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Audiobook Selection Tools
- 1. Audiobook Selection { Tools Jez Layman
- 2. Audiobooks refer to audio recordings of books (fiction or nonfiction) or spoken word performances. Focus on evaluation tools for collection management in a public library setting. Audiobook Awards Review Publications Professional Associations Blogs Audiobooks for Adults
- 3. Audiobook Awards { Audiobook Selection Tools
- 4. • Hosted by the Audio Publishers Association • 29 categories • Genre • Audience • Recording Type • Narration • Package Design Audiobook Awards - Audies
- 5. Hosted by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States Award for Best Audiobook or Spoken Word Album Includes poetry and story telling Audiobook Awards - Grammys
- 6. Review Publications { Audiobook Selection Tools
- 7. Bimonthly publication dedicated solely to audiobooks and audiobook production. Available in print or online Reviews, news, author and narrator interviews, and a database of narrators and titles Audiobook reference guide Review Publications - AudioFile
- 8. Published by the American Library Association Available in print or online, with subscription Reviews large variety of titles Searchable online database of reviews Review Publications - Booklist
- 9. Independent publication for librarians Available in print or online Special focus on collection development and reader’s advisory Review Publications – Library Journal
- 10. Weekly magazine Available in print or online Reviews and news Subscription necessary Review Publications – Publishers Weekly
- 11. Professional Associations { Audiobook Selection Tools
- 12. Founded in 1987 Focused on business and production of audiobooks Up-to-date press coverage Resources for librarians Sponsors the Audie Awards Professional Associations – APA
- 13. The Listen List 12 excellent audiobooks Chosen by a committee of librarians Focused on reader’s advisory and collection development Includes annotations and “listen-alikes” Professional Associations - RUSA
- 14. { Audiobook Selection Tools Blogs
- 15. Hosted by Booklist Online Written by Mary Burkey Teacher-librarian Audies judge Booklist audiobook reviewer News, reviews, and audiobook download notifications Editor’s Choice list Blogs - Audiobooker
Editor's Notes
- The goal of this presentation is to educate librarians on the available selection tools which can aid them in the building of an audiobook collection. For the purpose of this presentation, an audiobook will refer to a narrated audio recording of a book (fiction or nonfiction) or a recording of a spoken word performance. The types of tools covered here are audiobook awards, review publications, professional associations, and blogs.
- The best place to start when first creating a new collection is a list of award winning titles, which have already proved their worth. There are three major prestigious awards given annually for audiobooks and spoken word recordings: the Audies, the Odysseys, and the Grammys. The Odysseys are awarded for recordings for youth audiences and will not be featured in this presentation.
- The Audies Award is an annual award sponsored by the Audio Publishers Association given in recognition of excellent audiobooks and spoken word entertainment. There are 29 separate categories, which focus on genre, audience, recording type (audiobook vs audio drama), narration (multi-voiced, male narration, female narration, read by author), and package design. The competitors are entered by their respective publishers through the APA and a list of finalists is released in March, followed by the announcement of winners at the Audies Gala in May.
- The Grammy Awards are hosted annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States and celebrate all areas of the recording industry. The category that focuses on audiobooks is the Award for Best Spoken Word Album, which also includes poetry reading and story telling. Only one award is given and is selected from a list of five finalists. The award is presented at the annual Grammy Award ceremony in January.
- Another tool librarians use to develop their collection in a given area is review publications. There are many publications in print and online which provide reviews on audiobook recordings or focus on the audiobook industry.
- AudioFile is a bimonthly print magazine that is dedicated solely to audiobooks and audiobook production. Much of the information from the magazine is available online without a subscription, including a digital copy of the magazine, recent reviews, news, author and narrator interviews, and a list of narrators with their respective titles. AudioFile also allows librarians and casual listeners to apply for a free web pass, regardless of subscription status, which provides access to additional reviews, audio clips, and online articles. Additionally, AudioFile provides access to an audiobook reference guide, which contains information on publishers, narrators, agents, production services, and retailers, which is geared more towards industry professionals.
- Geared towards librarians and published by the American Library Association, Booklist is considered one of the most reliable review resources for libraries and has been published for over 100 years. Booklist reviews titles in the areas of children’s, adult, fiction, non-fiction, graphic novels, media materials, and reference sources. These reviews are available in print copies and through an online, fully searchable database. This is a subscription-based publication, but is a standard for libraries.
- Library Journal is a magazine geared towards librarians, which provides the latest news, reviews, articles, and analytical reports of the library profession. The reviews are written for librarians with the issues of collection development and reader’s advisory in mind. A division of their review staff is dedicated to audiobook titles and most reviews are available free on the LJ website, though additional features require a subscription.
- Publishers Weekly (PW) is a weekly news magazine marketed to publishers, booksellers, authors, the general media, and librarians. It is published in print and online and offers the latest news and reviews of titles in fiction and nonfiction and for all audiences. Publishers Weekly has an audio section dedicated to audiobooks and spoken word recordings, but these reviews can only be accessed with a paid subscription and are not available to the general public.
- Another type of resource to keep in mind when searching for the latest news regarding audiobook publication and production is professional associations.
- The Audio Publishers Association (APA) was founded in 1987 and is a not-for-profit trade association looking after the interests of audio publishers. The APA is focused primarily on the business and publishing side of audiobook production, but is dedicated to raising awareness of the audio format and improving the availability of titles. The APA’s website has the most up-to-date press coverage of audiobook issues, a list of resources (including a page specific for librarians), and sponsors the annual Audie awards.
- The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) is a division of the American Library Association - Each year, RUSA publishes The Listen List, a list of twelve audiobooks in fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and plays. The titles for selection are submitted by their respective publishers and chosen by a committee of seven reader’s advisory and collection development librarians. The Listen List includes a short annotation of each title and offers a list of “listen-alikes,” which focus not only on similar books or authors, but similar listening experiences, which can aid in both collection development and reader’s advisory.
- Finally, an additional resource for libraries to consult is blogs dedicated to audiobooks. There are many casual reviewers of audiobooks who post their reviews on personal blogs or social media sites such as Goodreads, which can be referenced if librarians are unsure about a title after consulting the other selection tools previously mentioned.
- One professional blog of note which focuses on audiobooks is The Audiobooker. The Audiobooker is a blog hosted by Booklist Online, written by Mary Burkey, a teacher-librarian from Columbus, Ohio who serves as a judge for the Audies and reviews for Booklist. Burkey updates the blog with the latest news in the audiobooks world, as well as links to award lists and free downloads of audiobook titles. Additionally, Burkey annually publishes an Editor’s Choice list of top audiobooks.