form literature. A short audio listen-aloud is a wonderful addition to the classroom (or family room!), no matter the students’ age.
Pass out some 11×17 blank paper, fold into frames, turn out the lights and press play. Encourage the kids to visualize as they listen. At predetermined plot points, press pause and have the students illustrate the audio segments in sequential frames focusing on a particular literary element such as setting, character, mood. Later, cut apart the frames and create posters that have the enlarged text of the audio selection as a heading, with all of the different visual interpretations below. Voila! Instant concrete example of transliteracy 
By: Mary Burkey,
on 11/7/2011
Read into the Nook’s microphone , and add your own narration to kid’s picture books. There’s plenty of press on today’s announcement of the newest competitor in the eReader wars, but the unique addition of an on-board mic really caught my eye. The promo video highlights the “Read and Record” ability, which allows a child or adult record the text for later playback – a do-it-yourself audiobook + narration. Details are few right now, but I can see this as a fantastic literacy tool in the classroom to foster fluency, or as wonderful cross-generational storytime sharing. But that’s just one of the very attractive features of Nook Tablet. So yes, I did just pre-order the Nook Tablet. Which should arrive 4 days after my Kindle Fire. To add to the drawer with the Nook Simple Touch, Kindle Keyboard, Nook Color, and (now antique) original Sony Reader. Promise you won’t tell my family members.
By: Mary Burkey,
on 11/22/2011
20 kid’s audiobooks for 99 cents – Tales2Go Happy Holidays app from iTunes has over 30 hours of winter-themed listening goodness, from traditional tales such as The Brave Tin Soldier and The Story of Hanukkah to favorite characters Clifford and Clementine available here for Apple iOS gadets. This stand-alone audio app is a great way to sample Tales2Go’s unlimited access, single fee subscription, which recently added a single-month option. Plus, Tales2Go now allows five devices tied to a single account – toddlers can use mom’s iPhone, preschoolers dad’s iPod Touch, and tween can have the iPad. Instant back seat bliss! Tales2Go has baby books to chapter books, with original storyteller fare – from Diary of a Wimpy Kid to favorite songs from Bill Harley. There’s even school pricing. Check out the Tales2Go web site for more: http://tales2go.com/
By: Mary Burkey,
on 12/8/2011
It’s official. Downloads = 52% of sales in 2010, while CDs = 43%, as reported in the newest industry survey conducted by the Audio Publishers Association. That leaves 5% for other formats such as cassettes (yes there are still a few produced) or Playaways. Yet the statistics also show that the shift doesn’t necessarily mean more dollars for audio publishers – there’s more revenue from physical media. But the shift to digital has also triggered a huge jump in the industry’s growth – 2010 had twice as many audiobooks published than just three years before. You’ll see the survey highlights below, but only members of the Audio Publishers Association can see the full survey results – and librarians are welcome to join
These statistics mirror the reactions from five industry insiders I recently interviewed for my upcoming January “Voices in My Head” column titled “Digital Shift Happens,” which will include the abridged version of fascinating insights into the changing world of audiobook creation. I’ll be featuring my complete interviews here on Audiobooker over the next few weeks, so stay tuned for more on the subject from Johnny Heller, Paul Gagne, Tavia Gilbert, Barbara Rosenblat, and Paul Ruben.
2011 Industry Sales Survey Report reflecting sales data from the 2010 calendar year
Survey Highlights:
By: Mary Burkey,
on 1/27/2012
Katherine Kellgren reads this cozy mystery written by Rhys Bowen, a limited time freebie from Audible. Grab this 2011 Audies Award nominee for “Best Mystery/Suspense Audiobook” - pure fun narrated by Booklist‘s “Voice of Choice” Kellgren. No doubt they’ve decided to offer this introduction to the Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie series to hook you on the series – be prepared to devour all five of these light, frothy treats! Here’s the download link
And check out the video below for a guided tour of Audible’s headquarters, an episode of Cubes hosted by the lovely Katy Kellgren
By: Mary Burkey,
on 4/6/2011
On-the-go download of FREE audiobooks & ebooks from your public library for iPhone, Android, iPad, iPod, Macs, PC and now BlackBerry. OverDrive Media, the largest provider of digital content to libraries, announces another resource for savvy consumers – an addition to the variety of FREE software and apps that allow users to check out digital titles from their public library straight to computers as well as mobile devices, totally tether-free – no need for a USB plug-in.
