Week 11 Prompt

I believe the appeal of ebooks and audiobooks depends on the patron. I’ve had several patrons tell me that they love audiobooks because they have a much easier time with them than reading. Many people, including myself, find that ebooks have made it much easier and accessible to read. Other people tell me that they need the feel of a book in their hands. I believe it’s very much personal to each reader.

I think ebooks and audiobooks allow for greater accessibility for people. My mother loves using her Kindle to read from Libby because she can adjust the font and line spacing so it’s much easier for her to read than the small print in books. Many parents have told me that audiobooks have been a great resource for their children who struggle to focus on reading. 

In my own personal experience, ebooks have been so helpful and convenient in helping me get back into reading. When I was in college, it was hard to get to a library to pick out a book and then return it. I discovered Libby in 2019 and it remains my favorite library service to tell patrons about to this day. It’s my absolute favorite thing we offer at the library. I can adjust the text and lighting settings to make it easier for my eyes and can access it anywhere on my phone, laptop, or Kindle. 

For audiobooks, the narrator has to be good to keep me engaged. I recently finished listening to The Series of Unfortunate Events narrated by the amazing Tim Curry, and I loved them. A few years ago, I tried to listen to A Game of Thrones but only got a couple chapters in before dropping it because I hated the narrator. A good audiobook narrator makes or breaks listening to the book for me. Several of my friends have been listening to the graphic audios for A Court of Thorns and Roses and they love it. They told me it adds so much depth and really puts them into the story.