The winter installment of Audio in Depth celebrates the vivid joys of reading with your ears. In this edition we unveil the findings of our 2023 Audiobook Survey and jointly interview India Holton and multi-Audie Award winner and actress Elizabeth Knowelden. (Also, check out: Audiobook Stars | Top Titles To Know, Share, and Listen To)
Top findings and key takeaways from the LJ/SLJ survey about audiobooks in U.S. public libraries, included are insight into librarian perspectives on format demand, budgeting, licensing terms, and selection influences. The most significant takeaway is the clear dominance of digital audio over physical audio for both youth and adults.
Our subscription-based platform offers a collection of over 13,000 books and journals covering topics like human rights, sustainable development, and climate change. Our user-friendly search tools make accessing authoritative content across 20 subject categories easy. Join today to gain valuable insights to inform policy and academic research. Contact for institutional subscriptions: iLibrary@un.org.
Urban Libraries Council contrasts pre-pandemic data with 2022 library stats to reveal growth in digital resource use and slow returns to in-person visits.
Steven Frost, associate chair of undergraduate studies for the Department of Media Studies at the University of Colorado–Boulder, was named a 2023 Library Journal Mover & Shaker for their work collaborating with Boulder Public Library on its makerspace and Slay the Runway event. LJ recently spoke with Steven to learn more about these projects and what they’ve been up to since.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Gale’s “Eighteenth Century Collections Online” (ECCO), the largest collection—32 million pages—of 18th-century books, pamphlets, periodicals, and other ephemera in the world. ECCO was revolutionary in providing researchers and students a text-searchable corpus at their desktops 24/7.
CBC releases its lists of the best Canadian nonfiction and the best Canadian fiction of 2023. Washington Post book review editors share the books they treasured in 2023. Esquire publishes its list of the best horror novels of 2023. Arabic translator Cara Piraino has won the Emerging Translator Prize 2023. NPR reports on a new Illinois anti-book-ban law that would withhold funding from libraries that remove books because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
“The majority of respondents indicated an increase in digital audio circulation—with many describing the increase as “significant”—and a decrease in physical audio circulation. Even with this circulation shift, more than half of respondents reported having no immediate plans to eliminate physical audio from their collections.”
While the COVID-19 pandemic has understandably been a key concern over the past few years, architects and librarians haven’t neglected other important factors in the continuing evolution of libraries in their communities.
Del Rey announced it will no longer publish Cait Corrain’s debut, Crown of Starlight, as the author admits to review-bombing on Goodreads. The Canada Reads 2024 longlist is announced. The UK’s Nero Book Awards shortlists are announced. LibraryReads and LJ offer read-alikes for Brynne Weaver’s Butcher & Blackbird. Penguin Random House acquires Hay House. Plus, author Lauren Groff will add “bookseller” to her resume in 2024.
The longlist for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction is announced. Tor.com releases its Reviewers’ Choice list of the best books of 2023. Vanity Fair shares its 20 favorite books of 2023. The Millions publishes more of its annual Year in Reading series. CrimeReads selects the best espionage novels of 2023. Poets&Writers publishes its “Nineteenth Annual Look at Debut Poets.” Plus new title best sellers.
American Zion: A New History of Mormonism, by Benjamin E. Park, is a starred spirituality & religion title. "A book about Mormonism that will stand the test of time. General readers should be riveted by a story well told; scholars will be engaged by arguments worth debating." In graphic novels, Hilnama's I’m a Terminal Cancer Patient, But I’m Fine is a starred selection. "Hilnama’s realistic details and encouragement would help any cancer patient prepare for the worst but work towards the best as well. A must-buy for most libraries." And Blood Sex Magic: Everyday Magic for the Modern Mystic, by Bri Luna, is a starred parapsychology selection. "Luna’s supportive concepts, cultural inclusiveness, frank talk, and unique spells should appeal to readers looking for feminist, representational, badass witchcraft."
Job Zone utilizes unique job matching technology to help you find the perfect job (and employers find the perfect candidate), whether you’re actively seeking or just keeping an eye out for your possibilities. Log on today and check out our newest features, including automated job and candidate matches, and email alerts.
JOB OF THE WEEK
Belmont University is seeking a Research Sharing Supervisor.
Did you receive this newsletter from a friend? Sign up here to get LJXPress