I just updated the OverDrive app on my Android phone and was glad to see fewer steps to click through, plus a much-desired “Show only available titles” check box in the Search function (wish that option was in the Browse function, too). I’m impressed with the continuing upgrades that are making the digital download experience quicker & easier, especially as the current controversy over library eBook limitations turns the public’s attention on library downloads. It would be interesting to grab a bunch of stats on downloads from before and after the story about HarperCollins’ 26-loan limit first hit the news. I suspect it’s a case of any-publicity-is-good. I do wish digital audiobooks were mentioned in the continuing discussions on crafting equable access to materials, including the remarks by ALA President Stevens. But I am glad that librarians are getting into the game & making their voices heard – the theme in my last “Voices in My Head” column, Digital Synchronicity.
Here’s OverDrive’s complete press release:
Cleveland, April 6, 2011 – Public, school, and college libraries now provide direct EPUB eBook downloads on BlackBerry® mobile devices with the free OverDrive® Media Console™ app for BlackBerry. Users at more than 13,000 libraries worldwide can wirelessly download and enjoy EPUB eBooks, as well as MP3 audiobooks, on their BlackBerry devices. Libraries offer best-selling titles, such as “The Social Animal” by David Brooks and “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett, which can be borrowed and enjoyed using OverDrive’s app for BlackBerry. Popular business eBooks and audiobooks, as well as titles in virtually any subject, are also available from the library using the BlackBerry app.
The OverDrive app for BlackBerry is available from OverDrive’s website and the MobiHand Superstore. The app will also appear in BlackBerry App World™ in the coming weeks. To see if your library is a member of the OverDrive network, visit OverDrive Search.
OverDrive’s BlackBerry app provides untethered access to EPUB eBooks and MP3 audiobooks from the library. The app’s “Get Books” feature makes it easy to find a local library, and then brow
By: Mary Burkey,
on 4/20/2011
Dr. Seuss’ classic turned into a game for iPhone, iPad or Android, free this Friday, April 22.. Download the app from iTunes or the Android Marketplace to get an idea of how transmedia is changing the world of literature for today’s techie toddlers – and for you. Heck, even Jennifer Egan’s Pulitzer Prize winner, A Visit from the Goon Squad, has received the enhanced app treatment, as reported in this Audiobooker post on Digital Synchronicity. Seuss app publisher Oceanhouse Media has sold over one million downloads, complete with narration and interactive features, featuring favorite Seuss titles, the Berenstain Bears, Little Critter, and now Smithsonian Soundprints. You’ll find other free apps on their website, where you can learn more about the Lorax Garden game.
Take a look at the game here:
By: Mary Burkey,
on 4/20/2011
Yay! Check out library ebooks for your Kindle or Kindle app later this year! The long-awaited announcement that Amazon and OverDrive, who manages digital checkouts for many libraries, have reached an agreement to allow download of library eBooks is finally here! Details will be forthcoming, but according to this story in today’s Publishers Weekly, we can expect the availablity of titles later in the year on all Kindle eBook readers, as well as via the Kindle app. Perhaps this will encourage library holdouts Macmillan and Simon & Shuster to licence downloads through OverDrive – and will continue the re-evaluation of Harper 26-circulations limit.
By: Mary Burkey,
on 5/18/2011
Classics paired with hot YA literature – FREE downloads all summer! Feature this promotion on your library website, in your school summer reading materials, for your book club members, and pass along to your social media connections. You just can’t get any better than Sync – sixteen terrific titles at no cost, in a easy MP3 download that can be played on just about any cell phone, media player, ereader, or computer. There’s a full press kit here with downloadable bookmarks, posters, newsletters, logos and more.
