Audiobooks and public libraries 2023 survey report

Audiobooks and public libraries 2023 survey report

METHODOLOGY

Library Journal/School Library Journal (LJ/SLJ) worked with representatives from the Audio Publishers Association (APA) to develop a survey about audiobooks in America’s public libraries in order to understand the library perspective on formats, budgeting, licensing terms, and selection influences. Survey questions were framed for both adult and youth audio collections and was conducted in August/September 2023 with 490 U.S. public library responses.

The sample was screened to include only library staff who are involved in recommending/purchasing audiobooks for their library. Respondents were branched to a line of either adult or children’s/YA questioning based on their responses. The data was cleaned, tabulated, and analyzed by the LJ/SLJ research department. The data is unweighted.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • Digital audio handily out-circulates physical audio for both adults and children. Physical audiobooks are more popular with children/young adults than with adults.

  • The trend over the last year shows that the majority of libraries have seen circulation increases for digital audio and decreases for physical audio.

  • Most libraries plan to continue collecting physical audio over the next two years. Only 4 to 5 percent had eliminated physical audio purchases as of August 2023.

  • Audiobooks’ share of the total library materials budget hovers around ten percent. A general trend is not apparent regarding movement of this percentage over the last few years. Approximately a third of respondents report that audiobooks’ share had decreased, about a third say it had increased, and the remaining third say its share didn’t change.

  • The percentage of audiobook budgets devoted to fiction and nonfiction mirrors the circulation breakdown of fiction and nonfiction for both adults (80%/20%) and children (90%/10%).

  • Libraries estimate that a quarter of adult audiobook borrowers are exclusive to the format. Youth are more likely to borrow multiple formats.

  • When deciding to purchase an audiobook for the library, selectors consider patron requests, professional reviews, and the popularity of the book and/or the author’s previous book most often.

  • Patrons’ most essential factors when deciding on an audiobook to borrow are the popularity of the book and the specific title. The author is third most important to adult borrowers and availability ranks third among young people.

  • Narrator may not be a primary factor when patrons decide to check out an audiobook, however many open-ended comments suggest that the narrator has a huge impact on patrons’ enjoyment and whether they finish listening to an audiobook. AI-voiced audiobooks would negatively influence a library’s decision to purchase.

  • Very little library programming is currently centered around audiobooks.

VIEW FULL REPORT HERE