Prompt #5

I am not exactly sure how I feel about the use of audio books or e-books yet as I have not really given them much of a chance and have not used them frequently. I have always preferred a hard print,but I do realize that all mediums have their benefits and it is evident that e-books and audio books are preferred by many.

I did not know a whole lot about e-books until I started working in libraries nearly three years ago. It was then that I had to know how to assist patrons in downloading e-books and how to use the program Overdrive. Library staff needed to know how to download e-books on a variety of types of tablets including Kindles, I-Pads, Nooks, etc. After playing around with these tablets that the library owned for staff use, I would say I knew my way around a tablet and the e-books program pretty well. Ironically I did not own a tablet until about 3 months ago when Amazon was selling Kindle Fires for 30 dollars. I currently use my Kindle Fire to play games, surf the web, and listen to music. I tried reading an e-book on my tablet and it did not go too well. I soon discovered that after working all day (which consists of being on a computer majority of the time) my eyes just could not take looking at a screen for an extended time. I wanted to look at something other than a screen! This only happened once and I never went back. I went back to my old faithful hard copies. I realize e-books have their benefits but it is just not for me. The list of benefits goes on and on for e-books.

1. e-books are delivered instantaneously.
2. No trees are needed to make e-books.
3. They take up less space.
4. You do not need a light to read.
5. Fonts can be resized for people with bad eyesight
6. ETC.
7. ETC

Audiobooks are another medium that I have not used much at all, but they are definitely beneficial to those who use them. We have several older patrons at my library whose eyes just do not work like they use to so using audiobooks allows them to still enjoy their favorite authors. We also have many people who travel for work  check out audios. I am more than happy that our patrons can enjoy these audios but they are not for me. For one thing, I am afraid if I listen to an audiobook while driving I will be distracted and not pay attention to the road! My other concern is if I am listening to an audiobook at home I will fall asleep after a couple of minutes and forget where I left off in the story. Especially if the narrator has a soft voice or tone. Zzzzzzzz.

Overall, I do believe that e-books and audio books appeal to a number of people for different reasons, they also help libraries promote their overall appeal. These different mediums attract different patrons to the library and that is great!

Thanks for Reading.