Question email sent out

10/12/2016

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Hello Pamela, Rachel, and Ann,

Members of the CMC (Collection Maintenance Committee) noticed the generic Go Reader audiobook book available through Cross Plains and Monroe. I've also recently learned that Deerfield has purchased Go Readers as well. The CMC is thinking about placing them on regular records, but we have questions for you. Please forward this email to whomever can best answer these questions:

  1. Was there a specific reason you purchased the Go Reader vs. Playaways?
  2. As compared to playaways, are the Go Readers as durable? Is the sound quality similar?
  3. How are the Go Readers circulating for you? Do you plan on purchasing additional titles?
  4. Is the price point more competitive compared to Playaways?
  5. From our research, it seems GoReaders are being distributed by companies serving schools and libraries. Have you had demand based on use in the local school system?
  6. It also looks like GoReaders are a product of the company Book Buddy and distributed through educational and trade publishers. The current focus seems to be K-12 materials and are designed to be listened to along with the printed book. [ Did you purchase them separately or with the corresponding book? Will you continue buying them as such?
  7. Because these are digital audio players, similar to playaways, they could be cataloged as such. If the content and narrator matches, they could be potentially be linked to existing playaway records with additional editing of the record noting Go Reader. Do you have any concerns you can see with that action?

If you have follow-up questions or comments, we'd love to hear them. This will be a topic at the next CMC meeting, November 9, 2016 and I will share your responses with the committee then.​

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

Sincerely,​ (signature, on behalf of CMC committee)

Three (3) Answers:

10/12/2016 -- Cross Plains

Hi, Tina.

We don't see any problems. It will be nice to have them linked to record other than generic. Let us know when to move forward.

Best,

Pam Bosben, Director

Rosemary Garfoot Public Library

2107 Julius Street

Cross Plains, WI 53528

10/13/2016 -- Deerfield

Hello Tina,

I will do my best to answer these questions on behalf of Deerfield.

  1. We own Go Readers due solely to the fact that they came in our subscription box from Junior Library Guild. We have never purchased any separately, nor did we tailor our subscription from JLG to get Go Readers specifically.
  2. A brief survey of the other staff (there are only 4 of us in Deerfield) revealed that none of us have actually tried out the Go Readers, possibly because we don’t use digital audio players in general, or possibly because our specific titles are children’s titles (that’s what JLG sent us).
  3. They go out occasionally to our patrons, but not a ton. Again, perhaps due to the fact that they are children’s titles, but probably far more likely due to the fact that Madison cataloging instructed us to catalog them under a generic record (their reasoning was that Go Readers are not common enough in the system so far to catalog separately; but they may change this directive at a later point). Because of the generic record, they are much harder to search out.
  4. Again, ours are part of our JLG subscription and as such are not priced out separately, so I am unsure of the difference in price.
  5. No. [had not had demand based on use in the local school system—edited by TMM]
  6. Corresponding books did not come with the Go Readers, nor have we specifically purchased any books for that purpose.
  7. No. [do not have any concerns with linking them to existing playaway records with additional editing of the record noting Go Reader—edited by TMM] In fact, in thinking of my answer to question 3, I think it would help circulation for them to be linked to searchable records.

Alright, I hope this helps.

Thanks,

Rachael

10/27/2016 -- Monroe Public Library

Tina,
I am sorry that I did not get back to you sooner. The purchase of our 3 Go readers was a complete accident and have not circulated. That is probably due to being on a generic record. I don't have any strong feelings about how they are handled. That being said, I think that if libraries are purchasing them patrons should have ready access to them. I hope that answers your concerns.

Ann Mueller

(Monroe Public Library)