Participants must become a member of the Audiobook Community and join the SYNC group within the community – members must be ages 13+, but parents can be encouraged to download for their children. During the summer, the Sync group will host discussions and chats about the downloaded titles – a ready-made online audiobook club for your patrons! Terrific for teachers, students, families, teens, never-before audiobook listeners, or audiobook addicts looking for great new titles. Plus, the downloads are managed by OverDrive, so Sync group members can become acquainted with your public library’s download provider. Each pair of titles is available for just one week. If you’re afraid you’ll forget to download, just text syncya to 25827 to receive text alert reminders!
Thanks to audiobook publishers AudioGO, Blackstone Audio, Bolinda Audio, Brilliance Audio, Harper Audio, Listen & Live, Listening Library/BOT, Naxos Audio, Oasis Audio, Scholastic Audio, Tantor Audio and the Audiobook Community for promoting audio literature.
Here’s the complete list of titles:
| SYNC Titles Summer 2011 |
Available June 23 – June 29
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare
Available June 30 – July 6
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
The Trial by Franz Kafka
Available July 7 – July 13
Where the Streets Had a Name by Randa Abdel-Fattah
A Passage to India by E. M. Forster
Available July 14 – July 20
The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delaney
Beowulf Translated by Francis B. Gummere
Available July 21 – July 27
Chanda’s Secrets by Allan Stratton
1 Comments on Sync Audiobook Awesomeness!, last added: 5/19/2011
By: Mary Burkey,
on 7/5/2011
Today & tomorrow SYNC has downloads of great dystopian fiction – perfect for a Hunger Games listen-alike or classic summer reading requirement. Grab Little Brother by Cory Doctorow and The Trial by Franz Kafka now, as two more titles, Where the Streets Had a Name by Randa Abdel-Fattah and A Passage to India by E. M. Forster will be available July 7 – July 13. Each week this summer you can download two FREE titles from SYNC at no cost, in a easy MP3 download that can be played on just about any cell phone, media player, ereader, or computer. There’s a full press kit here with downloadable bookmarks, posters, newsletters, logos and more. We spoke about SYNC during the audiobook panel that I was on at ALA Annual, and people couldn’t believe that Yes, these are totally free and that Yes, they are yours to keep forever – absolutely no strings attached. The panel moderator, President of the Audiobook Publishers Association Michele Cobb, told everyone that publishers are happy to give these great titles to teens & adults to encourage new audiobook listeners and to allow fans to begin a personal audiobook collection.
Participants must become a member of the Audiobook Community and join the SYNC group within the community – members must be ages 13+, but parents can be encouraged to download for their children. During the summer, the Sync group will host discussions and chats about the downloaded titles – a ready-made online audiobook club for your patrons! Terrific for teachers, students, families, teens, never-before audiobook listeners, or audiobook addicts looking for great new titles. Plus, the downloads are managed by OverDrive, so Sync group members can become acquainted with your public library’s download provider. Each pair of titles is available for just one week. If you’re afraid you’ll forget to download, just text syncya to 25827 to receive text alert reminders!
By: Mary Burkey,
on 7/6/2011
Digital times, they are a-changin’ Toddlers now tap & swipe to see & hear books on parents’ iPad and grandma’s Nook Color. What was once a book + tape readalong set is now a digital download of interactive ebook + audio. But they more things change, the more they stay the same. Top sellers on iPhones & Android? Oceanhouse Media’s good old Dr. Seuss. Now Harper is dusting off the trusty “I Can Read” series and adding some interactive bells & whistles to titles like Frog and Toad. You can check out the changing times for free on Barnes & Noble’s Color Nook Kids “I Can Read” page or on iTunes for iPhone & iPad with an offer of Dixie, the first book in a series by Grace Gilman. And be sure that Nook Color has the original operating system – this grandma’s Nook-Color-turned-into-Android-Table won’t run these ebook downloads 
By: Mary Burkey,
on 7/9/2011
Chiming in to Fuse #8 Production blog today. Just had to add my two cent’s worth about audiobooks to the questions raised in Betsy Bird’s post below:
Say you’re a children’s librarian. Your office is directly connected to the picture book room and due to the layout of the space the walls of your space do not reach the ceiling. This means that anyone in the attached room can be heard with crystal clear clarity. Maybe that’s not so great when you’re eating your ham sandwich for lunch and can hear five five-year-olds running hell-for-leather around the space while their parents gab, but generally it’s charming. Particularly when you get to overhear parents reading to their children. One day you might hear a stirring rendition of The Lonely Doll. The next, you’re getting ideas for storytime due to how a British dad reads The Terrible Plop.
