Listener's Advisory could be a whole unique department in and of itself at the library where I work - audiobooks (in both physical format and streaming/downloadable format) are extremely popular, and we receive many RA questions that are directed at the AV department and/or the RA department!
When thinking about performing RA services for audiobooks, I like to keep in mind the format of the book in the interview: is the patron just interested in the physical audiobook (which can be upwards of 15-30+ discs!), or do they have the capability of listening to the book in digital format? Will they be listening to it on their phone in the car, or will they be using an MP3 player at the gym?
The narration is also very important. The nice thing about audiobooks is that accents and dialects can be heard, and can help to bring alive characters or accents that can be difficult to imagine if the patron is unfamiliar with the dialect or accent. Some patrons have favorite narrators, or prefer a male or female narrator more than the other! The characterization by the narrator - whether or not the narrator can make the characters seem alive and real - is also important. Sometimes, I (and many of my patrons) have reported that they just don't feel connected to a narrator. I like to suggest LibriVox recordings to my patrons because they're free, transferable/transportable, and you can preview several different narrators prior to selecting which version of the audiobook you'd like to listen to. I often find that background music can be terribly distracting for audiobook listeners, although some patrons do tell me that they listen to soft, light music in the background in addition to their audiobook.
Some unique appeal factors for audiobooks can include the option of multiple narrators, if the title is a full cast production, or if the book is read by the author. The actual appeal terms for the performance of the narrator and his or her style, such as if the narrator sounds youthful or has a deep voice, can also be considered.
Pacing is often substantially different for an audiobook compared to a print edition of the same title - I remember when I first read the last Harry Potter book: I probably read the last 200 pages in an hour, racing to get to the end, whereas with an audiobook this wouldn't have been possible (although you can often change the speed at which the audio is played, such as 1.5x, 2.5x, etc.)
One issue that arises is that some titles aren't available to public libraries in audiobook format - or are unavailable in digital audiobook format. If a title is available in digital audiobook format, it might be available only for specific devices (WMA vs. MP3, etc.) I was pleased to discover at the PLA conference a few weeks ago that NoveList will soon be incorporating audiobooks into their collection, which can help greatly with RA services!
With eBook RA, the format plays an important aspect in recommending titles to patrons. Devices that use e-ink are often found to be very similar to reading the print of a physical book, although the weight and flipping through paper and feeling the edges of a book against your skin or the smell of an older, musty book simply aren't there. Screen resolution, personalization preferences, such as background color, brightness, screen size, font size, font face, colors, etc., all play a part in patron preferences, as well. One point to share with patrons is that the book can be read horizontally or vertically, and can be adjusted for large type for disabled or visually impaired patrons. If a patron has arthritis or another disability, will they be comfortable holding a device?
It's often frustrating for patrons to figure out how much of the book they have left to read: OverDrive read, Adobe Digital Editions, Kindle, and many other platforms inform patrons how many pages of the book are left while they read - but depending on font sized and other factors, this number can change dramatically, and it's just not the same as physically looking at a book and saying, "I still have ____ left" to read! eBook pacing can also be affected by how much text is actually displayed on the screen - the amount of text and its size and look can easily be changed, however.
If the book uses footnotes, images or other materials that require jumping through the book, will an eBook be appropriate for their purposes? It can be difficult to jump back and forth through a lengthy eBook if there aren't quick links included.
I think that RA services for eBooks and audiobooks will need to continually evolve as new devices and gadgets appear on the market, and their OS are updated. The platforms used, such as 3M, OverDrive, Kindle, epub, DRM, and all of these facets of the wonderful world of digital publishing and access to materials will also affect RA services.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Fantasy Annotation
Author: Robert C. Cargill
Title: Dreams and Shadows
ISBN: 9780062190420
Genre: Fantasy fiction; Adult books for young adults; Urban fantasy fiction
Publication Date: February 2013
Number of Pages: 416 p.
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Other Formats: eBook, audiobook
Geographical Setting: Austin, Texas, USA; Limestone Kingdom (magical realm located outside of Austin, Texas)
Subject Headings:
Parallel universes
Interdimensional travel
Wizards
Magic
Technology
Fairies
Musicians
Plot Summary: Dreams and Shadows introduced us to many characters, including those of Ewan Thatacher and Colby Stevens. Ewan was cruelly kidnapped as an infant and replaced by a doppleganger - a changeling named Knocks. Ewan is raised in a fairy realm (in Austin, Texas) called the Limestone Kingdom. A young neglected boy - Colby Stevens - encounters a djinn (a genie) in the Texas woods, and makes a wish to see all that there is to see - including meeting a fairy, who turns out to be Ewan. While the two boys and the djinn meet in the fairy kingdom, Colby discovers that Ewan is to be sacrificed, and takes it upon himself to rescue Ewan from his unfortunate fate.
