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Let the industry know the facts about public library use of audiobooks. Here’s a chance for public librarians to let the Audio Publishers Association know about your purchase and use of both physical and downloaded materials for your patrons. Follow this link  <http://www.readersurvey.com/surveys/10002-lib.htm >to a detailed survey that will allow the APA to compile your data and communicate the results to the producers of audiobooks, in conjunction with a sales and a consumer survey. I’ll let you all know the results of the APA 2010 surveys when they are released. If you’d like to see past surveys, visit the APA website and check the “Resources” section. I previously posted a glitchy link – if you have problem with this one, feel free to contact the APA directly at [email protected]. And if you’re looking for an open forum to interact with producers, narrators, authors, librarians, and audiobook fans, don’t forget about the newly-formed Audiobook Community – an open, uncensored, unbranded social network of audiobook aficionados! While you’re there, visit the “Get Caught Listening” discussion for free download links to add to your website to celebrate “June is Audiobook Month!”

Is this the tipping point? With over 100 surveys tallied, there seems to be a pretty clear 50-50 split between those who are listening to audiobook downloads and those who want to hold on to the physical format. As the survey allowed multiple answers, the charts below don’t show that there were the exact same number of responders who said they “only download” and those who said “hope I am never forced to go digital.” Plus, I was amazed to see such strong numbers for audiobooks on a physical MP3 disc (nearly equal to Playaway), given that availability is somewhat limited. And it looks like cassettes and audiobook rentals are on life-support. Certainly food for thought for those charged with selecting audiobooks for public & school libraries! If you are wondering, only one person who purchases audiobooks for a school setting included cassettes in their selection choices. I’m hoping to survey a strictly-teen group to see how (or if) the numbers vary for that sampling. Of course, the results gathered by the Audio Publisher’s Association’s Sales and Consumer Survey is a professional data collection effort. But those of you who have served on an ALA committee with me know my fondness for spreadsheets & graphs   So for your viewing enjoyment, here’s a visual representation of the response to my January 30, 2009 survey. And if you have any ideas for a future survey, leave a comment. I’m always up for another spreadsheet adventure!

Audiobooks as a physical format: dead or alive? BookScan reports a 19% drop in the purchase of audiobooks in 2009. A recent Publishers Weekly article by Jim Milliot showed that physical sales of audiobooks took a hard hit, while print format sales had only a mild drop in the poor economic climate. Was this a true decline in audiobook listening or simply a reflection of the shift from purchasing audiobooks as CDs, MP3 disc, Playaways, or cassettes (yes, they do still exist)?  I’m curious about the shift from physical to digital for audiobook listeners. Take a moment to answer the survey below – look for the answers at the end of next week!

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I recently embarked on a two-year adventure that will take me, in Dan Brown style, from end to end of Europe (with a brief foray into Asia) in search of the answer to the age-old question: “What are the differences in the ways that children’s literature is taught to 8-11-year-olds in Spain, the UK, Iceland and Turkey?”

Okay, it’s not quite the Da Vinci code, but it’s still important! It’s easy to become myopically focused on one’s own situation and history, after all. In England and Wales we debate the National Curriculum and Literacy Hour, and complain about literature being taught in snippets rather than whole books. What has happened to reading aloud in class for the sheer pleasure of it, we ask? Where do books fit into the wider curriculum? Are they simply springboards to discussion of “issues”? Are they viewed as ways of inculcating social values – and, if so, whose? Which subjects are out of bounds, and why? Who chooses the books? Why do we read so little in translation? What do the children themselves think about it all?

I and my colleagues will be surveying both teachers and pupils in the four countries to find the answers to some of these questions – and one result, we hope, will be a sharing of ideas that will in a small way help invigorate teaching across the board. So far I’ve only been to Murcia in Spain, but in a couple of weeks I’ll be off to northern Iceland and the University of Akureyri to plan our next move (why didn’t we schedule that trip for midsummer? Why?). Ankara is slated for later in the year.

One difference I noticed right away in Spanish bookshops, by the way, was in the way they display books. Think of the colourful, not to say garish, stands of books in the children’s section of your local Waterstones, with dump bins, covers facing outwards, and each publication striving to be as different from the rest as possible. Then look at the Spanish equivalent, above. The colours of the jackets denote neither publisher nor genre, I’m told, but age-banding - which in this country remains a highly-controversial topic. It all looks very dull to me, but several people have told me that as children they'd have preferred their shelves to have that kind of neat uniformity. So, who's missing a trick, the Spanish or the Brits? Chacun à son goût, I guess.

, last added: 1/28/2010

Please answer this survey. All respondents will be entered into a "Thank You" giveaway.

The survey is hosted on Google Docs.

I apologize to anyone who tried to take my survey today and wasn't able to. Someone spammed the survey with all 70 of their gmail addresses, so it filled up before it came to my attention.

However, it sould be fixed now. So if you'd like to be eligible for the contest, and you haven't already taken the survey, you can now do that by following the link on the original post. And if you're still having trouble, please let me know so I can fix it again.

