But first, statistics! Let’s take a moment to talk about audio.
The Five-Star Weekend, by Elin Hilderbrand: We own 5 copies on CD, with 2 copies checked out as I type this. In contrast, we own 5 copies of the e-audio, all five are checked out, with 44 holds in the queue.
Happy Place, by Emily Henry: We own 2 copies on CD, with both copies checked out and no holds. We own 5 copies of the e-audio, all checked out, with 36 holds on top of that.
Zero Days, by Ruth Ware: We own 3 copies on CD, with one checked out. We own 3 copies of the e-audio, all checked out, with 21 holds on deck.
So, what does this mean? Well, it confirms what we thought last summer during our OverDrive budget talks, which is that Libby is where the party is for your audiobook listeners. There are times that (for budgetary reasons), I have to decide between buying the e-book or the e-audio of a given title. (Getting both is the exception, not the rule…) And most of the time, I’ll choose the audio, knowing that it may be the preferred (and sometimes, only) way for patrons to access the audio version with their library card.
All of which is to say, if you think your patrons aren’t using audiobooks, they are – it’s just that they’re using the part of your collection that doesn’t live on physical shelves. And if you think you’re not buying audio because you don’t buy books on CD, you ARE – and it’s definitely worth the investment.
Moving right along to our regularly scheduled content!
The August lists for Library Reads and Indie Next are out – go ahead and print ’em out for yer corkboard.
Looking for a pop culture display idea? Look no further than Barbenheimer, and fill your display with half atomic age reads and half hot pink cat-eye sunglasses type reads!
Speaking of pop culture, PopSugar has some 2023 book-to-movie adaptations to be on the lookout for.
And now, a word on horror – it’s not just for October anymore! RA expert and horror maven Becky Spratford reminds us that horror is as hot as it is scary:
“Horror is everywhere and readers are craving it in numbers we have not seen among library patrons, ever before… some of the oldest and most trusted themes such as witches, ghosts, vampires, Gothic, and the small town are among the biggest winners here as authors are feeding off of the genre’s pulsating energy to explore these old-standby subgenres with renewed vigor. The public’s Horror hunger has also led publishers to look further afield for options as more titles by women, people of color, and those who identify as LGBTQ are making it onto shelves. No longer is the genre limited by a dominantly cis, male view. The result of welcoming more voices has also helped both to refresh those traditional subgenres and introduce books that actively contemplate the Horrors of marginalization alongside the supernatural terrors.”
Her blog post is full of resources for those of you looking to up your horror game – check it out, if you DARE!
Finally, #TuesdayReads: I’m in a mystery mood these days. I’m in the middle of A Death in Door County, with The Dry on deck and Maigret in my Britbox queue. (Is half the fun identifying British actors from other mysteries? It sure is. I see you, John Light.) Happy reading/viewing/detecting!