Appeal
Pacing: Meandering
Story: Intricately plotted; World-building
Characters: Multiple points of view; quirky characters
Setting: Detailed setting; sense of place
Language: Lyrical; narrative
Tone: Bleak; Dramatic; Violent
Graphic Meter: Graphic violence
Writing Style: Richly detailed
Read-Alikes (Fiction and Nonfiction)
Fiction –
The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue
Reason for Suggestion: These novels recount stories of changelings and humans who interact in their parallel but very different worlds. Dreams and Shadows is a darker and faster-paced story, while The Stolen Child, though it has plenty of action, is more pensive. -- Katherine Johnson
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
Reason for Suggestion: If you enjoy fantasy that features contemporary teens and young adults who get involved with magical realms, you'll want to try both these compelling, gritty novels. -- Katherine Johnson
From the Corner of His Eye by Dean R. Koontz
Reason for Suggestion: These books are Violent and Intricately plotted, and they share: the genre 'Adult books for young adults' and the subject 'Parallel universes'.
Nonfiction –
So You Created a Wormhole: A Time Traveler’s Guide to Time Travel by Phil Hornshaw
Provides novices with the rules of time travel, including why wormholes are not the safest way to travel, things you shouldn't say when meeting your future or past versions of yourself, and how to avoid "spaghettification."
Faery Tale: One Woman’s Search for Enchantment in a Modern World by Signe Pike
Details the true story of one woman's international quest for the elusive magical faeries whose stories sparked her childhood imagination, a pilgrimage that took her through Mexico, England, Ireland, Scotland and New York.
Magic: A Very Short Introduction by Owen Davies
A wide-ranging overview of how magic has been defined, understood and practiced over the millennia introduces it in today's world as a real force that helps people overcome misfortune, poverty and illness.
Read a Preview Here: http://www.amazon.com/Dreams-Shadows-C-Robert-Cargill/dp/0062190423
User Reviews from GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15818357-dreams-and-shadows
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
When Nonfiction Goes Bad
Take for example the case of Kevin Trudeau. Were you one of the unlucky readers who shelled out nearly $30 for one of the 850,000+ copies of Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About? Trudeau's 2007 nonfiction diet plan seemed too good to be true - and when it was revealed he has absolutely no medical training, a huge backlash ensued - including a lawsuit. U.S. District Court Judge Robert W. Gettleman ruled that Trudeau “clearly misrepresents in his advertisements the difficulty of the diet described in his book, and by doing so, he has misled thousands of consumers.” On Monday, nearly seven years after the release of the book, he was sentences to serve ten years in prison (http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/17/justice/illinois-pitch-man/.)
So, the question arises - how do you perform RA services for these types of materials? How would you respond if you had a patron inquire about this book - or your opinion - on this title? When you look at user ratings, such as those found on Amazon, the book is only listed as having 2/5 stars - but the sales ranking listed the book at #16 on the Amazon Bestsellers list when it was initially released.
Despite having 3/5 stars on GoodReads (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/681.Natural_Cures_They_Don_t_Want_You_to_Know_about), reviews are ALL over the place. While one reader claims that this book is a 'must read,' yet another states adamantly that it is 'the biggest pile of poo I have encountered in a long time.' Would you feel it ethical to recommend a book without telling a patron about the controversy surrounding it?
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Booktalks
Creating these booktalks has allowed me to explore a creative side of myself - and I really enjoyed it! At times, it was extremely frustrating, and there was much yelling at and throwing of devices and books alike!
I have to be honest: I do a lot of video work in my professional library job. I create all of the video tutorials for my library, and I typically use Final Cut/Camtasia to create or edit videos. I have a fantastic professional stand mic, a sound box, and some pretty nice equipment to work with. That being said...I didn't think it would be fair to take advantage of that equipment, and I also thought it would be interesting to see what options are out there that are low cost or free for patrons and for librarians alike. I know that I'm extremely lucky, and that small, rural or budget constrained libraries might not have funding to afford specialized software and equipment just to make videos.
I've been very interested in the concept of digital booktalks for the past few months. I think that as more of our patrons move from the use of our physical space to using more (or just) or digital resources, a way to directly reach readers would be to offer digital book talks and interactive, online book discussions through the library's website. I decided to create 2-3 digital booktalks and 1 traditional book talk to see how viewers respond differently to 'digital' booktalks - booktalks with narration, images of book covers and scenes from the books, as opposed to the traditional book talk where the viewer is greeted by a friendly, smiling librarian. (Hopefully they're smiling!)