As a reminder too: I'm sorry to have to point this out, but as you can see, it obviously needs to be mentioned. Anyone who spams the survey by entering more than one time will be disqualified. The software does track computer access, so I know when I look at the results if two responses came from the same computer. If this happens, I will delete BOTH your entries. So don't ruin it for yourself. :-)

Having my 3rd blogoversary has made me reflect a lot in the past few days. I am continually looking for a way to improve this blog. So who better to ask for ideas on making The Shady Glade better than you, my readers?

So I've created this survey to help me. So if you could please take the survey, that would be wonderful. Click Here to take survey. I'll even make it worth your while. Anyone who takes the survey will be eligible to win a prize for their efforts. So this time I'm giving away a new ARC of I Can't Keep My Own Secrets: Six-Word Memoirs by Teens Famous & Obscure.

How to enter: All you have to do is take the survey using the link above. At the end there's a spot where you can enter your email address.

You also have an opportunity to win an extra chance at the $10 Amazon.com Gift Card by posting a link advertising this contest. To earn an extra entry, post a direct link to your link in the comments below. For more information on how to win the gift card, please see the post on that subject.

Rules: The contest is open until midnight PST on September 30th, 2009. This contest is open internationally! The winner will be chosen by a random number generator. Rules about claiming prizes can be found here. Questions? Post a comment or email and ask.

About the Book (from Amazon.com): "The New York Times bestseller NOT QUITE WHAT I WAS PLANNING made six-word memoirs an international phenomenon, as people around the world embraced this pithy new format. The editors of the collection found that some of the most poignant entries were coming from teens-and so this newest collection is entirely by and for those smart, sassy, and angst-filled truth tellers. From navigating the hazardous halls of high school, to dealing with extreme situations at home, these writers may be young, but their stories will resonate with people of all ages. A few sample memoirs: I live bigger than your labels. Aspiration: Colonize Mars. You're not invited. Fifteen and my mom has cancer.Homecoming king with a septum ring. Friend. Boyfriend. Ex-boyfriend. Friend. Friend's Boyfriend."

I Can't Keep My Own Secrets: Six-Word Memoirs by Teens Famous & Obscure is also now available for order through Amazon.com:

Just fill out a survey. It's a brief survey only 8 questions, but the more people fill out, the crazier things, Sarah will do!So go ahead, I know you want to!

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CLICK HERE
to answer Kevin's poll for yourself.

Kevin's questions are ones we all want answered. And, clicking
to see how the majority of answers stack up beside ours is
both informative and fun. You will see that illustrating children's books
is only one of Kevin's talents. . .

However there were two questions I could not answer.

#1 -
Children love books about dogs and cats. Which animal, however,
is your child most likely to read a book about?

We are a family of animal lovers - ALL of them. At one time we had 7 cats, 3 dogs, a parrot + a budgie, 3 pygmy goats ( great lawnmowers if you stake them away from your shrubs and flowers), countless guinea pigs - also great lawnmowers when moved around within the confines of a large chicken wire surround. We also had tens of thousands of tropical fish and goldfish ( my husband's business) and wild deer, skunks, possums, hummingbirds and squirrels galore! How could I ever choose between cats and dogs for my POV characters?

And remember, some of my books feature platypus, Tasmanian devils
and grizzly bears - Kevin, have a heart, mate!!!

The other poll question I did not answer was equally perplexing:

#2 -
In YA novels, which of the four topics below in the content of a book make you feel the most uncomfortable and should be featured the least

*Domestic violence.
*Sexual situations.
*Inappropriate language.
*Implied or direct substance abuse.

Regrettably, all four of the above are a major part of many teen's daily lives. If you want to spice up your plot, or write characters who might have more teen appeal, my suggestion is strengthen your plot, and make your characters richer: more real and appealing. Adding any of the above four elements, as a HOOK to draw in readers, is dirty pool in my book.

However, if you are writing about circumstances and young characters that have these situations in their lives, and are struggling to be free of them, then by all means use words that paint a clear and damning picture of what these teens face. Life's realities are often far from "nice." A book that shows that a child can find help, can escape predators, and can turn away from bad things, is a wonderful and important way to help young people who face different degrees of torment, and are desperate to move in another direction.

So you see, I could not choose any one of the bad scenarios above as one I would not use in a book, due to my own discomfort or disapproval. In fact, if a book I wrote helped some teen find the courage to leave a bad situation behind, and begin a better life, then I would be glad and proud of any words or scenes I wrote, that helped him/her make that wise decision.

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This is not only a survey where your vote counts, but also serves as an online resource for individuals in the YA, tween and children's book market to view the results on various topics to sharpen their own custom marketing strategies.

( Your comments are very welcome)

My Website <> <> "Musings"

From my book ABC Safari just released by Sylvan Dell Publishing.

While stretched out on a limb to rest
light plays across his spiky crest.
Serenly lying still, it seems
Iguana's lost in daytime dreams.