But what if the parental reader is an awful reader? This is often the case, after all. Sometimes, for whatever reason, a parent isn’t particularly good at reading a book aloud. This might be because they are unaccustomed to the activity, or it could be because English is not their first language. Maybe they’re embarrassed to be heard giving voice to a smarmy pigeon or a truculent pig. Or perhaps they always speak in a monotone anyway, and reading a book is never going to be any different.
Whatever the case, it got me to thinking. We all know that it is incredibly important for parents to read to their children from a very young age. With that in mind, what I’m about to ask is akin to near treason in the children’s librarian world. Still, it’s something that has been floating about in my brain. I had a chance to hash it out with another librarian recently, and I feel no closer to an answer. Maybe you have an idea about the following then:
When a poor reader reads aloud to a child, can that person do more harm than good in instilling a love of reading?
My instinct is to say no, of course not. A great book can survive even the worst reading. But if a bad reader has been reading poorly to a child from day one, does that mean that the kid is ruined for books from Day One onwards? I shouldn’t think so, but I wonder if any studies have been done on the subject. I suppose not since defining a “good” reader sounds like a fairly subjective supposition to start from. Still, have studies been done about reading with a single tone versus reading to children with a tone that jumps and jives? Should there be such studies? What could possibly be done if such a study took place anyway? Would parents suddenly be inclined to “train” to learn how to read aloud to their children? Does such a state of affairs already exist? And, if not, wouldn’t the person who taps into parental fears and insecurities make a tidy bundle if they advertised classes meant to teach parents how to read to their kids “the right way”?
The librarian I mentioned all this too argued that if a parent reads poorly and doesn’t give any context to the reading (saying something angrily when a character is angry, for example) then they aren’t teaching their children properly and the kid loses out. I dunno. Sort of sounds right.
Your thoughts on the matter?
and about this bit in a comment on the post:
I believe *adults* are more apt to be influenced by a person’s voice. We recently borrowed an audio book from the library that I absolutely refused to listen to because of the reader’s voice (it was a recent newbery too!) I had to blast other noise over top of it whenever the kids listened to it in the other room, it was so awful. But that’s the thing… the kids listened to it. Constantly. They love story, reg
1 Comments on Ponderable: Do Bad Readers Affect a Love of Books?, last added: 7/10/2011Display Comments Add a Comment
By: Mary Burkey,
on 7/25/2011
Blackstone Audio offers simultaneous download of digital MP3 audiobooks without waiting lists or holds through their Max Access collection of best-selling titles available through OverDrive. Keep up with what’s new from Blackstone on their blog here. I’ll be hearing more about this feature and plenty more at OverDrive’s Digipalooza, their International User Group Conference, later this week. Watch for more News You Can Use!
By: Mary Burkey,
on 8/1/2011
Kindle library download date? OverDrive delivered a clear but cryptic clue at Digipalooza, a user’s group meeting of 450 librarians chomping at the bit to find out when the largest provider of digital content to public libraries would integrate the Kindle into the list of compatible consumer devices. But even though the conversations revolved around the theme of “Managing the eBook Explosion,” there was plenty of audiobook news you can use. Here are some top take-aways:
In most of the statistics shared by librarians representing systems large & small, audiobook downloads still exceed eBook downloads.
Audiobook patrons have already dealt with the dead/disappearing format syndrome – cassette to CD to downloads in WMA to MP3 formats – and are the library patrons most comfortable with consuming content in various containers.
In the publisher’s panel, the message was that CDs are still strong, with the majority of current sales in physical format, and will continue to be produced as long as there are cars with CD players.
