Audiobooks are hot everywhere, especially in Ridgefield. The Library has 1,300 audiobooks on CD that circulate so frequently that at any given time, only about 55% of them are available. Recently, we’ve added more than 1,000 downloadable audiobooks to the collection and those have proven very popular as well. Audiobooks are a true art form in and of themselves. There are publishers devoted solely to creating them, and people often have favorite narrators, whom they will follow from book to book. Every year, the Audio Publishers Association holds the Audies, the premiere awards program in the United States, recognizing distinction in audiobooks. I have been fortunate enough to have been chosen as a judge for the 2012 Audies Competition, in the non-fiction category. This means listening to and evaluating more than 25 audiobooks between now and the new year. While listening for technical specifications (good sound quality, no odd edits or paper shuffling noises), I also have to be attentive to the narrator’s tones, energy, and overall performance. It is a pleasure to spend time with all these talented narrators. I encourage you to check out some of the Library’s audiobooks and discover this art form for yourself.
Contributed by Geri Diorio, Teen Services Librarian and head of Children's Serices
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