Thanks to everyone for your thoughtful and in-depth responses to my
post about audiobooks. If this HIT inspires anyone else to share what
formats or selection methods you prefer, I'd love to hear from even
more of you.
Here are the responses I got, slightly edited with personal material
removed...
_________
I began buying CDs about 3 years ago. I have them when available for
all our classroom sets of novels. Last spring, I bought my first
Playaways and I can't keep them on the shelf! I bought a few
classics and then popular fiction and started with about 20 titles.
Even the classics have circulated just because students want to try
that format. This year's new 7th graders have begun listening to
them as well and are really excited about them. Some check the books
out at the same time; some do not. They have created great
excitement and give the library a cool image. CDs are easier to
share in a car, etc. with family but I don't expect to buy many more
of them. Playaway list of titles is growning and that is what I will
continue to purchase.
_______
I just purchased some audio books for my elementary library in the CD
format because I have heard from other libraries what problems the
playaways pose. They area also a little pricey. In the end I
decided they weren't the best choice because a teacher is not able to
have an entire class listen to a playaway. (I'm sure there is a way
to plug speakers into the playaway, but I'm also sure it would
require further purchases!) The MP3 players are just too expensive to
hand to elementary school kids. They are also not likely to download
off the internet. Also, I don't have enough budget to buy disposable
ear buds.
On the other hand, I feel the audio books are absolutely essential
for the libraries to have for so many reasons. I've purchased only
titles that I know to be very well done and titles of highly
recommended books. Luckily my public library has a wonderful
collection that has allowed me to preview the books before I purchase
them for my library. I feel that choosing titles that are well
narrated makes all the difference in the use of the audiobook.
I think audiobooks are wonderful to have for relucant readers, ESL
students and the classified kids for DEAR time. They tend to be much
more focused than just reading the written page alone.
Classroom teachers like to use audiobooks when doing mundane chores,
such as script handwriting. Listening while practicing keeps the
class motivated to stay on task!
_______
I have cassettes and CDs and I got my first shipment of Playaways
over the
summer. So far, students have preferred the CDs, and I am sure, after
trying
one out myself, that the Playaways will be a hit!
__________
Pamela, you don't say what grade levels you serve, so I'm not sure I can
help. I have a middle school library. We have 8 ipods with audio
books and
about 20 playaways (we just got new ones this year) and about 15 CD's
with
audiobooks. I do not check out the CD's to students, but they can
check out
playaways and ipods. They are all very popular. Here are the
problems I
have. First, I only allow them to have them for 5 days. It's nearly
impossible to get them back in that amount of time--they want to keep
them!
I have a short time because the waiting lists are long. The
playaways--you
need to have spare batteries and headphones. The ipods are much
more work.
I have to re-charge them, re-load them and send out notices for them
to be
picked up. I had two stolen last year-- off my desk. I am honestly not
sure I would get them again (they're ipod shuffles). I love the
playaways
though, they're easy and not as hard to manage. I hope that helps.
______________
I choose titles with staff, by setting staff up on a library computer
with access to audible and letting them add them to my wishlist. I
do not have to involve staff, but I want to, because I want them to
use them with their students.
I buy in batches, and when they had an extra 25% off, I bought many
for about half price.
We choose:
1. Files for which we have or can get, the text. ALWAYS. Never
break this.
2. Books for new readers for our recent arrivals from Afirc and
Middle East.
3. Slightly harder books, funny... about 1 hour long - for the next
stage Intensive English readers (We use Paul Jennings and Gleitzman)
4. Classics - Dahl, Dr Seuss, Wizard of Oz, and the other end of the
scale - Pride and Prejudice.
5. Class novels - Once (Gleitzman) Looking for Alibrandi (Marchetta)
what else.. thinks.. anyway, thats the process.
___________
We have an mp3 service.
We have a high proportion of new English speakers, so we provide them
with both the text and a pre-loaded ipod, so they can read along with
the narrator, and hear the intonation, inflexion etc.
It also means students can be reading a level or 2 closer to their
interest level. They are connecting the spoken and written
vocabulary. Students know many more words than they can read, and
this helps them to increase their written vocab.
We also use them with the physically disabled and provide reading
enjoyment for some special needs students. The English Dept like them
to support class text studies. IPods are issued to the new arrivals
in mainstream so they can complete reading assignments for homework.
NOTE: We ONLY loan the text and the ipod. Students are not offered
the option to take the ipod only. We aim to encourage reading
development and enjoyment with our program.
Why not CDs? Well CDs are OUT man! Ipods are cool, easy to carry,
and secure. We have 10 in the library. So far so good.
About sources. I am in Australia and out copyright laws vary from
yours. We use audible.com because they provide a copyright option
for libraries. Most suppliers do not offer this to us. Even Audible
provides us with a much reduced list of titles to choose from.
___________
During the last school year I initiated a program of offering the
literature read in our high school classes in audio format. I
purchased 5 iPod shuffles, subscribed to Audible.com, and bought 15
of the most generally-used titles. We marketed this program to our
"learning differences" students with great success. I told them that
the iPods were available, and that if I didn't have a needed title
they could tell me and I would get it for them. This year we are
going to tell our middle school students as well. I will probably
need to buy more iPods but it is well worth it. No copyright issues -
the audiobooks live on my personal (but school-owned) laptop and are
protected with my own password so the kids can't download them onto
their own computer. I've gotten rave reviews!
__________
A few items regarding my public library, audiobooks & schools:
1) Last year our public library introduced downloadable audio books
for our patrons. MP3 players are required. Ipods won't work. Books
can be downloaded to computers then to the MP3s. We offer a variety
of genres, including the classics. www.dcls.org, click on audiobook
button on bottom of our website's front page. Then click again on
the next audiobook icon. Genres are listed on the right.
2) One of our local high school librarians and the high school's
literacy coach came up w/ the idea of using audio books w/ in-school
suspension students. That resulted in students finishing their work
so they could listen to a book! The hard copies of the audio books
accompanied the tapes; the students had to follow along. As the
literacy coach noted, many of the kids who are often in ISS have low
literacy skills. It seemed to be a win all the way around. My
library system tried to supply them w/ as many tapes as we could, we
culled them from our weeded materials. (The school was using old
cassette players). The timing was good as we were switching over to
CDs.
3) Another of our local high school librarians was delighted w/ the
downloadable audiobooks. She had foreign language students for whom
she was going to download the books so that they could listen and
follow along in their texts.
4) At our annual August Teacher workshop, I gave away 3 MP3 players
to highlight the downloadable audiobooks in hopes that students might
soon be
listening to them - be it for pleasure or academic work.
Bottom line for me - it's not so much the format of the audio books
that's important, it's the increased exposure to language and
literature.
___________
We no longer are buying cassettes as many families no
longer support that type of technology. Basically we
would have to supply the cassette player. So far our
district is buying strictly CDs or Playaways but I
have no experience with the Playaways as we have very
few audio books in the collection at the library where
I am now assigned. (that will change!)
____________
Pamela Burke
Librarian, Marlboro School
Marlboro, VT 05344
http://marlboroschool.net
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