Intersections: Summer 2022

Behind the Stacks: ALL THE FORMATS

IT USED TO BE THAT LIBRARIES just had books. Over time, offerings evolved as technology and people’s needs evolved. We got cassette audiobooks, then CDs. We still have the CDs (and yes, people still check them out) but we also have downloadable and streaming audiobooks, as well as ebooks that offer a wide range of accessibility options. You can change the text size, font, background and lighting, as well as create notes and highlights and define words. On audio, you can speed up or slow down the narration. If you need some in-depth, current information and have mobility problems, we have dozens of databases available for free on our website — no need to be physically present in the library. As our population ages, having options that expand accessibility is more important than ever.

My boss’s father was a physician with dyslexia. That in itself must have been pretty challenging. Then think about adding recreational reading to his to-do list ... it just wasn’t happening for him. But then his daughter introduced him to cassette audiobooks that she checked out while working at the library. It was the 1990s, and they took a father/daughter cross country road trip. While my boss doesn’t remember what books they listened to (except for the one he didn’t like — Harry Potter), he fell in love with audiobooks and continued to be an avid book listener for the rest of his life.

We have large print books, too, that make reading easier for folks with vision impairments. One library patron, Lisa, emailed us to ask this question: "Will there be more large print books available now that the boomers are having eyesight issues?"

It’s true that as the population ages, there comes a greater need for alternative formats for books. However, it has not led to an increase in large print circulation. In fact, we have seen it decrease because many people are choosing to listen to digital audiobooks or read ebooks, where they can change the size of the texts. We do understand that not everyone wants to read on a screen, so we will continue to offer large print as a format.

Folks may not know about our adult outreach services — we can actually bring library materials to your door, and you can keep them for longer than the usual three-week checkout period, so you can stock up without worrying about due dates.

Of course, we still have plenty of stuff to do, both in the library and out in the community. Don’t think we’ve gone 100% digital — we have in-person events for all ages and interests, in addition to meeting rooms, and of course, books. You might even catch our W.O.W. (Web on Wheels) bus out at a community event. I| S

— JAMIE STROBLE, audiovisual librarian