Librarians want audio publishers to provide Advance Listening Copies so that reviews of audiobooks appear closer to release date, alongside print reviews (and I can attest that this is already happening – my last two reviews for Booklist were of ALC titles)
Questions about availability of titles in physical vs. digital formats were answered by publishers with the repeated refrain that rights management is Very Complicated – backlist titles must have contracts re-negotiated prior to digital release (in both eBook or downloadable audio format), occasionally the voice actor will have additional contractual rights, audio is a sub-right that can be sold to a different publisher than print or eBook, world rights depend on country copyright law, etc.
OverDrive will be focused on a move to providing the least restrictive format of each download – Open EPUB for eBooks, MP3 for audiobooks – working with publishers to maintain rights protection while satisfying ease of use for patrons.
OverDrive wants the library’s web presence as the first stop for patrons looking for digital content – the new OverDrive WIN platform will consolidate formats as just “eBook” or “audiobook” – no more list of all possible digital variations. Patrons will use a device wizard to have the compatible content downloaded.
The WIN platform will also allow patrons to see ALL copyrighted digital formats available through OverDrive, and allow patron suggestions for purchase.
If the patron does not find the desired item available through their library while browsing WIN, they may purchase the item though affiliate vendors, with libraries receiving a small payment from each sale.
OverDrive will have a Children’s/Young Adult specific Content Wire new release alert newsletter soon.
For more Digipalooza discussions, check out Twitter #digip11
And the Kindle…
Patrons will search via the library’s OverDrive platform, with all of the library’s existing purchased eBook content (no matter what format) available for Kindle download. Any Kindle user may access this content, whether on the device or through a Kindle app. The patron will click a &ldqu
By: Mary Burkey,
on 8/8/2011
Just follow simple video directions to root the newest Nook as an Android tablet.
The Simple Touch from Nook recently beat the Kindle in Consumer Report’s ratings, while Buffy Hamilton pledged to buy the Simple Touch over the Kindle after the librarian received notification about the new Kindle Education Guidelines. The Nook Color is enjoying strong sales due to the flexibility of its reading experience for toddlers to adults, plus the easy rooting that turns the color eReader into a bargain tablet computer. Here’s another reason to take a look at Nook.
Now Nook Simple Touch owners can follow easy 10-minute directions provided by The Ebook Reader Blog in layman’s terms plus how-to video, showing the steps needed root the eInk tablet. Once the Nook is rooted, owners can switch back & forth from the standard Nook Simple Touch operation to an Android desktop that can include extras such as an internet browser, Gmail, and even the Kindle app. The ability of the Nook Simple Touch to connect via wifi to the internet isn’t touted by Barnes & Noble, but the work of XDA Developers group to open up the Simple Touch’s Android system will certainly lead to more buyers. My only quibble with the Simple Touch is that it has no audio – so you can’t drag-n-drop MP3 audiobooks onto it as you can the Nook Color or Kindle, nor add audiobooks via Audible as you can with the Kindle or play audiobooks using the Audible or OverDrive app as you can on the rooted Nook Color.
Now please excuse me while I go play with my newly rooted Simple Touch
By: Mary Burkey,
on 8/18/2011
Download or promote free SYNC audiobooks? Show the impact of teen audiobooks to publishers by taking time to fill out the quick surveys below. SYNC provided two free paired audiobooks each week – one a current hot YA release, one a classic – to promote audiobook listening by tweens & teens (and the many adults who are YA lit fans). The initiative is supported by the generous donation of the completely-free, yours-to-keep-forever, MP3 audiobooks by the top audiobook publishers and AudioFile Magazine. The results from the surveys will provide valuable statistics to show the impact of SYNC. If you promoted the program on your library website, as I did, please post the link to the “Listeners” survey, and fill out the “Librarian & Educators” survey yourself – you’ll get a nice reward at the end of the survey
Let’s keep this great program going, and make it even better next summer!
SYNC Librarian & Educator Survey
We at Learning Ally are grateful to volunteers and advocates like you and Simon Vance — for drawing public attention to the critical role that accessible materials play in the lives of people with print disabilities. Countless thousands of students benefit from great volunteer voices across the U.S. — bringing books to life in an accessible format that levels the educational playing field and enables them to achieve their best.