Friday, March 24, 2017

Week Eleven Prompt:

           As long as they get people reading, I am all for ebooks and audiobooks. In my personal experience, however, I highly prefer reading physical books, though I have tried the different mediums. When reading an ebook, I don't feel as connected to the story and the book. I like to physically see how far along I am and be able to smell and feel the pages. As for audiobooks, I have listened to them quite a bit, but I'm still not a huge fan. I mostly listen when I am driving and often find myself distracted. Chapters will go by and I won't know what is going on in the book.
         That being said, the appeal of ebooks and audiobooks is evident and a great motivation for many people to read. Ebook devices allow you to carry around hundreds of books at a time, all in your pocket or purse. For those who are traveling, this is a huge appeal factor. They no longer have to dedicate space to a stack of books. They also appeal to those patrons with vision or reading problems.  Most devices allow you to change font, sizing, and even color to fit your needs. Then, if someone had a large font, it would feel like they are moving very quickly through the book because they have to flip pages more often. Also, as discussed in "Steaming Up the Circ Desk," many romance readers feel more comfortable reading on a device because they can keep the material private. No one will know they are reading erotica at the park.
         Audiobooks have their benefits as well. One I hear most often from patrons is that they are able to do things around the house or drive while listening to a book. This allows them to read in moments where they previously wouldn't have been able. I have heard complaints or experienced it myself where the narrator makes or breaks the book. Sometimes the narrator is so good that a patron will try to find all of the books they have narrated. Other times, they have had to turn off a book because the narrator is awful. I particularly enjoy when an author narrates their own books because then you can hear exactly how they wanted the book to sound. A great example of this is The Graveyard Book written and narrated on the audiobook by Neil Gaiman.

2 comments:

  1. Melissa, our responses are quite similar. I can't listen to an audiobook very well either. I usually find myself thinking about something else and then I miss half of the story. I laughed when I read that you had to smell and feel the printed version- I thought it was just me who likes the smell of books.

    I find that many times when I do use my Kindle, it is for something that I don't want others to see me reading. I had mentioned the similar point in my posting as well.

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  2. Fantastic prompt response! You hit the nail on the head. Full points!

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