The digital booktalks seem to be more like book trailers than traditional booktalks. I think they could be very useful as teasers for getting patrons interested in coming to longer book discussions or programs. The digital aspect of all of the videos I created made it difficult to imagine a room full of patrons listening - or not listening! - to the booktalk. I think there's a narrow line between an online video book review and a book talk. You really have to sell the book, the author, and/or the plot without coming off as disingenuous or pushy. It's also difficult to make the talk interesting/funny/creative without coming off as too ridiculous or bizarre. Depending upon the audience, dressing up as a wizard when discussing Harry Potter could REALLY be the hook that could get a reader interested in a title; with the wrong audience, it could end up with the librarian being ridiculed. When I asked several RA librarians at my library if they ever dressed up or used props (aside from the book itself) for a book talk, discussion or program, NONE of them said they had actually dressed up, used voices (accents, etc.) or props. I was really surprised!
I played around with adding music to several of my videos, but found that using background music throughout the videos was too distracting for viewers after having several friends and family members viewing the videos. I focused on a plot summary (with cliffhanger) for Death Comes to Pemberley. This was a book that I truly enjoyed, and it was recently turned into a TV miniseries by the BBC. I was able to incorporate several screenshots and images from the television adaptation in the digital booktalk. One of my friends said she felt that having real actors/characters represented in the talk made her want to read the actual book more. One issue that I know could arise with digital booktalks and use of images is copyright - I couldn't post these videos to my library's website without permission from BBC and other copyright holders for several of the images I used, which is a huge issue! The Thirteenth Tale was also turned into a television special in December of this past year, and I used images from the film version, as well. For the booktalk of this novel, I used a first-person, character/mood based style of talk that included actual passages of the book woven in from the main character's perspective.
Some of the tech/content issues I encountered included:
Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James
http://animoto.com/play/LVad4iHHF18bML0vj85bEw
The Vanishing by Wendy Webb
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piVzE5wtNgo&edit=vd
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
http://animoto.com/play/Dym2b2f2QPyVdDlVjeKEEA
The Strain by Guillermo del Toro
http://animoto.com/play/YNYrkMRstu0bpd0E8WG46A
I have to be honest: I do a lot of video work in my professional library job. I create all of the video tutorials for my library, and I typically use Final Cut/Camtasia to create or edit videos. I have a fantastic professional stand mic, a sound box, and some pretty nice equipment to work with. That being said...I didn't think it would be fair to take advantage of that equipment, and I also thought it would be interesting to see what options are out there that are low cost or free for patrons and for librarians alike. I know that I'm extremely lucky, and that small, rural or budget constrained libraries might not have funding to afford specialized software and equipment just to make videos.
I've been very interested in the concept of digital booktalks for the past few months. I think that as more of our patrons move from the use of our physical space to using more (or just) or digital resources, a way to directly reach readers would be to offer digital book talks and interactive, online book discussions through the library's website. I decided to create 2-3 digital booktalks and 1 traditional book talk to see how viewers respond differently to 'digital' booktalks - booktalks with narration, images of book covers and scenes from the books, as opposed to the traditional book talk where the viewer is greeted by a friendly, smiling librarian. (Hopefully they're smiling!)
The digital booktalks seem to be more like book trailers than traditional booktalks. I think they could be very useful as teasers for getting patrons interested in coming to longer book discussions or programs. The digital aspect of all of the videos I created made it difficult to imagine a room full of patrons listening - or not listening! - to the booktalk. I think there's a narrow line between an online video book review and a book talk. You really have to sell the book, the author, and/or the plot without coming off as disingenuous or pushy. It's also difficult to make the talk interesting/funny/creative without coming off as too ridiculous or bizarre. Depending upon the audience, dressing up as a wizard when discussing Harry Potter could REALLY be the hook that could get a reader interested in a title; with the wrong audience, it could end up with the librarian being ridiculed. When I asked several RA librarians at my library if they ever dressed up or used props (aside from the book itself) for a book talk, discussion or program, NONE of them said they had actually dressed up, used voices (accents, etc.) or props. I was really surprised!
I played around with adding music to several of my videos, but found that using background music throughout the videos was too distracting for viewers after having several friends and family members viewing the videos. I focused on a plot summary (with cliffhanger) for Death Comes to Pemberley. This was a book that I truly enjoyed, and it was recently turned into a TV miniseries by the BBC. I was able to incorporate several screenshots and images from the television adaptation in the digital booktalk. One of my friends said she felt that having real actors/characters represented in the talk made her want to read the actual book more. One issue that I know could arise with digital booktalks and use of images is copyright - I couldn't post these videos to my library's website without permission from BBC and other copyright holders for several of the images I used, which is a huge issue! The Thirteenth Tale was also turned into a television special in December of this past year, and I used images from the film version, as well. For the booktalk of this novel, I used a first-person, character/mood based style of talk that included actual passages of the book woven in from the main character's perspective.
