Audiobooker’s big weekend roundup of articles & links of interest to listeners and librarians.

Audiobooks: Are They Really the Same as Reading? Great article from the Chicago Tribune – not those the same old weary arguments. Author Jenni Laidman has gathered some great quotes, and includes her pick of five really great listens. Here’s my favorite quote from the article:

Arnold L. Glass, a professor of cognitive psychology at Rutgers University in New Jersey, studies the ways in which reading and listening differ. But if one mode is superior to the other, it’s not quite clear.

Listening has one outstanding advantage over reading, his research shows. When we listen, the theater in our head is in full operation. When we read, the screen may flicker. Reading monopolizes the visual part of our brain, the place where we form mental images, his 1980 study shows. He asked subjects to determine the accuracy of sentences loaded with imagery and sentences with little imagery. He found that reading slowed judgment on high-imagery sentences. But if subjects listened to the sentences instead, judgment time was the same, no matter the level of imagery.

Finding a Gateway to Audio: Fantastic suggestions from Maris Kreizman on ways to hook first-time audiobook listeners. Focused on consumer purchases, but just substitute library patrons as needed in the quote below:

I’m often asked by new buyers of audiobooks for recommendations. Their most common concern? That their Internet-addled minds will wander at the slightest provocation. So that gorgeous 34-hour recording of Anna Karenina? Not for them. Those who are just getting started in the world of audiobooks need a nonintimidating entry point.

“Gateway audiobooks” are an important category for the audiobook industry to consider. They’re the books that help a company like eMusic expand our consumer base and reach new users who are still unsure whether listening to books is for them. Once new users get hooked, they’ll be ready for that 57-hour recording of The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich in no time.

Catalist Digital: New kid on the block digital audiobook download provider for school & public libraries. A joint project of Barker & Taylor, Findaway World (Playaway’s parent company), and Follett – there’s not many details to be had, but you may want to put this vendor on your list for investigation. I’ll be checking things out at ALA Annual. I am very curious about the note-taking feature mentioned in the student-use mobile-app FAQs:

Why should I use the Catalist Digital Mobile App?

The Catalist Digital Mobile App is the only way for you to save your place, take notes, or keep an audiobook checked out for an extended period of time. Plus, it’s the only way to take audiobooks on-the-go.

AudioGopher: Speaking of note-taking