eAudio Takes Off in King County

The King County Library System (KCLS), WA, began circulating electronic audiobooks in December, and the program has taken off. Patrons can reserve audiobooks in the 48-title eAudio collection and pick up an MP3 player loaded with the book at any of the 42 branches. The system had over 1200 reserves in January.

KCLS is the largest customer among the handful of libraries that have bought titles from Audible.com, which provides downloadable spoken-word audio via a proprietary format rather than an MP3 disc. KCLS downloads Audible.com's file onto a computer and then onto an Audible-ready MP3 player. The library currently lends 370 players (valued at more than $100 each) and expects to have over 600 by the end of March. No deposit is required, and there have been no problems with the public returning the players.

With its initial collection, the library focused on best sellers, purchasing ten or so copies of some titles. The library expects to expand the collection to include more backlist and nonfiction works, according to Bruce Schauer, associate director of collection management services.

Patrons at KCLS and other Audible customers want to download the books themselves, from home, and onto their own MP3 players, and Audible spokesman Jonathan Korzen said that most current players could accommodate the software needed. KCLS, Schauer said, would like to focus on the books, although he sees the library as always circulating some devices for patrons without players.

The library has begun discussing with Audible the possibility of allowing access to the eAudio collection through the library's web site. One model, according to Schauer, would include a "time out" on the files, so they disappear from patrons' devices at the end of the loan period.