Some of the tech/content issues I encountered included:
- Poor sound quality recording with an iPhone 4
- Poor sound quality recording with an iPhone 5
- Better, but still poor sound quality recording directly through my MacBook Pro
- Discovering that I don't have iMovie installed, and it's $14.99....
- Discovering that my Animoto account ($5/month) doesn't allow users to include video clips longer than 10 seconds
- Trying to get my iPhone hooked up to a tripod
- Splicing video in a phone app
- Harkening back to freshman undergrad speech class - it's extremely difficult to not come off as being overly rehearsed and 'fake' while still trying to emphasize your key points in a clear, concise manner!
- Not a tech issue but actually a blessing - if you haven't played around with the basic YouTube video editor, let me tell you, it has a surprising amount of advanced features that you would find in a more expensive video editor, such as the ability to add transitions and pan and zoom! Best part - absolutely free!
- Video time - if I were to include several books in one video clip, I know from experience that many viewers won't/don't want to sit through a 6-9-12 minute video! Breaking up the talks into shorter videos can also allow them to stream/download faster for mobile users or those with slow Internet speeds.
Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James
http://animoto.com/play/LVad4iHHF18bML0vj85bEw
The Vanishing by Wendy Webb
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piVzE5wtNgo&edit=vd
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
http://animoto.com/play/Dym2b2f2QPyVdDlVjeKEEA
The Strain by Guillermo del Toro
http://animoto.com/play/YNYrkMRstu0bpd0E8WG46A
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Science Fiction Annotation
Author: Gail Carriger
Title: Soulless
Series: Parasol Protectorate, #1
ISBN: 0-316-05663-4
Genre: Science Fiction; Fantasy Fiction;
Satirical Fiction; Steampunk Fiction; Adult Books for Young Adults
Publication Date: October 2009
Number of Pages: 384 p.
Other Formats: eBook, Audiobook
Geographical Setting: Great Britain; London, England
Time Period: 19th century (Alternative
history)
Subject Headings:
Accidents
Mate selection
Men/women relations
19th century
Nobility
Paranormal phenomena
Tarabotti, Alexia
Vampires
Werewolves
Violence
Plot Summary: The first title in the Parasol Protectorate series is set in
Victorian England (in an alternate history), with vampires and werewolves having
active roles in society. The main character, Alexia Tarabotti, has a special
gift: she’s what is known as a ‘preternatural,’ or ‘soulless.’ Her touch can
turn these supernatural creatures temporarily human. Armed with her deadly
touch and parasol-turned-deadly-weapon, Alexia must defend herself after she
becomes accused of killing off several vampire’s of London’s high society. A
handsome Scottish werewolf and detective, Lord Conall Maccon, Earl of Woolsey,
a member of B.U.R. (The Bureau of Unnatural Registry), is sent by Queen
Victoria herself to investigate these vampiric disappearances – and Alexia.
This steampunk adventure is a humorous romp through an alternate 19th
century London that will leave readers wanting more.
Appeal
Pacing: Fast pacing
Story: Character-driven
Characters: Quirky, Colorful
Setting: Detailed, Sense of Place, Vivid
Language: Narrative
Tone: Funny; Romantic
Graphic Meter: Graphic violence, sex
Writing Style: Witty
Read-Alikes
Fiction
Phoenix Rising by Philippa Balllantine
Although Phoenix Rising is less overtly romantic,
both action-packed, character-driven Fantasy novels, set in a Steampunk-inflected
Victorian England, feature odd-couple pairings of government operatives whose
verbal jousting gives way to trust as they race against time to solve
improbable cases. – (Gillian Speace)
City of Lost Dreams by Magnus Flyte
These lively and romantic fantasies, City of Lost
Dreams including science, magic, and alchemy and Soulless being steampunk with
vampires and werewolves, are fast-paced and feature suspenseful mysteries and
interesting characters. They are witty, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny,
sensual, and steamy. – (Melissa Gray)
A Certain
Wolfish Charm by Lydia Dare
hese witty, romantic novels take place in a
Victorian England inhabited by werewolves and other supernatural beings.
Steamier than Soulless, A Certain Wolfish Charm will nevertheless appeal to
readers who enjoy Romantic Fantasy. – (Gillian Speace)
Read a Preview Here:
http://www.amazon.com/Soulless-Parasol-Protectorate-Gail-Carriger/dp/0316056634
Reader User Reviews from GoodReads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6381205-soulless
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