Week 11 Prompt Response
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I have had a Kindle since high school and I've upgraded it occasionally. I go through periods where all I read are E-books and then I go strictly back to physical books. Currently, I am in a period of having a physical book and e-book going at the same time. An E-book version and the print version of a novel can be totally different experiences. Personally, when I am reading an E-book, I am no longer intimidated by the weight and it does not become a chore to read a longer book. I also find myself reading much faster when I'm reading on a Kindle vs a print book. For me, I feel like this could change the appeal of a fantasy book. They are typically much thicker and by reading an E-book, that intimidation goes away. There are several benefits to reading an e-book vs. print:
- The ability to make the font larger or smaller
- The size and weight of a Kindle
- You can download books remotely
- The built-in dictionary feature is great
- You can read in the dark
- Carry multiple books with you at once
- A pop socket on a Kindle is a game-changer
I used to listen to so many audiobooks when I was commuting one hour each way to my job. Now that I am not in the car as much, I haven't been listening to audiobooks much anymore. Audiobook narrators can make or break a story. If I do not like the way a narrator sounds, I will not listen to that book. I'm sure a lot of other people have had similar experiences and sometimes the narrators totally ruin the book for me. Now that I do not commute, I get intimidated by the length of audiobooks. I can easily commit 10 hours but maybe not more than that. I hear from patrons a lot that they like to listen to a book during their commute. Some benefits I have found from listening to audiobooks include:
- The ability to multitask while listening to a book
- Narrators can be really engaging
- The convenience of downloading audiobooks remotely
- Graphic Audios are an amazing cinematic experience (I've heard the Fourth Wing graphic audio on Hoopla is amazing!
More often than not, a lot of the library cards I do are for patrons who are only interested in digital content. I will be sure to advertise our other services, but they are really excited to be able to access Libby. When it comes to audiobooks and E-books, it all comes down to personal preference.
Mallory, my son (who might be around your age) also feels like big books are intimidating and he likes to read the ebooks for that reason. I, on the other hand, LOVE to read a BIG book! How funny.
ReplyDeleteI was talking to a patron just the other day about how you can change the font on an ebook. He was not a fan, and I was pointing out that there are advantages.
I totally agree that the narrator of an audiobook can make or break a story. Well, if the story is bad, a good narrator can't make it that much better. But I have stopped listening to books where the narrator has a voice I can't take, or speaks really slowly and breathily. I like it when there is a little music, too. I have read that people sometimes pick a book because of the narrator. I haven't done that myself and I haven't heard of a patron doing that.
You know, one of the sort of negative things about the ebooks and audiobooks is that patrons don't have to come into the library to get them - so we don't see them!! I hadn't thought about that before.
I haven't heard about graphic audios. I may have to try that with Hoopla, which my library has. I've used it to watch movies on my tv at home - that's kind of nice. I'm starting to get stressed about the cost - am I costing my library too much with the number of audiobooks and ebooks I check out? Sometimes I don't get to them! Agh!
I am so guilty of checking out so many e-books and audiobooks, but never getting to them. We recently made A Flicker in the Dark e-book a "pay per cost" for a book club. I checked it out on Libby even though I have the physical copy at home.....I just like the options! I'm not even sure how much one use of an e-book costs. I'm sure it isn't cheap! ):
DeleteIt took me a long time to come around to ebooks and audiobooks but now I will read a book any way I can get my hands on it! I also will read eBooks and audiobooks at the same time. And if I'm running behind in reading my book club book (I host book club at our library) then I will even try to find it on audiobook and have all three going.
ReplyDeleteI'm currently listening to the graphic audio of the first Crescent City book and I like it so much better than when I tried to read it in print! I'll have to listen to Fourth Wing once I finish this series!
Yes!! Multiple formats! I do the same thing. I've got a physical copy and e-book copy for book club next month!
DeleteI love that you mentioned the pop socket on the e-reader. It really is a game-changer! I love how customizable you can make your e-reader. I bought a Kindle sleeve which brings me joy every time I carry it around with me.
ReplyDeleteMallory,
ReplyDeleteI always say that I will read anything that sits still long enough. Most of our patrons have a strong preference for either print or digital, and it seems like that's more weighted toward print, but as Janna points out, we aren't necessarily coming into contact with the ones who prefer digital formats.
My favorite aspect of e-books is the fact that I can be struggling to sleep, give up, and get the book I want immediately at 3 am when libraries and bookstores are all closed. It also makes it so that I don't even have to be prepared for waiting on someone. When they apologize for running late, my response is "It's okay, I have a book." (Usually followed by more apologies, and me insisting that not only is it okay but I'm really looking forward to reading while I wait.)